Bollywood has often been cited as the source of all things mushy, romantic, and cheesy. After all, dupattas were the original wingman in our love lives.
But over the years, not only did Bollywood’s concept of romance change and become more realistic and mature (the dupatta is now used for Instagram photoshoots only), but Bollywood also presented more and more stories that were not centered around ‘Ishq waala love’.
Here are some of the finest movies made in recent times, that showcased stories explored the many shades of love, a kind of love that wasn’t just centered around the hero and heroine.
- Raazi
Though centered around a young girl’s ultimate service to her country, Raazi was much more than just a patriotic film. It showed the other side of what such service demands, it showed the beautiful relation between a daughter and her father, and it showed a young girl’s transition into a woman with scars to bear.
- Badhaai Ho
Do we ever look at our parents, and think of how they’re partners first and parents later? That is exactly the thought that this movie brought to the forefront, in an altogether endearing, humorous, and genuine way.
- October
Sometimes, a pang of unfounded guilt can be the greatest catalyst for change, like it was for Dan (Varun Dhawan) in October. However, the movie was also a heart-touchingly beautiful depiction of a mother’s love, and a crash course in what basic humanity looks like. He wasn’t in love with her, he just cared for her.
- Karwaan
Three completely different people embark upon an altogether unexpected journey and end up receiving an unforeseen source of comfort – shared grief. And yet, this unbelievably sweet, slice of life movie, actually brought out out a simple thing – that a trip will bring companions closer or tear them apart, but one never comes away from it unchanged.
- Love, Sonia
Shocking, brutal, slightly realistic, and altogether emotional – Love, Sonia was all this and more. But at the heart of it, this was a movie about a sister’s love for her sibling – the love that has her facing the cruelest of circumstances, and take on the most grueling of journeys.
- Pataakha
Another movie on the bond of siblings, Pataakha was loud, unabashed, and altogether relatable. Because sibling rivalry is as honest as the sibling bond. In fact, for a lot of the siblings, it is the rivalry that keeps the love alive, literally… as it did for Badki and Chutki in Pataakha.
- Secret Superstar
Domestic abuse is an oft-ignored, yet an ever-present reality of many households. However, the beauty of the movie lay in how it became a reflection of not just a woman’s struggle, but also a child’s bond with the mother that turns her into a protector at a very young age.
- Dear Zindagi
Sometimes the most beautiful love stories are the ones where we fall in love with our own self, as Kaira does in Dear Zindagi.
- Kapoor & Sons
Why is it that when we talk about classic love stories, we never look at the love that exists as a breathing, living entity in a family? Isn’t that where we first experience the depth of the emotion? That is exactly what Kapoor & Sons reminded us: that families with their inescapable flaws.
- Hindi Medium
Another beautiful family drama, this light-hearted comedy had a beautiful message and yet, was not over-the-top in its execution.
- Mukti Bhawan
An unavoidable fact of life is that our parents are aging and there is nothing we can do to stop that. But it takes a different kind of strength to accept a parent’s choice to willingly let go of their life.
- A Death in the Gunj
If Dear Zindagi was about falling in love with yourself, A Death in the Gunj was the movie that made us realise what lack of empathy can do to a troubled soul.
- Lipstick Under My Burkha
For a movie that faced so much unnecessary hardships prior to its release, Lipstick Under My Burkha was everything but not sensational.
- Stree
When popular mediums are used to share great messages, then the movie is bound to win hearts – as it happened with the horror comedy Stree
