They are the stuff dreams are made of. Matrimonial ads are often written with them in mind, never mind the fact they are ever likely to respond to them. Our male stars have, through the ages, held the nation in thrall with their combination of drop-dead good looks, uber sexuality and their style quotient. We have heard stories of girls getting married to their photos, girls keeping their photos under their pillows, girls… ahem… you get the picture. And the inexplicable thing is that the more we hear of their amours, the hotter they appear. Here’s looking at today’s stud-muffins and their exploits…
Shahid Kapoor
Swing sensation
He arrived with a bang in 2003 with Ishq Vishk. His chocolate good looks combined with those killer moves on the dance floor made him an estrogen magnet. The sweet mama’s boy was rumoured to have an affair with his first co-star, Amrita Rao. But then he seemingly moved to greener pastures and was found dating Kareena Kapoor. The duo complimented each other to a T and the fairytale romance lasted five years. By then, Shahid had progressed from being a wide-eyed newcomer to a seasoned veteran. Reports of his torrid affairs with Priyanka Chopra, Vidya Balan and lately Sonakshi Sinha followed. This only upped his sexy quotient. However, Shahid has confessed on talk shows that he’s sort of fed up of dating co-stars, that he yearns for a shuddh desi romance. Also, he’s matured. At a recent award function, which he was co-hosting with Farhan Akhtar, Kareena was seen waving to the emcees, to which he promptly quipped, ‘you think she was saying hi to me,’… So welcome to the brand new Sasha girls. He’s single for now, so grab him before it’s too late.
Aditya Roy Kapur
Hello brother
It doesn’t hurt to have the head honcho of one of India’s biggest media companies as your brother. It doesn’t hurt that you are tall and handsome yourself with puppy eyes to boot. Aditya Roy Kapur made it big as a star with Aashiqui 2 and made millions of girls fall in love with his depressed-lover image. They all wanted to cuddle him and take his troubles away. And rumours of his alleged romance with co-star Shraddha Kapooor added that much more spice to his image. The duo all but confessed their love to each other on TV appearances. Then, we also heard rumours of his growing proximity with his Daawat-e-Ishq co-star Parineeti Chopra. He’s slowing fanning a hysteria and with time it’s going to reach a crescendo.
Arjun Kapoor
Fun machine
Forget his intense brooding eyes or his masculine good looks, what sets Arjun Kapoor apart is his booming laugh and a hearty sense of humour. He does lead a dangerous life and everyone knows girls fall for bad guys. He was apparently seeing Salman Khan’s sister Arpita at one point of time and then was linked to Alia Bhatt (with whom he starred in 2 States) as well. Anyways, his pedigree and his intense looks are sure to make women hunger for him every day of the week.
Ranveer Singh
King Casanova
Ranveer Singh is the walking-talking embodiment of the Energiser bunny, in more ways than one. His rakish good looks and chiseled bod, coupled with his unpredictability has kept the girls guessing (and panting). He’s also currently the pin-up boy for the quintessential Indian manhood – his long moustache and a five day beard making mockery of metro sexuality and having earthy macho men preen their facial hair with pride. The hot-new prince of celluloid was alleged to have an affair with co-star Anushka Sharma of Band Baaja Baaraat fame. Now, it seems, he’s found Deepika Padukone to be his bashful consort. On screen at least, they sizzle as hell so let’s hope the romance sparkles in real life too.
Salman Khan
First and the Best
Salman Khan aka Bhai is in a league of his own. Whatever he does becomes larger than life. For instance, he only has to take off his shirt and thanks to that frame the film becomes a hit. It’s a tragedy that he’s remained a bachelor because the world would have been richer if there were little Salmans running around. At 48, he still remains India’s foremost eligible bachelor. Any girl will give her right arm and a leg to be his wife. Bhai has had numerous affairs and for his fans all his girlfriends were always bhabhis. His list of girlfriends is too numerous to recall here, suffice to say that the world knows about their beauty. His child-like persona, his deep affection for his extended family and friends, the various charities that he espouses all mark him out to be a caring soul. And he’s one of the best looking men wearing a suit and without it too. If there is a genuine frenzy among girls after Rajesh Khanna, it’s for Bhai. How we wish he stops being a runaway groom
for once…
Sidharth Malhotra
The Outsider
Like the main character in Yojimbo, Sidharth Malhotra came out of nowhere and conquered the system. That lone wolf quality makes him hot property. Girls know they can’t put a collar on to him. He’s good looking as hell and his lean, muscular body gives the impression of whipcord strength. He has been linked with everyone from Parineeti Chopra, his co-star from Hasee Toh Phasee and to Shraddha Kapoor, his co-star from Ek Villain. Currently, he’s also been dating Brazilian hottie Izabelle Leite. Only time will tell whether it’s a light-hearted affair or something concrete.
