Hindi cinema’s audience has a long memory for on-screen chemistry. Long after a film leaves theatres, certain pairings continue to carry goodwill. A fresh rundown of nine such jodis makes the point clearly: some reunions are active projects, some are waiting on a confirmation, and some are sustained almost entirely by audience memory.
The two that are actually moving
Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor head the list. They have appeared together three times—Bachna Ae Haseeno, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Tamasha—but have not shared a screen since 2015. The reported fourth collaboration is with Ayan Mukerji, described as a contemporary take on the 1956 Raj Kapoor classic Chori Chori and produced under the revived RK banner. A viral fan plea to cast them again reportedly drew a like from Deepika, which fans read as a small signal.
Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone are the second pairing with a project attached. They last appeared together in Jawan in 2023. The expected reunion is Siddharth Anand’s King in 2026, which would end a gap of nearly three years.
Waiting on a word
Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol remain the gold standard for many viewers: seven films across three decades, with no shared screen since Dilwale in 2015. A Filmfare moment in 2025, when SRK recreated the DDLJ rose scene with Kajol on stage, kept the pairing in circulation. Kajol said in a 2025 interview that she would “love” another romantic film with SRK if the right script came along.
Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt are in a similar category. After Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Kalank, fans keep asking for a lighter third Dulhania film to close the franchise, largely because the first two worked on easy, bickering chemistry.
Held together by fan memory
Five more pairings are driven less by active projects than by sustained audience demand:
- Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor: Jab We Met made the real-life ex-couple one of Hindi cinema’s most-quoted romantic pairings.
- Aamir Khan and Kajol: Fanaa in 2006 remains their only film, but the pairing still feels like an event to fans.
- Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra: Krrish and Agneepath worked differently, and Dil Dhadakne Do kept them in an ensemble; fans want them central again.
- Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar: Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and Sonchiriya created a more grounded, unconventional pairing.
- Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani: Lust Stories, Guest iin London and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 built quick chemistry; fans want something outside horror-comedy.
Why the distinction matters
In Hindi cinema, a jodi can function like a franchise. The audience’s memory of a pairing outlasts the original release, and that memory can be revived—or misread—when a project is merely reported. For our readers, the useful discipline is simple: “reported” is not the same as “announced,” and a fan campaign is not a green light. The pairings worth watching are the ones with a director, a banner, and a year attached. Everything else is hope with a hashtag.
Source: India Weekly
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