Bollywood, when trying to tackle ‘real life’ issues has often been criticized for its overly melodramatic “filmi” endings which indicate that all is well that ends well. For an industry which is dosed repeatedly with the same old love stories, the real life tales couldn’t be more saddening. No happy endings have been seen this past year. As if the situation for the industry wasn’t bad enough, the real life tales of Bollywood’s residents are even more torrid.

Salman Khan is currently striving his way back to woo hearts with a number of large films. But the past year he lived the life of a torn lover oft depicted in films. Drinking incessantly, reportedly causing ruckus on one such Aishwarya Rai’s once film sets. In the end the hot couple of Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai that audience lushed over in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was no more and ‘fate’ couldn’t intervene for them.

The other Khan, Aamir, shocked the industry when after over a decade and two kids; he would be filing for a divorce. This after he and wife worked hard to not only create the film that was Lagaan, but promote it incessantly at the Oscars.

The newest of these torn couples is Abhishek Bachchan and Karisma Kapoor. Their subsequently delayed engagement may have lent insight to it, but after five years of dating the announcement of their unison was surely no surprise. For these two, the show must go on, but there is a great deal on the story to be noted. At least, this is what has been reported to the media.

It has been revealed that Karisma´s mother Babita, an actress of yesteryear´s, never really approved of this match in the first place. As most of us know Babita is legally separated from Randhir Kapoor, Karisma´s dad and had even denied him the right to perform ´Kanyadan´ at both of his daughter’s weddings. In fact she wanted Abhishek and Karisma to go in for a court marriage, even if they were hell bent on not doing it.

The relationship had started during the marriage of Shweta, Abhishek’s sister, to Ritu Nanda´s son. Mrs. Nanda is the daughter of Mr. Raj Kapoor and Babita´s views on the Kapoor family are not a secret.

The engagement was postponed once on the pretext of ´Kareena shooting abroad´ but the last nail on the coffin of this relationship was Jaya Bachchan’s influence on Karisma. ´Babita´s self made daughter´ Karisma had stopped wearing western outfits and also doing ´item numbers´ to respect Bachchan family´s traditional views. Karisma´s closeness to Babita and her rather submissive nature compared to sister Kareena are also obvious. All the reasons cited above and also the Bachchan family´s reservation to a court marriage led to Babita prevailing over Karisma and calling off the engagement.

A sad end to one of Bollywood’s most looked towards couple.

And the industry was equally as surprised when Vivek Oberoi came out of hiding to announce his much celebrated engagement to model Gurpreet. Now, even that is over.

Happy endings are not in sight for Bollywood’s real life stars, in comparison to the many that we are infiltrated to see on the reel. One does wonder whether relationships can survive under the limelight, but as always, there’s a positive side to everything, right? If one needs to look for it, one can look at Ajay Devgan and budding wife Kajol. Along with having a stupendous 2002 for a treacherous year in the industry, Ajay Devgan and Kajol are living happily under the limelight. And now, even after a miscarriage, are expecting a child. That’s the reel life for you.