The career of an actor starts with struggle and ends with millennial success. But during this road to the top, an actor has to face many odds, take down many hurdles, and conquer many roles. When it comes to stepping in the shoes of a character, the Bollywood film fraternity has witnessed many actors who portrayed roles that left us astonished. Bollywood is known for its tried and tested ancient ways of casting much older actors and actresses in younger roles. However often it is seen that actors were cast for their ability to play a role, irrespective of their actual age. Here is a list of the top 10 Bollywood actors who played roles that were nowhere near to their real-life age
1. Amitabh Bachchan (Paa): You can’t judge the acting skills of a 66-year-old actor who played the role of a 12-year-old boy. When the megastar of Bollywood made his first appearance as a preadolescent boy in Paa it was nearly impossible to identify him. From his actions and speech patterns to the emotional range of a young boy, Amitabh Bachchan nailed the role.
2. Priyanka Chopra (7 Khoon Maaf): It may fail to impress the audience, but 7 Khoon Maaf is always going to be a cult classic in the history of Bollywood and the reviews it got from critics is a proof to that. There were many reasons behind the success of the movie but the plotline and acting of Priyanka Chopra stood out. Playing the role of Susanna, she aged from a young 20-year-old to an experienced old lady in the span of the movie, and not a single phase seemed unrealistic.
3. Irrfan Khan (Lunchbox): Defeating the age gap between his reel and real life, Irrfan Khan played the role of a 60-year-old guy who is about to get retired at the age of of 44. It was not the first time Irrfan did something so marvelous.
4. Aamir Khan (3 idiots): 3 idiots somewhere changed the whole concept of education in India and the credit for that goes to this guy who played the role of the coolest college student. It was not as easy a role for Aamir Khan as he stepped in the shoes of a 20-year-old guy while he himself was running in the 44th year of his life.
5. Anupam Kher (Saarnash): Anupam Kher was in his 20s when he debuted with the role of an aged father, grieving the loss of his only son. His performance was so convincing that it was hard to believe that such a young actor could actually reflect such intense emotions - especially of a character he did not relate to in reality.
6. Rishi Kapoor (Kapoor and Sons): People says it was easy for Rishi Kapoor to play the role of lovable, slightly outrageous, but completely adorable dadaji of Kapoor & Sons but in reality, it was completely opposite for him as he was in his 40s when he played the role of a 90-year-old grandpa.
7. Shweta Tripathi (Haraamkhor): Shweta played as a young school student when she was almost 32 years old. And her performance was relatable not because of makeup but because she beautifully showcased the confused anguish of a young girl caught in an illicit affair.
8. Ranbir Kapoor (Sanju): Sanju is one of the greatest biopics Bollywood has ever witnessed and the reason behind that is the marvelous acting of Ranbir Kapoor. The actor not just won many hearts but also won many for his role which captures him playing the role of the 54-year-old actor at the age of 35.
9. Manoj Bajpayee (Aligarh): Manoj Bajpayee played a professor almost 15 years senior to his real age. There has never been a doubt that Manoj Bajpayee is a brilliant method actor, but as Prof. Ramchandra Siras, his impassioned fight for equality, combined with his emotional vulnerability at an unfair societal prosecution, made this performance memorable.
10. Aishwarya Rai (Sarbjit): Aishwarya Rai is the diva of Bollywood, be it on screen, or off-screen. And yet, her portrayal of a bereaved 60-year-old sister was right on point. She gave one of the strongest performances of her career with Sarbjit and proved that roles should not be defined by age.
