Are you tired of watching the same romantic movies every Valentine’s Day? Why not let the romance of Bollywood make your heart skip a beat? Bollywood has a rich history with tons of classics of incredible romantic movies, from movies to make you cry or some to make you laugh. Grab your popcorn and some comfy blankets, here are my personal favourite Bollywood romance movies to watch this Valentine’s Day:
Laila Majnu (2018) I love this movie due to how much Desi culture is rooted in this. Laila is a reserved woman who keeps to herself, while Majnu is a passionate and lovable individual, making them a perfect fit for one another. Despite their bond, family dynamics get in the way. This movie reminds me of Romeo and Juliet where Laila and Majnu have a strong love for each other but due to family conflicts and societal norms, they were forbidden to love one another, having to fight for it throughout the movie. This film is more of a tragic and upsetting one due to the pressures of society and social norms not allowing them to love one another which constantly got in their way throughout the movie. I would categorize this film as a tragic romance.
Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) is a classic Y2K movie, due to its storyline, the popular soundtrack called “Kal Ho Naa Ho” included in the film and the casting of Shah Rukh Khan (a popular Bollywood actor) as Aman, Saif Ali Khan as Rohit and Preity Zinta as Naina. The film is set in New York City where Naina is an independent woman with a lot on her plate, with college, work and struggling to cope with her father passing away. Aman is the kind of person to light up any room he walks into. He recently moves into Naina’s apartment complex and begins to gain feelings for her. But throughout the film, Rohit, Naina’s college best friend also gains feelings for Naina.
When I want to relax, especially in February, I love watching romantic Bollywood movies, whether that be rom-coms to make me laugh or sad movies to make me shed a tear. These two movies touch on both aspects of romantic movies with Kal Ho Naa Ho, including romance and comedy while Laila Majnu touches on a more serious topic of breaking societal norms and the constant fight for love.