From rain-soaked conversations to quiet moments that speak louder than words, Pritish Nandy Communications–produced films and series, along with other modern love stories, explore romance in all its beautiful imperfections—stories that feel real, relatable, and uncomfortably addictive. Love that doesn’t just look good on screen, but lingers long after the credits roll. This Valentine’s Day, check out this list of films where love is completely unexpected and completely binge worthy.
Pyaar Ke Side Effects (2006)
Directed by Saket Chaudhary, this witty exploration of modern love stars Rahul Bose and Mallika Sherawat as two people navigating commitment, independence, and emotional uncertainty. Sid’s seemingly perfect life unravels when his girlfriend Trisha proposes marriage, triggering a spiral of panic around permanence and responsibility. As love collides with expectations—family pressure, social norms, and his own fears—the film blends sharp humour with introspection, capturing the contradictions, quiet anxieties, and emotional confusion that define urban relationships.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Jhankaar Beats (2003)
Who would have thought a film anchored in the timeless music of R.D. Burman could strike such perfect emotional notes? Jhankaar Beats is a feel-good drama-musical that blends humour, heartache, and the chaos of everyday relationships into a charming ode to friendship and second chances. Starring Sanjay Suri, Rahul Bose, and Shayan Munshi, alongside Juhi Chawla, Rinke Khanna, and Riya Sen, the film finds joy in missed beats, strained bonds, and the music that pulls everything together.
Where to watch: YouTube
Chameli (2003)
Directed by Sudhir Mishra, Chameli is a contemporary love story that unfolds over one rain-soaked night in Mumbai. Aman Kapoor, 32, is a widower haunted by the loss of his wife and unborn child, while Chameli—a hardened prostitute betrayed and sold into a brothel as a young girl—carries scars the rain refuses to let her forget. When a sudden downpour brings these two strangers together under the arches of Flora Fountain, chance turns into an unexpected emotional connection that quietly alters both their lives. For Kareena Kapoor, Chameli was a strikingly unexpected choice—raw, streetwise, and stripped of glamour. Stepping far outside her then-established image, she brought empathy and grit to a character rarely offered to mainstream leading actresses, making Chameli a defining early performance that challenged perceptions and expanded the possibilities of her career.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003)
For those drawn to love entwined with political upheaval, this Sudhir Mishra classic plunges into romance and idealism against the turbulent landscape of 1970s India. Set in a nation pulled in a thousand directions, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi unfolds in the shadow of Indira Gandhi’s leadership and the Emergency—a time when personal desires were inseparable from political choices. As passion, loyalty, and conflict collide, the film captures how love, ambition, and idealism are shaped—and often fractured—by the times we live in.
Where to watch: YouTube
Shaadi Ke Side Effects (2014)
Starring Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan, Shaadi Ke Side Effects, directed by Saket Chaudhary, brings two refreshingly honest performances to a story about love after the fairy tale ends. Going beyond the wedding day, the film explores marriage and parenthood through emotional fatigue, shifting priorities, and the quiet loss of personal identity. With humour and empathy, it captures how relationships evolve—and are tested—once responsibility enters the picture.
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Just Married (2007)
Directed by Meghna Gulzar, Just Married is set within an arranged marriage, where two near-strangers are bound by vows before familiarity. Starring Fardeen Khan and Esha Deol, the film follows the couple in the fragile early days after their wedding, as they navigate intimacy, hesitation, and the awkwardness of learning each other from scratch. Rather than romantic certainty, the marriage begins with silences, misunderstandings, and unspoken negotiations—making the film a quiet, reflective exploration of how love, trust, and companionship can slowly grow between two people who are married first, and only then begin to truly meet each other.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
No matter how love looks – messy, bold, or beautifully complicated- these films prove that the feeling is always worth watching. This Valentine’s season, let these stories remind you that the best kind of love stays with you long after the screen goes dark.
