Call it a toast to the ex, to the sex-life or one’s sensibilities but men and women seem to date a look-alike or someone who has similar characteristics of their ex, as a way of pacifying their jilted hearts. After a rocky romance and sometimes a marriage some men perhaps have more baggage than Paris Hilton on a long-haul flight, but
they emerge with enough enthusiasm to pamper their way into an equally stunning woman’s heart. Arun Nayar is said to be dating model Kim Johnson, a Liz Hurley look-alike. Many feel this is his way of proving to Liz that he can score better and younger (yes she is 20 years younger). It is perhaps the hurt male ego at being dumped that spurs men to prove a point. Agrees Dr Rajat Mitra, clinical psychologist, “It is true that men who feel the loss will try and compensate the grief with a substitute. Residue of what they initially had is reflected in their new object of affection and it helps them comfort themselves.”
Texan billionaire David Saperstein reportedly left his wife Suzanne for the family’s nanny, Hillevi Svensson, described in The New York Post as a younger replica of the missus. The nanny-lusting sugar daddy is said to have dealt the news and the divorce blow to his wife while returning from a holiday on their private jet. Although it only seems fair that men out of love will move on, it is hard to believe they would choose to have the flavour from the past lingering on. Bruce Willis might have moved on to Emma Heming but the striking brunette’s resemblance of Demi Moore were visible in more than just flashes. Even Johnny Depp who frolicked around with Kate Moss later lavished praise and love on French actress Vanessa Paradis who looks similar to Moss. Dr Mitra explains, “When people have an unresolved relationship and aren’t clear of why it ended, they tend to gravitate towards someone who provides them the comfort of the previous relationship. Men sometimes cannot deal with the abrupt end of physicality of a relationship. So they fill the void by getting into instant relationships with people who remind them of or look like their exes.”
While it is perfectly apt for one to mend their heart and pursue happier relationships, when they condition their lifestyle and outlook to rope in a look-alike, like in the case of Salman Khan, it has only backfired on the schemer. From Ash to Sneha Ullal or from Katrina to Zarine Khan the bratty Bhai romanced his way into the glossies with attention-grabbing headlines, but apart from that there was no real warm fuzzy progress and he still remains an ageing hunk.
It is never easy to make any romance last a lifetime and some seem okay with it, despite their pattern faltering more than once. Yuvraj Singh seems to constantly date actresses. Not one to be let down by the limited shelf life of such glam-love, Yuvi trots on in the company of gorgeous grease-paint babes. Aamir Khan, in the name of the ‘intelligent’ types moved on from one Rina
behenji to Kiran behenji. And Celina Jaitley’s obsession for foreigners from back of beyond
is a trait that she retains with a vengeance. Whilst this can
be put down to ‘types’, it still remains an unanswered question — why let the past linger on, when clearly the aim is to
‘move on’?