An age gap between the protagonists of Indian cinema isn't new. Even in Tamil cinema, through the years, we have often seen our superstars remain 'young' by constantly working with younger heroines. These pairings become the talk of the town, and even if the age difference is a couple of decades, it is all brushed away by simply saying, "The hero still looks young..." Now, even if that might be the case, voices criticising these pairings have grown louder. In fact, when Mamitha Baiju was announced as the lead alongside Suriya in Venky Atluri's Vishwanath and Sons, the first question that cropped up was, "Wait, so are they playing a pair?" It did seem right because Mamitha was just 5 when Sillunu Oru Kadhal, Suriya's last true-blue romance, hit the screens. But soon enough, the makers revealed that Vishwanath and Sons dealt with a May-December romance, and the promotional materials made it amply clear that the age gap is the core of the film. Now, in matters of the heart, there is no place for rhyme or reason, and Tamil cinema, which prides itself on breaking boundaries and addressing taboos head-on, has explored this theme as well.
Ahead of the release of Vishwanath and Sons on August 14, here are a few films that touched upon various aspects of romance, with an age gap as the central conflict.
Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010)
At first glance, it might not look like the ideal example of an age-gap romance. But in a world where age-gap romances between a man and a woman usually cross more than a decade, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa subtly shows the double standards we have in this regard. When Karthik confesses his love for Jessie, her immediate response is to recoil, saying she's three years older than him. A difference that would have barely made a difference if the genders were swapped. Whether it is about the joy of romance, the melancholy of breakup, the transformative powers of a broken heart, or the ability of love to break cultural and age barriers, VTV handles every shade of yearning on scree
Sundara Kandam (1992)
Sundara Kandam is a film that shifts from extreme levity to sudden sadness, even as it walks the tightrope of depicting intergenerational romance while also not wading into an inappropriate space of underage love. Bhagyaraj's Shanmugamani, a school teacher, evades the relentless pursuit of Priya (Sindhuja), his student. What begins as infatuation gradually takes an uncomfortable turn. The beauty of the film lies in how it extends the idea of a prank going too far, allowing the humour to balance out the emotional complications. Despite its potentially problematic premise, Sundara Kandam remains engaging, largely because of Bhagyaraj's deft handling of tone, restraint, and the way he lends immense respect to each principal character despite their machinations.
Adithadi (2004)
Imagine a dreaded don (Sathyaraj) falling head over heels in love with a college girl (Rathi) just because his minions say she loves him. This story could take two paths: a comedy or a thriller. T Shivraj’s Adithadi takes the comedy route, which also briefly ventures into stalking and terrorising mode. While these modes are common in our regular romantic films as well, Adithadi tries not just to point out the futility of the same, but goes on to show the lengths to which even misconstrued love can make a man go. Thankfully, better sense prevails for all involved, and they realise that age might be just a construct, but what matters most is consent.
Vallavan (2006)
In Vallavan (2006), Silambarasan plays the titular character, who falls in love with his college lecturer Swapna (Nayanathara). He doles out a barrage of lies, including his age and even his identity. When both lies are unraveled, Swapna isn't just angry about him being younger, but also his dishonest nature. It is interesting how Silambarasan overcomes the age factor not by guile but by being who he is. Swapna remembers the qualities which made her fall in love with him, concluding that her opinion on him turned into love long before society's opinions termed it taboo.
Mundhanai Mudichu (1983)
Mundhanai Mudichu is a fascinating example of how Tamil cinema explored relationships involving an age imbalance. K Bhagyaraj plays a widowed schoolteacher who finds himself at the center of a complicated emotional equation with a much younger woman, Parimalam (Urvashi). Despite comic undertones, the story makes pertinent points about loneliness, companionship and social expectations. Set when a woman's modesty was -- and still largely is -- considered her best quality, the film has Parimalam staking her character to win over her love. While it was undoubtedly toxic, Mundhanai Mudichu continues to feel fresh because it gave women agency to play the chasing game, and countered it all by using the age-old excuse of ‘All’s well that ends well.’
Apoorva Ragangal (1975)
Apoorva Ragangal is one of the earliest examples of Tamil cinema pushing the limits of societal conventions around May-December romances. In the film, a father and a very young woman are in love, but unbeknownst to them, the man's son and the woman's mother are also in love, with the age gap being significant in both relationships. When the truth is revealed to everyone, a riddle is posed about how their relationships will be labelled. What comes first: love, honour or ego? While the film's tragic ending completes the story for the characters, viewers are forced to reflect on where their biases start and end.
Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000)
How do you deal with a romance that you know is destined to be unrequited? Is sacrifice the biggest form of love? But what will happen when all of this continues to weigh in your head, and yet, the reflection of your love stands right in front of you, stops you in your tracks, looks up to you, and asks you to give them the love they believe is rightfully theirs? Considering his advanced age, and a physical disability, Major Bala (Mammootty) believes his love should be buried within his heart. The dreamer Meenakshi (Aishwarya Rai) believes love has no limitations. Was their ending right? Why judge when we can just smile and feel happy for them, instead?
Muthal Mariyathai (1985)
It is rather pointless to talk about age-gap romances and leave out one of Tamil cinema's most seminal works in the genre. Powered by the legendary combination of Sivaji Ganesan, Bharathiraja, and Ilaiyaraaja, Muthal Mariyathai is a classic that still defines how a taboo topic can be approached with dignity and empathy for the characters. More than just a commentary on love transcending age barriers, Muthal Mariyathai also gave us incisive, affecting commentaries on societal pressures, class, and caste barriers. The bittersweet romance between Sivaji and Radha, with soulful music, is more than just an ode to age-gap romance; it offers due respect to a shade of love that has long suffered under rigid societal constrictions.