10 years apart: Why is being with an older woman frowned upon in society?

KARACHI: Two months ago, when Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt made their first official appearance as a couple at Sonam Kapoor's wedding reception, no one batted an eyelid. Well, that's a stretching it a bit...indeed, social media was ablaze with news of the budding celebrity romance and it wasn't until Ranbir confirmed the relationship himself that all the hoo-haa simmered down.

PHOTO: CATCH NEWS

But the hype around #RanAlia as they are being called wasn't the same as that for Priyanka Chopra and her rumoured boyfriend Nick Jonas.

Now, it's not surprising that everyone has been up in PeeCee's business too, ever since she first attended that one fateful baseball game with Nick in the US. But sad as it may be, much of the speculation revolves around one thing: their age difference.

PHOTO: E! ONLINE

It seemed like the world had come crashing down because Priyanka, aged 35, was reportedly dating 25-year-old Nick. Twitter had a field day, with users joking about how the Jealous singer having a good time with someone who apparently is old enough to look like his mom.

https://twitter.com/lilabards/status/1012826602269315072

Do you see the problem with this narrative? It made me think why no body questioned Ranbir and Alia, even though they too are exactly 10 years apart. No one made fun of him for "robbing the cradle." If anything, people have been rooting for the two acting powerhouses to tie the knot and throw the next big Bollywood wedding.

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/KARISMA KAPOOR

Same was the case with Saif Ali Khan and his previous wife Amrita Singh. Mind you, the Chef star had romanced his now sister-in-law Karisma Kapoor onscreen numerous times before he tied the knont with Kareena Kapoor, 10 years his junior.

Once again, nobody batted an eyelid. But Saif being married to Amrita, despite her being 13 years older to him, was always a point of contention for everyone.

So, here's my question. Why do we think it's okay to bash a successful woman - in this case, Priyanka - for being a few years older to her better half? Whatever happened to age is just a number?

And for the record, couples wherein the female is older often make solid ones. If you don't believe me, here are some popular examples of successful relationships with major age gaps.

1. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan:

PHOTO: INDIA TODAY

The former Miss World married junior Bachchan in a star-studded ceremony back in 2007. The couple fell in love while they were filming Guru and are still head over heels for each other. And guess what? Ash is two years older than Abhishek.

2. Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover:

PHOTO: ASIAN WORLD NEWS

Two years ago, the then 37-year-old Bollywood diva tied the knot with her Alone co-star, the 34-year-old Karan. The couple is still going strong, proving that love trumps age.

3. Shakira and Gerard Pique:

PHOTO: PEOPLE

The 10-year-age difference between the Latin singer and the Spanish footballer has never been a problem in their extremely loving relationship. The couple has been dating since 2010 and are parents to two adorable sons.

4. Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling:

PHOTO: POPSUGAR

The 37-year-old Ryan has been in a relationship with Mendes, 44, for the last seven years. The two have two beautiful kids and are loving life!

Closer to home, we've got the example of actor Yasra Rizvi, who married a producer much younger than her. The actor, however. was strong enough to shut down haters in a short video.

"There were people who appreciated the age gap between my husband and I, others were not so supportive.” Yasra begins in the clip. “I want to thank the ones who criticised me and those who supported me, since it (my marriage) started a debate on the age gap between a couple and where the issue stands, socially and religiously,” she adds.



Now, repeat after me:

Age is just a number.

It is completely normal for a woman to be with a younger man.

It is completely normal for a man to be with a woman more successful than him.

It's 2018, guys. 2018.

So, the next time you ridicule a successful, self-made woman for dating a guy younger than her - sit down

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