A stupid thing called love. While our Bollywood romances usually always involved dancing around the trees, followed the typical ‘boy meets girl’ format, finally films and scripts changed for the better and we were bestowed with some of these gems, that spoke to us. Feelings that we could not define or describe, found their way into these films and characters.
Here’s a list of best Bollywood romances, that were perfectly relatable to our generation.
1. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
A very refreshing take on love, romance, friendship and life, Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani was for this generation our DDLJ. The coming-of-age film made it a point to celebrate love but not at the cost of sacrificing one’s passion.
2. Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na
It’s a tale of college besties, Jai, the most non-violent Rajput ever and Aditi, a highly aggressive and impulsive girl. They want to settle down in life after college but not with each other. They don’t realise or accept love for each other until Jai finds a girl and Aditi starts missing him and his company.
3. Jab We Met
Probably one of Imtiaz Ali’s best movie, Jab We Met taught us to love, laugh and live.
Who wouldn’t relate with Geet, a feisty Punjabi girl who helped a heartbroken-depressed businessman, Aditya, get through his breakup. Not only did she become a crying shoulder for Aditya but also shared a special space in his heart post his recovery. Her character is someone we all need in our lives.
4. Socha Na Tha
From the love guru of Indian cinema, came another beautiful take on romance, Socha Na Tha. Imtiaz Ali’s debut film still remains one of our favourite romantic films, despite receiving a lukewarm response at the box office. Two people who are arranged to marry each other, refuse to do so but end up falling in love with one another eventually. No love at first sight, no over-the-top scenes, this film was as real as it gets.
5. Masaan
Masaan was a rare gem that one cannot afford to miss. Story of love and loss, this sensitive film delved into our deepest fears and insecurities and spoke to us. Deepak’s love for Shalu knows no caste barriers. This isn’t a film about a happy ending or a happily-ever-after but it teaches us to move on despite our struggles.
6. Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.
Six newly married couples and a joyful ride to a four-day trip to Goa. This film had many different stories to tell but the one we could relate with was of Boman Irani and Shabana Azmi. The middle-aged couple, constantly mocked by people for their second marriage, taught us how to live our lives to the fullest without giving a fuck about ‘duniya kya sochegi’.
7. Wake Up Sid
Wake Up Sid starring Ranbir Kapoor in the lead, was perhaps one of the most relatable films of our time. Sid’s character epitomised the confusion of our generation. It explored the nuances of an urban relationship beautifully.
8. Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein
R Madhavan’s character Maddy made us all believe in the concept of love at first sight and we still love him for the way he loved Reena, a role essayed by Dia Mirza. This love story taught us that guys like him are hard to find and we if do, then we must hold on to them.
9. Dum Laga Ke Haisha
This film taught us how two people, forced into an arranged marriage, can also fall in love. Ayushmann Khurrana’s character, Prem Prakash Tiwari, marries an educated overweight girl Sandhya ( Bhumi Pednekar) under parental pressure but never accepts her as his wife. They file a divorce case. But later, start understanding each other when court orders them to stick around for six months.
10. Barfi!
This film explored a relationship between a deaf and mute boy and an autistic girl. This wasn’t one of those rich boy meets poor girl story. With powerful performances that struck a chord for its honest portrayal of love.
11. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
While many found Ranbir’s character problematic, this film to some extent managed to capture the pain of unrequited love. A film about tedha love, one that doesn’t stay straight. We’ve been there and in some parts the film speaks to us.
12. Akaash Vani
‘Duniya kya Kahegi’ has put an end to several relationships and so has parental pressure. Why we can relate with this film and its characters, Aakash and Vani, is because of this. Both were happy with each other but couldn’t continue their relationship after finishing college. Why? Because Vani’s parents force her to marry the guy they think is good for her.
13. Band Baja Baaraat
A simple story of two business partners falling in love. If you are not sure the person you love feels the same way about you, then you often shy-away from confessing your love to them. It frustrates you from within so much that it starts reflecting in your performance at work. This happens with most of us and so we can relate with Anushka Sharma’s character Shruti Kakkar as she goes through the same emotions.
14. Two States
Inter-caste marriage, well a bitter reality we all know too well in India.
Krish, a Punjabi boy, falls in love with a South Indian girl, Ananya. After finishing their studies, they decide to get married. Now, this is where the most difficult part begins for both the characters and we certainly can relate with them because as they say in India, marriages are usually not between people but families.
15. Break Ke Baad
A simple story of love, about a couple growing up together. Especially at an age, where we break up for the smallest of reasons, here’s a film that shows the central characters work their relationship out despite the distance.
16. Shuddh Desi Romance
A couple living in together, nothing new but one that is still frowned upon in our society. But what happens when real feelings are involved? Does one need a ‘married’ label to profess one’s love for someone else?
