Hot and sought after at 60

Amitabh Bachchan, 64, is the hottest star today. He is a perfect example of the 60s being the new middle age. An ACNielsen survey claims that there is a drastic change in attitudes in India when it comes to age

If one goes by the latest ACNielsen survey, people are getting younger by the day the world over. As per the online survey, 67 per cent of Indian respondents agreed that the earlier years’ 40s are the new 30s. This implies that Jeetendra’s Thirty Plus ad may be of less relevance today than in the past.

Similarly, the survey revealed that 64 per cent of women respondents agreed that the 60s was the new middle age; 47 per cent of the male respondents agreed with that.

Elaborating on the survey report, Sarang Panchal, executive director, customised research, ACNielsen, South Asia, says, “The life expectancy of today’s generations has increased. This implies that the number of years we are old is more than the number of years we are young.”

Panchal adds that today, there are many people in their 50s and 60s who are doing well. He cited the example of Amitabh Bachchan, who, in his 60s, is still sought after as an actor.

Panchal says that the number of Indian politicians reaching the peak of their career much after they pass their youth is large and this, in turn, substantiates the hypothesis that the limit of the new middle age has extended to the 60s.

The survey was conducted across 41 markets globally. India is one of the top 10 markets where respondents have voted in favour of people of the current generation getting younger. Of this top 10 bunch, those who agree that the 40s are the new 30s, Japan scores the highest, while Korea, Australia and India, from the Asia Pacific, all feature in the top 10 list.

Of the top 10 agreeing that the 30s are the new 20s, six were countries in the Asia Pacific. Around 73 per cent of Koreans, 72 per cent of Japanese and 69 per of Indians agree on this. Similarly, of the top 10 agreeing that 60s were the new middle age, four countries were from the Asia Pacific. Japan, Korea and India lead the region, with most people agreeing.

When it comes to staying with parents until the late 20s, the opinion is divided between the East and the West. In the Asia Pacific, the extended family is still very much part of the cultural landscape. Of the top 10 markets agreeing that it was perfectly fine to remain in the parental home, respondents in Singapore led the list with 88 per cent voting yes, followed by India at 83 per cent.

Panchal explains, “Children moving out from the home once they reach adulthood is not a popular concept in India. In India, we come from very close knit families. Children are not treated as adults, but pampered till as late as the late 20s. In India, unlike Europe, it is culturally more acceptable for children to remain in the family home into their 20s.”

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