Gone are the days when 40s was a grey area. Yes, your hair still start greying, your interests and enthusiasm levels do pale in comparison to your 30s an 20s, and you do find yourself in the grip of anxiety, mixed with disappointment, which is often referred to as a mid-life crisis. But the 21st century men and women are immune to break this spell and embarking on exciting journey in their lives even after hitting 40s and beyond. Our very own Mahua Moitra, who made headlines for her fiery speeches, is now the talk of the town for her personal life. At 50, the MP from Krishnanagar introduced the world to her new chapter – her marriage with Odisha's BJD ex-MP Pinaki Misra, 65 in Germany.

Ashish Vidyarthi married at 57 to Rupali Barua. The actor shared in a video stating that the two felt something interesting about each other and thought that they could be walking together as husband and wife. "Age doesn't matter my friend. Each one of us can be happy," he said in the video. The charming Hugh Grant tied the knot at the age of 57 and our very own heartthrob Milind Soman, wed his sweetheart at the age of 52. Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar took a shot at fatherhood in their mid and late 40s.

Rewriting the Timeline:

Back in the days, actress Suhashini Mulay discovered love at the age of 60 when she tied the knot with Atul Gurtu, a physicist by profession. The couple had met via Facebook, and despite initial skepticism from others, Suhashini followed her heart and got married later in life. This isn't any trend but a move that shows how Indian women, too, are redefining age-related norms, especially in a society that often expects them to retreat into roles of conformity after a certain age.

Veteran actor Kabir Bedi took the plunge at the age of 70. He attributed this change to the nature of times we are living in. In one of his interviews he had said that one can make life-changing decisions at any age. "There are incredible number of opportunities. Times have made people look younger, feel younger, and act younger. Age is not the barrier we feared once," he had said.

"Age is inevitable, it will eventually catch up, But that doesn't mean you surrender to it. How about ageing gracefully and achieve anything you want. It only needs focus and determination," Shekhar Suman had said in one of his interviews with us.

Midlife Love or Maturity:

Science seems to agree. Research now defines adolescence as extending age up to age 24, which reflects the shifting timelines for adulthood. Life coach Saurabh Sharma echoes this perspective stating, "The modern mindset doesn't want to be chained in age-related expectations. Men and women today want to defy labels and live on their own terms. Age is just a number and women too have taken it seriously. Anyone can find love at any age," says Sharma.

But is this surge in late marriage is a byproduct of boredom or worse, impulsivity? Clinical Psychologist Bhupender Sharma says deciding whether to get married at later in life is not due to midlife crisis. "It's a generational shift. People are choosing delayed marriages to achieve their goals. People are delaying the traditional milestones of getting married, having children, and attaining success in your career. People look for stability more than following conventional ideas of marriage, and there's nothing wrong in it," he says.

However, he also cautions against unchecked impulsivity. "The danger is the feeling that you can do anything at any age without thinking through the consequences. One should not run after instant gratification but analyse the long-term impacts of their actions before taking any plunge," says Sharma.

His advice? Mindfulness. "No one can control what future holds, but one can be mindful of their decisions now so they stand the test of time," he says.

The Heart May Want to Move On, But Does the Child?

While, for Mahua, the decision of getting married may have come much-easier for being child free, many who are in their late 40s and 50s say, they want to start their life again but they have a child, which pushes their decision. "Choosing to remarry when you have a child isn't about finding love again but finding someone who will love and accept your child as their own. It's not a second chance at happiness unless it includes your child's peace, comfort, and trust," says Pinki Chatrani, a mother of two daughters, who remarried at the age of 42 after her husband passed away in an accident.

While these are genuine concerns, relationship coach Dr Tanushree Mathur, clinical psychologist and marriage and relationship coach says getting married at any age, with or without child should be an individual's decision. "Children grow up and move on. It's about individual if they need a partnership and want to lead a life the way they want.

Child is definitely their responsibility, but taking decisions solely based on how child will feel is a ticket to compromising your own happiness, which parents have been doing for generations. It's better to take the child in confidence and introduce your prospective partner to your child. Let them meet and get along and then take that forward from there," she says.

Vibhu Navarne, (54) is still contemplating to get married. He is dating someone but marriage is a tough decision for him. "I have a child and it's difficult to take this decision considering if the child is okay with me moving on, and if both parties will accept and respect each other. If this doesn't happen that the relationship is going to crumble. I can't think of myself alone, I have to consider my child for what she wants," says Navarne.

The midlife moment is no longer about crisis, it's rather about bold reinvention. Age may be inevitable, but conformity is optional.

Read More :

How You Can Include Them As Your Versatile Wardrobe Staple For Every occasion