Bollywood and romance have always walked hand-in-hand. The image most associated with the two is of “dancing around trees” but, the last few years have seen a significant change – not only with this image but for audience needs in general. Today, it may be that much more difficult to pinpoint exactly what the audiences are looking for in a romantic film, but one thing remains: simplicity. No matter what a love story is coated with, the more simple the story; the more likely it is to carve a place in the audience’s hearts. We look at the most prominent romances to have graced Indian cinema in the last decade and try to establish how they made history.
Mohabbatein (2000)
Mohabbatein is a film that needs little introduction in relation to romance. The first of its kind to hit Bollywood, the love stories intertwined to make a strong and effective contribution to the main narrative. The romantic locations, the forbidden fruit aspect and the lessons in love all made this the most romantic film of 2000. The soundtrack became hugely popular and, visually, audiences were given numerous big dance numbers that we all love.
What with industry stalwarts, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, sharing screen space, it was inevitable that this film would create history. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s small but pivotal role also added to the movie’s star rating. With a significantly dazzling star-cast, with a number of debutantes – Uday Chopra, Shamita Shetty, Preeti Jhangiani, Kim Sharma – this movie was the recipient of many end-of-year awards, including an IIFA for “Best Story”.
2000, it seems, was the year for romantic movies. This year saw the likes of Dhadkan, Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega hit the screens.
