After a dry, dreadful spell of darkness and desolation, it looks like Bollywood love stories are ready to rock the silver screen again.
Two of 2023's biggest hits so far, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar and Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, are romantic comedies whereas lovey-dovey treats like Satyaprem Ki Katha and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani are slated for release in the weeks ahead.
While you wait, Sukanya Verma lists 20 terrific romantic Hindi movies of the last decade that you can watch on OTT.
Lootera, 2013
Where to watch? Jio Cinema, Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video
Vikramaditya Motwane's '50s romance showcasing Sonakshi Sinha-Ranveer Singh as star-crossed lovers at their quietest best is all kinds of poetry, using O Henry's short story The Last Leaf like a punchline.
The Lunchbox, 2013
Where to watch? Netflix
Lonely souls in Mumbai bonding over letter and lunchboxes, Ritesh Batra's story of strangers, played with rare intuition by Irrfan and Nimrat Kaur has a big, beating heart of its own.
Shuddh Desi Romance, 2013
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Contemporary romance in small-town India refusing to conform to society yet unable to shirk off the age-old hold of love, the novel ideas fuelling Shuddh Desi Romance as well as the fresh charms of its leads, Sushant Singh Rajput, Parineeti Chopra and Vaani Kapoor, make it a compelling watch.
Goliyon Ki Raas Leela: Ram Leela, 2013
Where to watch? Jio Cinema
While we'll any day take Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla's innocent love versus warring clans in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's feisty opulence and Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone's smouldering jodi are quite a heady fit for Romeo and Juliet.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, 2013
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Ayan Mukerji's musical confection about four friends looking at life and love through starry as well as cynical eyes, is escapism at its glossiest.
Hasee Toh Phasee, 2014
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Hasee Toh Phasee had us at, 'Socho mein idea hoti aur tum technology, humari patang kya mast udti na?'
One of the most common movie tropes -- two unlikely people fall in love -- happens in the most uncommon fashion over the course of Sidharth Malhotra-Parineeti Chopra's delightful encounters in Hasee Toh Phasee.
Tamasha, 2015
Where to watch: Netflix
What happens in Corsica doesn't stay in Corsica and a frothy foreign fling grows into a complicated relationship drama between an unstable mind and his desperate-to-reach out sweetheart in Imtiaz Ali's tangled take on modern love elevated by Deepika and Ranbir's rock-solid deliveries.
Masaan, 2015
Where to watch: Disney+Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Neeraj Ghaywan's stunning directorial debut is not a love story in the traditional sense. But of its two plots running parallel to one another, it's the sight of Vicky Kaushal and Shweta Tripathi breaking caste barriers to engage in a tender, poetry-laced romance evoking everyone from Dushyant Kumar to Gazab Ka Hai Din that's as heartfelt as it is heart-breaking.
Dum Lagake Haisha, 2015
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Sharat Katariya's Haridwar fairy tale between a grumpy shopkeeper and his spunky schoolteacher-in-the-making wife prioritises feelings over foolish ideas of perfection.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, 2016
Where to watch: Netflix
Karan Johar's mastery in the matters of heart shows as does his fluency in glamour in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil's flawed romantics, unrequited pursuits and mesmerising heartbreak.
Qarib Qarib Singlle, 2017
Where to watch: Netflix, ZEE5
It's rare to catch a glimpse of adult relationships in a space dominated by teenybopper love. Tanuja Chandra disrupts Bollywood's status quo in her charming chronicles of opposites attract in Qarib Qarib Singlle featuring an inimitable Irrfan and an unforgettable Parvathy.
Laila Majnu, 2018
Where to watch: ZEE5
Sajid Ali revisits Laila Majnu's doomed romance against Kashmir's breathtaking backdrop enlivened by Avinash Tiwary and Tripti Dimri's winsome portrayals and Niladri Kumar, Joi Barua and Alif's dazzling soundtrack.
Is Love Enough? Sir, 2018
Where to watch: Netflix
The growing attraction between a domestic help harbouring designer dreams and her soft-spoken employer in Rohena Gera's soulful directorial debut looks at the possibility of love transcending class barriers while acknowledging its uncomfortable presence all through.
Mukkabaaz, 2018
Where to watch? ZEE5
Anurag Kashyap's tough-looking drama about an against-all-odds boxer has the bearing of a sports movie. But the reason why it packs such a punch is the love story behind it.
Love Per Square Foot, 2018
Where to watch: Netflix
Vicky Kaushal and Angira Dhar play a pair of youngsters agreeing to marry for the sake of accommodation in Mumbai only to learn home is where the heart is.
Photograph, 2019
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Few film-makers see through loneliness like Ritesh Batra sees his characters. His gentle slice-of-Bombay capturing the modest but meaningful interactions between a street photographer and ace accountancy student is yet another instance of those skills.
Gully Boy, 2019
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Ranveer Singh's underdog story of a rapper's rise from slums to stage would have half its heart or happiness without Alia Bhatt's 'todphod' love. In the words of Murad, Safeena ke bina meri zindagi aisi ho jayegi jaise bina bachpan ke bada ho jaana.
Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, 2020
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
There's no shortage of movies recreating Raj and Simran's iconic train reunion in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, but Ayushmann Khurrana and Jitendra Kumar's gay depiction of the imagery gloriously shattered the imagery's heteronormative monopoly.
Badhaai Do, 2022
Where to watch: Netflix
Badhaai Do may be about lavender marriages, but it's the disarming show of affections between Rajkummar Rao and Gulshan Devaiah or Bhumi Pednekar and Chum Darang's heart-to-heart sessions that empowers queer imagery in mainstream consciousness.
Laal Singh Chaddha, 2022
Where to watch: Netflix
The ugly boycott campaign may have hurt this Forrest Gump remake's box office chances, but few will deny the emotional allure of Laal and Rupa's once-in-a-lifetime romance.
