Imran Khan in Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (2008).

When you debut as a guy who’s in love with his bestie, and you play it too well, you get stuck. It’s impossible for us to see Khan as anything other than Jai. In Break Ke Baad (2020), he’s so wholesome, he sets up his wedding without informing his lady love. In Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011), he’s too nice, again. He even gets friendzoned in Ek Main Aur Ek Tu (2012). Khan may well be a glass of milk.

Daniel Radcliffe in the Harry Potter series (2001-2011).

He debuted as Harry Potter at age 12. He’s done eight movies as Harry. Of course, the image sticks. When he grows horns in Horns (2013), we’re expecting him to whip out a wand and scream “Expecto Patronum!” In What If? (2013) he’s simping for a girl, giving Cho Chang vibes. As Igor in Victor Frankenstein (2015) he looks ready for the Yule Ball. The boy who lived…in our memories forever.

Ranbir Kapoor in Saawariya (2007).

We met Kapoor as Raj, a Devdas-in-the-making. But Raj isn’t all good. He pursues a girl who is in love with someone else. He gets mad when she tells him that. Kapoor’s delulu-is-the-solulu streak continued. In Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), he plays a f**kboy in the making. In Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) he struggles with rejection. In Tamasha (2015), he plays the blame game. In Animal (2023), he’s so sexist, so angry, so far from Raj.

Kartik Aaryan in Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011).

Aryan’s character Rajat aka Rajjo has a soliloquy that’s so misogynistic it’s now part of legend. Rajat is like a Honey Singh song come to life. Aryan carries that vibe to the 2015 sequel too. In Pati Patni Aur Woh (2018) he makes it worse, playing a man who can’t be honest, control his urges or get for a divorce. Love Aaj Kal 2 in 2020 crowned him King of Toxicity. Ugh.

Chad Michael Murray in Gilmore Girls (2000-2007).

His portrayal of bad-boy Tristin DuGray pretty much set the tone for his career. He tried a different tack on One Tree Hill (2003-2012) as Lucas Scott, but it’s his half-brother Nathan who emerged as the more decent person. He’s a bad boy again in Freaky Friday (2003) pursuing an old woman in a teen’s body. In Mother of the Bride (2024), he’s up to no good again.

Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls (2004).

How much must Lohan have to suffer before she finally sees the light? In Mean Girls (2004), she does “major Plastic sabotage” to the popular girls, hurting herself in the process. In Just My Luck (2006) she makes lucky seem like a chore. Don’t like, you secretly watched Irish Wish in March. There she is again, struggling with being another person before realising she should have been herself all along.

Robert Pattinson in Twilight (2008-2011).

How to take Pattison seriously? The man’s asked “Do I dazzle you?”, whilst literally dazzling as vampire Edward in the Twilight movies (2008-2012). He got cast as Batman, but even as a brooding vigilante, his paleness shines through. Rewind. Watch Pattinson as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), and he still has that blank-handsome stare. And he fits right into the circus in Water For Elephants (2011).

Josh Radnor in How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014).

Ted Mosby will forever be the guy who set unrealistic goals. And the guy whose The One was the biggest letdown, ever. He’s cursed to be the hopeless romantic. In Liberal Arts (2012), he’s in love with a 19-year-old. In Social Animals (2018) his wife suggests having an affair, lowkey rejecting him. Even when Josh Radnor got married in 2024, the comments were about Ted Mosby finally getting the wedding he deserves.

John Krasinski in The Office (2005-2013).

Jim from The Office is what boyfriend goals are made of. What’s not to love about a man who isn’t a simp but has enough spine to get him out of a dead-end life? We couldn’t get Jim out of our minds even when we watched him play the fierce protective father in A Quiet Place (2018, 2020). He was an action hero in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (2018-2023). He didn’t stare into the camera once. How disappointing.

Parineeti Chopra in Ladies vs Ricky Bahl (2011).

Chopra herself admits to being typecast as the bubbly love interest. She did it in her first role, as Dimple Chaddha, a spoiled rich girl ripe for swindling. She did it again in Hasee Toh Phasee (2014), even though she was the other sister. She does it even as she’s scamming her groom-to-be in Daawat-e-Ishq (2014). Can you be bubbly when you’re friendzoning? She shows, in Meri Pyaari Bindu (2017), that you can. Stop already.

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