Bollywood’s latest muse, Sonam Kapoor, had once called Aishwarya Rai ‘aunty’. Her reason — that the then Miss Rai had played her daddy’s love interest in one of his movies. The 24-year-old fashionista, more in the news for her mudslinging than her movies, didn’t realise that if Amitabh Bachchan is the big daddy of Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai is no less than the reigning queen. She still remains one of the most beautiful, elegant and powerful ladies in the industry.

It is not just the 37-year-old, green-eyed beauty; there is also no replacement for Sushmita Sen’s (35) charisma, Malaika Arora Khan’s (37) oomph, Vidya Balan’s (33) elegance and Kareena Kapoor’s (30) spunk.
Thirties is the next big thing in Bollywood. From Gul Panag on a rampage to live life queen size in Turning 30, to beauty products cashing-in on the concept of 30, the perception of the number has changed, especially for women.
A couple of years ago, an online survey conducted by a bottled-water brand in the UK, found that four out of 10 women feel most attractive at the age of 32. Designer Rina Dhaka agrees completely. “The sexiest phase of my life was when I was in my mid-thirties. I had my apprehensions when I was close to it, but they vanished when I saw that it was all about how I felt about myself — in fact, I became more confident. Your body is in shape, and by that time you know that you can get whatever you want.”
Gul Panag, who turned 30 a few months before Turning 30 released, says, “It’s a known fact that 30s is the new 20s for women. It’s also a transition from a girl to a woman. I had to confront my fears when I was playing the role of Naina Singh, but I realised that there is nothing as good as turning 30. The modern day, middle-aged women are independent, know what they want from life and don’t get carried away by frivolous glitz and gloss.”
She agrees that things are different now. “Earlier women were expected to get married, but now they can live life in their own way. They intrigue men as they are hard to get and difficult to woo.”
So do 30-year-old women abuse as much as she did in the movie? “That was the character I played. But I guess they can do whatever they want. Because, in her 20s, a woman is under someone’s wings; but in her 30s, she is a woman of her own will and her own mind,” she chuckles.
Thirty five-year-old supermodel Jesse Randhawa says, “There are two kinds of women — one who have worked hard to keep themselves fit and others who are too ignorant about how they look. Sensitivity, maturity and ability are the common character traits that evolve in both of them. They are aware of the changes within them and at this age they know how to handle responsibility with grace.”
They might be painting the town red, but apprehensions remain. Actor Ira Dubey says, “Thirty is just a number to me but I hope I have the same attitude three years down the line when I turn 30. I have seen my friends having a ball of a time, looking as beautiful as ever. They make fun of me, saying that I don’t have as much fun as they do. So I guess it’s a good thing.”
And the men think so too. Most men feel that successful and single women are a huge turn-on. “A woman in her 30s is much more attractive than a youngster in her 20s because she has seen life. She has not only good looks but also experiences that make her far more interesting. Career women particularly have not got isolated in marriage and are a great turn-on,” says ad guru Alyque Padamsee, who quips immediately, “Mind you, having said that, I will restrain myself, as Shazahn is glaring at me.”
Talking about the beauties in the industry, he says, “There is a certain voluptuousness about these women… something angelic about their aura that I still can’t fathom.”
Not just the voluptuousness, men have other reasons to fall for an older woman. Andy Rooney reasoned that women over 30 are dignified and they seldom have an outburst with a man in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if they think that you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you down.
“Not just the body, the way a woman carries herself is her biggest asset. They don’t try hard but their magnetism is of a different kind. They are settled and dignified and the curiosity to understand and explore them drives men crazy,” says actor and model Shawar Ali. He adds, “There are so many models walking for top shows, but their glamour quotient is still untouchable.”
Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart. Leena Mogre, a celebrity fitness trainer, says, “Modern women are aware of the changes in their body. They are educated and hence they know how to take care of their body. Most actors in their 30s ensure that they maintain a healthy diet, because they are answerable to people around them or have a high-responsibility job. They neither binge nor starve. Even the pregnant women enroll in advance to deliver a healthy baby and also look fit after delivery.”
It’s natural to learn more with each passing year. “Of course, a woman is more stable at 30 but there are issues of a different kind that they have to face. I have women coming to me with issues of infidelity, cheating husbands, etc. They can handle it better than a woman in her 20s, but deep down, certain serious issues do reside; but they have more means of distracting themselves. However, they have seen enough life to train their mind and to tackle it in the best way possible,” says Dr Surbhee Soni, a clinical psychologist.