Sushant Singh Rajput
Secret lover
He’s already in a committed relationship with TV actor Ankita Lokhande. So why is he still on this list? Well, they haven’t as yet tied the knot for one thing. And rumour has it that he had a hot, hot affair with Parineeti. Shuddh Desi Romance did have some rather steamy scenes involving them, so anything is possible. Sushant already had a great female fan following, thanks to TV. Big screen outings such as Kai Po Che! and Shuddh… have only added to his popularity. Add to that a bit of a lover-boy image and you have a regular guy-next-door with a hint of mischief thrown in. No wonder women go all mushy around him.
Ranbir Kapoor
Romeo, sweet Romeo
He appeared draped in a towel in Saawariya (2007) and the girls went mad. Mandakini would have approved. Ranbir was linked with his co-star Sonam Kapoor from Saawariya and given their sizzling chemistry. Then Deepika Padukone fell head-over-heels in love with him, going as far as having a tattoo of his initials beneath her neck. It was a love seemingly made in heaven till gravity intervened and brought them back to earth. The two remain good friends despite the break-up. He’s currently seeing Katrina Kaif. They are all set to marry, according to insiders.
Randeep Hooda
Still waters...
Randeep Hooda is trouble. Girls like trouble. He’s the forever rake from pulp romances whom the maidens wish to reform through love. He has been around a while, his career has seen several ups and downs but what has remained intact is his sex appeal. He wasn’t Sushmita Sen’s long term beau for nothing. He also dated Neetu Chandra later but the relationship petered off. His appeal also lies in the fact that he’s a good horse rider. He plays polo and breeds racehorses as well. Imagine him in a sombrero and you’ll get the picture.
Varun Dhawan
Cool cub
Varun dances like a breeze, has split-second comic timing and has six packs to boot. No wonder girls are currently drooling after him. He’s in the news for his alleged affair with Alia Bhatt, ever since the duo made their debut together in Student Of The Year (2012). All those lovey-dovey scenes that they did together in their next outing together – Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) – has no wonder sent the tongues wagging. The duo have publicly denied being in a relationship, taking refuge under the ‘we’re just friends’ umbrella. This not so seeda saada funjabi boy isn’t actually up for grabs however. He’s been having this off-the-books relationship with designer Natasha Dalal. But there is hope for all his female fans till he actually ties the knot.
Kunal Kapoor
Royal streak
If you’re 6“3’ and look like a prince, you’re sure to get hit on by everyone wearing a skirt. It helps that you also have deep eyes of a poet. Kunal Kapoor is a choosy actor. In a career spanning nine years, he’s hardly done ten films. But his popularity hasn’t waned. If a tall, mysterious guy melts your butter, then he’s your type. He’s been discreet about his affairs. One hears one whiff of an infatuation with Tabu, a hint of a tryst with Huma Qureshi. It’s also heard he got engaged to longtime girlfriend, London based banker Naina Bachchan, who happens to be Amitabh Bachchan’s niece. Did we hear a million hearts breaking?
Saqib Saleem
Hidden ace
He may not look like your typical hero but there is a fierce intensity to Saqib that marks him as someone unique. He’s super confident and even said no to Anushka Sharma for NH 10 because he felt it wasn’t a meaty enough role for him. Afer making his mark with Mere Dad Ki Maruti (2013) and Hawaa Hawaai (2014), Saqib has become a known face. The natural actor sadly is in a committed relationship, according to our sources. His new-found fans have to wait and watch for new developments.
Rajkummar Rao
Sex symbol 2.0
He can be referred to as the thinking women’s sex symbol. Art house films such as LSD or Ragini MMS, where he played a regular guy in lust showed people a hint of his dark side whereas Kai Po Che! and CityLights brought out his soft side. The fact that he has managed to procure critical and commercial success shows that women love his unpredictablilty. He’s currently in a relationship with actress Patralekha and that kind of adds solidity to his charms.
Neil Nitin Mukesh
The Charmer
With his blonde mane, his firang complexion and grey eyes, Neil Nitin Mukesh should belong in Hollywood. But seven years later since his debut with Johnny Gaddar in 2007, he seems to be slowly finding his roots in the Hindi film industry. His love life is as chequered as his professional life. He was all set to marry long time girl friend, designer Priyanka Bhatia but the couple mutually broke off the relationship. Since then he’s been linked with Asin and Sonal Chauhan. Neil has been a charmer since his college days. Girls love this golden stranger.
Rahul Khanna
Gentle lover
Back when satellite TV entered India and phoren music invaded our living rooms, Rahul Khanna, as the clean cut gentleman VJ, was considered God. Girls were hooked on to the suave, sophisticated guy who knew his music and spoke in an accent which gave them goosebumps. He followed his own path, choosing movies that suited his personality. He was destined for stardom, much like his father Vinod Khanna, only he didn’t want it. He chose to let go of opportunities and slowly embraced solitude. Well, filmmakers might have forgotten him but his female fans haven’t. A sight of him even in brief appearances raises their heartbeat. Therein lies his magic and makes him a hot property even amidst isolation. n