Romance by no means leaves Hindi cinema, but tales about older {couples} hardly ever take middle stage. With ‘Jab Khuli Kitaab,’ directed and written by Saurabh Shukla, and starring Pankaj Kapur and Dimple Kapadia, the movie goals to shift that focus. The movie additionally options Nauheed Cyrusi, Kamna Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana and Samir Soni in key roles. It premieres on ZEE5 on March 6, 2026, and places mature relationships again into the highlight.
Saurabh Shukla on mature rom-coms in Hindi cinema
In an unique interview with Variety India, Saurabh Shukla addressed the drop in mature romantic dramas with out hesitation. “Yes, we have reduced them a lot,” he stated. Shukla additionally supplied context, including, “Look, I don’t think I can analyze that. Because many of our mainstream heroes are not young either. If you are talking about mature stories, the younger generation finds youth aspirational. If the story is about young people, then identification happens easily. That might be the reason.”Still, he challenged a typical perception. “Otherwise, this idea that older people are not having fun, that notion should end. I think the amount of fun older people have is not funny at all.”
From a filmmaker’s lens, age shouldn’t be the principle barrier. “From a maker’s point of view, I don’t think any maker thinks about age. I think it is more of a marketing thought, can we replace older characters with a younger couple? That’s a different matter altogether.” He summed up the movie’s core query in a single line: “Why should romance belong only to the young?”
More about ‘Jab Khuli Kitaab’
Kapur approached the topic by writing and realism. “At least in the kind of story he has written, or if any writer writes about any age group, there is a truth to it, a rootedness,” he stated. “The things shown in it relate to life, the life we live daily.”He acknowledged skepticism. “Maybe many people think, ‘In this age group, where do we do such things?’ But that is not entirely true.” He additionally famous that earlier movies have explored related floor.In ‘Jab Khuli Kitaab,’ a small confession disrupts a steady marriage and unsettles the whole household. “In this film, he has given a different angle, slightly unusual, but very dramatic and very entertaining,” Kapur stated. “It shows how a small incident can shake an entire family structure—not necessarily break it, but bring change. I think that’s a great piece of drama.”Pankaj Kapur is a revered Indian actor recognized for his work throughout movie, tv and theater, with acclaimed performances in ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro,’ ‘Karamchand,’ ‘Maqbool,’ and ‘Finding Fanny.’ Saurabh Shukla is an Indian actor, author, and director who co-wrote ‘Satya’ and delivered memorable roles in ‘Jolly LLB’ and ‘Barfi!’, mixing humor with grounded storytelling.