17. Bareilly Ki Barfi
Rajkummar Rao may have hogged all the limelight for his performance in the film. But it’s Ayushmann’s character Pritam who we can relate with more. His role taught us that being someone’s secret admirer isn’t a great idea.
18. Salaam Namaste
A real couple living in together to get to know each other better. The film explored what happens after a ‘happily ever after.’
19. Love Aaj Kal
We know times have changed and so has the meaning of love. The reason why we relate with this film is that it beautifully narrates love stories of two different generations. It helped us understand this better how only the perspective of realising one’s soulmate has changed over time and not the feeling of love.
20. Tanu Weds Manu
Some of us can surely relate with R Madhavan’s character Manu in the film as for him all that mattered was Tanu’s happiness. He loved Tanu so much that he even agreed to help her elope with his boyfriend, Raja. He kept caring for her silently until one day Tanu realised it on her own.
21. Rockstar
If you love someone with true intentions then they often become your strength. You smile when they are around, you feel safe in their arms and everyday seems like a dream. Heer’s sudden recovery from her illness on seeing Jordan was a sign of pure love. It’s a sequence in the film which some of us can relate with. She stands on her feet again, her blood counts improves drastically. I mean, miracles do happen when you’re around someone you truly love. Have you ever felt it?
22. Tamasha
Someone truly said that people change with time. Deepika falls in love with Ranbir’s character in this film on a holiday in Corsica. She later meets him in Delhi and finds out that he’s not the same guy who she fell in love with. Tamasha may not have received critical acclaim or box office numbers, and yet it remains relevant to its audience.
23. Cocktail
Gautam, Meera and Veronica’s love triangle is something we all can relate with because let’s be honest. There must have been times when the person you love, loves someone else. Veronica, who loves Gautam, is left heartbroken after she finds out that he shares that feeling with Meera. She gets drunk and explains him how badly she needs him back. But nothing works. We have all probably been through the same emotional phase that Veronica dealt with.
24 Band Baaja Baarat (2010)
Two fresh faces in Bollywood – Anushka Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor starred in a beautiful love story playing two young lads in Delhi trying to make it big in their life with their wedding planning business.
Band Baaja Baarat is a colorful and energetic love story with all elements of a Masala movie including dance numbers, romantic songs and the quintessential Bollywood melodrama.
The list of Romantic Movies is incomplete with out sanam teri kasam, laila majnu and tere naam. Love is incomplete without madness and these movies are the best to prove the point. You can watch these on Zee5 or zee network channels which are now available on YuppTv, Watch Romantic movies on YuppTv now.
25. Barfi (2013)
One of the sweetest love stories of recent times, this is a story of a deaf-mute boy Barfi (Ranbir Kapoor) and his relationship with two women Shruti (Ileana D’Cruz ), an educated young girl and Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra) who suffers from Autism. Unlike other Bollywood movies where being disability meant a life of contempt and distress, Barfi celebrates love, life and laughter in this love story. India’s official entry to Oscar then, Barfi also won 7 Filmfare awards including the Best Film.
26. Devdas (2002)
SRK, Aishwarya and Madhuri Dixit in a movie directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali! A lot of critics and enthusiats would agree to the fact that movies like Devdas are made only once in a generation. It was the second time Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel Devdas was being adapted on the silver screen in Bollywood and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali made sure it was a visual delight and one of the best Bollywood Romantic movies of all time. With meticulously crafted sets to classy costumes that weighed kilos and starring the biggest names of the industry back then, Devdas was the most expensive Bollywood movie ever made at the time of its release in 2002.
This movie tells the story of its central character, Devdas (Shah Rukh Khan) and his relationship with his childhood love – Paro (Aishwarya Rai) and then a courtesan – Chandramukhi (Madhuri Dixit). This love story of falling in love and then getting destroyed by it has been told beautifully with this classic.
27. Chalte Chalte
The second movie on this list that involves a character named Sameer in a love triangle, Chalte Chalte is the story of how wealthy and soon to be famous Priya (Rani Mukherji) and middle class Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) meet. Raj is smitten by her, but Priya has to get on with her life which involves a soon-to-be solemnised marriage to Sameer. What can Raj do?
28. Namastey London
Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif and Rishi Kapoor form the formidable cast of this lovely Bollywood love story movie. Jazz (Kaif), a thoroughly British girl, is taken to India by her father for the purpose of being married off to an Indian boy, but Jazz has other ideas. He arranges a marriage for his daughter, but both the bride and groom have different plans…
29. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
A classic love triangle presented by none other than Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) has to choose between Sameer (Salman Khan), from whom she learned how to love, and Vanraj (Ajay Devgan), who taught her what the principles of love are. The characters are excellent, Aishwarya is a joy to watch and those of you rooting for Sameer might just end up feeling a bit for Vanraj as well.
30. Veer Zaara
Love so great that it knows no India-Pak boundary.
