Last Updated: 2020-02-15 11:15:49
Dharmendra and Hema Malini paired in many hit films of the 70s, including the romantic dramas Sita Aur Geeta, Dream Girl and Sholay. They’ve made 28 films together and finally got married in 1980. Dharmendra, Bollywood’s romantic star who also carried his macho image with an easy charm, was already married when he fell in love with Hema. They have two daughters together. But their incredible chemistry is evident in films like Sharafat, Tum Haseen Main Jawan, Naya Zamana and Raja Jani. A Veteran of almost 300 films, Sripriya starred with Rajinikanth in 28. They have perfect celluloid chemistry that translated to some great performances on screen, including in films like ‘Billa’. MGR and Saroja Devi, one of Tamil cinema’s everlasting romantic pairs, created magic in ‘Anbe Vaa’, ‘Naadodi Mannan’ and ‘Enga Veetu Pillai’. MGR, one the first superstars of Indian cinema, paired with Saroja Devi throughout 1958-1967 and had back-to-back hits. Be it ‘Basanta Bilap’, ‘Baksa Badal’ or ‘Chutir Fande’, Soumitra Chattopadhyay and Aparna Sen made a fresh, new pair in Bengali cinema in the 60s. The tall and angular Soumitra was markedly different from contemporary Bengali heroes and his intelligence matched that of Aparna’s. Of the 25 films in which Jeetendra and Jaya Prada were paired together, 19 went on to become box office hits. They ruled the 80s Hindi cinema with films such as Takkar (1980), Mawaali (1983) and Tohfa (1984). Shivaji Ganesan and Padmini starred in an astounding 59 films together. She was first paired with Ganesan in ‘Panam’ in 1952. There was no looking back for the pair that established a comfortable working relationship with each other and their fans who came back to see them in film after film. No list of evergreen pairs is complete without the mention of Indian cinema’s ultimate romantic couple Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen. The duo ruled over hearts in Bengal between the 50s and 70s. They starred in about 30 films together and their romantic chemistry transcended screen to spark rumours of personal involvement as well. Actress-turned-politician J Jayalalithaa paired with actor-politician MG Ramachandran in 28 films despite a 30-year age difference between them. She was said to be the love of MGR’s life and considered him her mentor. The pair ruled southern cinema between 1965 and 1972. Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz acted in 10 films, including memorable ones such as ‘Aap Ki Kasam’, ‘Roti’, ‘Apna Desh’ and ‘Sachcha Jhootha’. Every film that she and Khanna acted in became a superhit. After Khanna’s death, Mumtaz recalled that they used to joke about him carrying her on her shoulders for nearly a week in the snow while shooting for the closing scenes of the film ‘Roti’. Dev Anand’s best and most profitable films have been with Waheeda Rehman. Throughout the 1950s the duo went on to make C.I.D., Solva Saal, Kala Pani and Kala Bazar massive hits. They exuded charm and their smiles lit up the screen whenever they matched wits on celluloid. But it was only the film ‘Guide’ that gave an extra dimension and depth to the couple’s romance on screen, making it one of the most memorable films of all times. The great-grandniece of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Devika Rani was one of the pioneering women in cinema. She married Himanshu Rai, the founder of the Bombay Talkies in 1929. Theirs was not a happy marriage. Himanshu paired with Devika in the 1933 film ‘Karma’ which also documents Hindi cinema’s first on-screen kiss between the lead pair. No one knows for sure whether there is any truth behind the rumours of Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha’s off-screen romance, at a time when he was married to his co-star of many films Jaya Bhaduri. They have always maintained an enigmatic silence about their relationship in public. But their sexual chemistry in films such as ‘Silsila’ has made them one of the greatest romantic couples on celluloid in the history of Indian cinema. Dev Anand married his ‘Taxi Driver’ co-star Kalpana Kartik, a beauty queen in Simla. Be it Taxi Driver (1954), Humsafar (1953), House no 44 (1954) or Nau Do Gyaraah (1957), Kalpana and Dev made an interesting couple on screen and off it. Dev matched Kalpana in charm, exuberance, innocence and freshness. Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood’s ultimate romantic hero, starred with Kajol in several memorable films but ask his fans and they’ll tell you, it’s nearly not enough. They set a trend with their romantic comedy ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ and youngsters across India wanted to copy their style. Their incredible celluloid saga continued up to My Name Is Khan. Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla’s romance in their debut film together – ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’ – was every schoolboy and girl’s fantasy. They were Bollywood’s sweetest pair, effervescent, filled with cute charm and hope. They went on to make ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’ (1993), ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ (1994) and ‘Ishq’ (1997). Kommareddy Savitri was paired opposite Gemini Ganesan in many films in the 50s. She married Gemini Ganesan while acting in ‘Manam Pola Mangalyam’ in 1953. Her 100th film was also with him. She’s acted in over 300 films. Film buffs will vouch that their all-time favourite Kamal Haasan and Sridevi film was the 1983 hit Sadma. Both actors gave the roles they played layers and the tragic ending is one of Hindi cinema’s best. But the actors have appeared in several films throughout the 70s and 80s, notable ones including ‘Varumayin Niram Sigappu’, ‘Moondru Mudichu’ and ’16 Vayathinile’. Khushboo and Prabhu were the reigning pair in the 80s. They starred in ‘Dharmathin Thalaivan’, ‘Pandithurai’ and ‘Chinna Thambi’ among others. Though she has acted with Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, her endearing on-screen equation with Prabhu is perhaps the best-loved by fans. Dilip Kumar and Madhubala’s romance, both on-screen and off, was the talk of the Hindi film industry in the 50s. The pair met on the sets of ‘Jwar Bhata’ (1944). Their courtship continued for five years that they knew each other intimately. They separated during the filming of BR Chopra’s film ‘Naya Daur’. But by then they had already starred in ‘Mughal-E-Azam’, an epic period film directed by K Asif. The late 1940s and 50s were ruled by the pair of Raj Kapoor and Nargis – lightyears ahead of their time in bringing sensuality to Indian cinema. Aag (1948), Andaz (1949), Barsaat (1949) and Pyaar (1950) are only a few of their memorable films together. Their celluloid moments have been reproduced in countless films and posters. According to industry gossip, the two were said to be in a relationship in the 50s before Nargis married Sunil Dutt.