Popstar Britney Spears' parents are insisting on a pre-nuptial agreement before their daughter marries fiance Kevin Federline. The Spears don't approve of Britney's choice. Closer home, relations between actress Amisha Patel and her parents have soured allegedly because of an 'unsuitable boy' —Vikram Bhatt. Amisha's parents vehemently opposed her relationship with Vikram. Was it fear of losing their golden goose as some claim, or was it natural parental overprotectiveness?

Bollywood has long witnessed real-life dramas where families have argued, fought and slammed the choice of man their girls have made. Decades ago, Suraiya's grandmother ensured her breakup with the not-so-established Dev Anand. Madhubala's life was dictated by her father Ataullah Khan, who didn't approve of Dilip Kumar. The romance ended pre-maturely. In both cases, the actresses were their families' sole breadwinners.

Finances apart, the 'much-married man' was another reason for parental opposition. Take Hema Malini's mother Jaya Chakravarty, who controlled her professional and personal life, being totally opposed to Dharmendra. Of course, Hema went on to wed garam Dharam.

On the other hand, Sridevi succumbed to pressure and opted out of her relationship with Mithun Chakraborty. Then it's the 'bad boys' who constantly evoke parental ire. Recall film glossies going to town about Madhuri Dixit's parents being unhappy about Sanjay Dutt or later Aishwarya Rai's folks doing everything possible to keep her away from Salman Khan.

So are actresses these days worried about parental wrath? “No, because my parents respect my individuality,” says Dia Mirza. “If my mother feels I'm wrong, she'll tell me about it but she'll let me take my own decisions.” Hrishitaa Bhatt believes in trying to convince her parents about her decision. “Rebelling causes unpleasantness. I'd wait and let time make things clearer.”

For love or money?

Trade analyst Komal Nahta says that in 50 per cent of the cases, it's genuine concern on the parents' part, while it could be the fear of losing the money in the rest of the cases. “Parents feel they have only the good of their kids at heart. This is not just in the film industry, but in all strata of society. They believe this association or marriage won't last. Also, the one in love thinks too much from the heart, while parents think too much from the mind. Therein lies the problem.”