Bollywood celebrity couples have often set benchmarks for love and romance. But away from the reel, 2016 saw real-life love stories go sour.
Here are the celebrity break-ups that left fans wondering what went wrong:
Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor
It was Bollywood’s worst kept secret for six years, but when Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor broke up as a couple in 2016, the tabloids went into speculation overdrive. Was it Kapoor’s roving eye, Kaif’s suspicious nature, or their movie careers being in a limbo that led to their break-up? A lot has been written about it, but all we know is that they aren’t willing to wash their linen in public.
Kapoor, in an interview, claimed that Kaif was his biggest inspiration, while Kaif is resolute in keeping a dignified front. Their break-up meant the end of another supremely good-looking pair. Even moving in together at a sea-facing Mumbai apartment didn’t bring them close together. So what chance do other lesser-privileged singles have?
Farhan Akhtar and Adhuna Bhabani
The actor-director and celebrity hair stylist called it quits after 16 years of marriage, announcing that they had “mutually and amicably decided to separate”. It was not revealed why the parents of two children — Akira and Shakya — decided to split, but rumours indicated that an actress could have been involved.
Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora
There had been speculation about tensions between the couple for a while, but it was in March that Khan and Arora announced that they were on a “break”. In November, they applied for divorce — just months after they co-hosted Power Couple, a reality TV show based on relationships.
Khan and Arora, who got married in 1997, have a 14-year-old son Arhaan together.
Sushant Singh Rajput and Ankita Lokhande
This TV heart throb broke many hearts when he proposed to his girlfriend on one knee on Indian television. But their love story didn’t last long. Having made their acting debut in 2009 with the TV show Pavitra Rishta, Singh Rajput and Lokhande quickly got the title of best looking TV couple. He was offered Kai Po Che!, which put him on a roll in Bollywood, reportedly taking a toll on his relationship with Lokhande.
After a six-year relationship, Singh Rajput announced in January that he would tie the knot with Lokhande by the end of this year. But they have since broken up.
Pulkit Samrat and Shweta Rohira
Fukrey actor Pulkit Samrat’s split with Salman Khan’s close friend Shweta Rohira could also be counted among the break-ups that caught attention this year — given Khan’s connection.
The split came two years after their marriage, and was blamed on Samrat’s Sanam Re co-star Yami Gautam.
