Bollywood's Most High-Profile Breakups - Handle with Care!

Breakups are hard. There’s heartbreak, tears, fights, nasty name-calling and returning of gifts. And when you’re a celebrity, you have to deal with all this AND the scrutiny of the media, having to explain yourself over and over again to the tabloids, blame games and in some cases, press conferences. But perhaps the worst after-effect of a celebrity break-up is that ‘it is never forgotten.’ So, in the same tradition, we bring to you some of the most high-profile breakups in recent Bollywood history.

1. Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai – The motherload. They were the most sought after duo in Bollywood. Their story reached millions and audiences couldn’t get enough of them. Salman and Aishwarya were the golden couple – with her looks and his brawn. During the happy years, Sallu and Ash (as they are fondly known) did Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam together which skyrocketed their collaborative popularity, and kept making friendly appearances in each others’ films. But the courtship wasn’t to last long. After some very public accusations, the duo split ways to move on to greener pastures. Ash took no time to move on to a cutesy-newcomer star son, and Salman started spending more time in London where he found India’s next big pretty-young-thing. And even now when people think of them, “Tadap Tadap” from their film looms in the background.

2. John Abraham and Bipasha Basu – Perhaps the saddest and most shocking of all breakups, nobody thought John and Bips would part ways. The two model-turned-actors started their courtship with Jism, which put them on the map as the hottest, most sensuous couple ever. They continued it with Aetbaar, Madhoshi through to Goal. Whether it was working out together or making out together, everything was perfect about these two. After almost a decade together, they called it quits. Bips remains single (or is she?) and John is seeing someone else. But people aren’t ready to let go just yet.

3. Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone – People remember Dips and Ranbir as two young-uns who fell in puppy love as soon as they entered tinseltown. Deepika got RK tattooed on her nape, and Ranbir gushed at the mention of her name. Public appearances together, jokes in award shows and a lip-lock in Bachna Ae Haseeno, they were the IT couple at the brink of the decade. But separate appearances on Koffee with Karan suggested otherwise and it became the dirtiest public breakup ever. Deepika was seen with Siddharth Mallya while rumours of Katrina and Ranbir started surfacing. But we hear all is clear now and both are slated to get together next year in Ayan Mukerji’s Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani .

4. Shahid Kapur and Kareena Kapoor – We don’t remember anyone actually liking these two lovebirds together when they started out. ‘He looks too young for her’ and ‘she overshadows him’ were some of the opinions. Yet, they were inseparable throughout their three years together. An MMS scandal, turning vegetarian and the title of ‘most compatible’ later, the cracks started emerging. By the time these two proclaimed splitsville, they had given one of the biggest hits of their career and their most enthralling performance together in Jab We Met. While Bebo is now Mrs. Khan, Shahid has been hopping around for quite some time now.

5. Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon – To remember these two hotties together is really regressing into the past. But who can forget a drenched Raveena and an open-shirt Akshay in Tip Tip Barsa Paani or De Diya Dil Piya. Boy, they were fire on screen! One of the few couples who oozed chemistry both on and off-screen, Akshay and Raveena were probably the ones who ‘would-have-if-they-could-have.’ For a time when the paparazzi and media were still mellow, Ravs and Akki were part of the news 24/7 and a great dose of daily gossip. After the breakup, both took their time to tie the knot respectively, and are happy with their lives and families. But what still makes us wonder is the name ‘Aa-Rav’ for Akki’s son. What’s up with that?

6. Abhishek Bachchan and Karishma Kapoor – She was one of the top actresses at the time, he was one of the most flop star sons of the time. Tables did turn, but later. But while these two were together, we anticipated the biggest film family unions in Bollywood history. After all, a Kapoor would be marrying a Bachchan. Unlike all our other entries, these two were actually engaged! Apparently mom Babita intervened and a few arguments later, Karishma was shipped off to Delhi with a childhood friend Sanjay. Abhishek would be left broken-hearted only to be nursed by one of the most beautiful women in the world and many superhit films. AB’s Baby is now a daddy, and Lolo has made repeated attempts to salvage her marriage along with a forgettable comeback. Well, so far so good.

7. Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia – This is perhaps the most mint-y breakups. And yes, by that we do mean $$!! Preity and Ness was the typical ‘heroine gets swept by her feet by a handsome businessman’ story that everyone loves. They were both good-looking, both had money and both were very much in love. Hell, they even own a cricket team together. But just like the performances of Kings XI Punjab slowly going downhill, so did their union. After four years, the couple called it quits and Preity is still looking for her real life hero.

8. Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Rai – Polar opposites. That’s what we think. Vivek wanted to proclaim his love for Ash from the rooftops. Ash was content keeping the relationship under covers. But while her career was zooming upwards, his was barely staying afloat. To add to the damage, there was a press conference and the declaration that Vivek was ready to take on the Dabangg Bodyguard himself. People laughed, Ash got miffed and moved on. And even though both are happily married now, even their lip-lock in the dud film Kyun Ho Gaya Na couldn’t save this mismatched couple.

9. Akshay Kumar and Shilpa Shetty – Shortlived but masaledaar. Akki was the off-screen romance king, she was the single bombshell! Their liaison was rife in Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Insaaf and culminated in the epic musical romance Dhadkan. But a happy ending it wasn’t to be for these two, and both seemed to have moved on for the better. They were always in the news during their heydays, and Shilpa still manages this feat due to Big Brother, a cricket team and a very sought after hubby.

Other couples who’d be on this list if their status wasn’t just speculation – Dilip Kumar and Madhubala, Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha, Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja, Kangna Ranaut and Adhyayan Suman, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, Shahid Kapur and Priyanka Chopra.