5 Movies That Spell Romance – Kunal Kohli

Kunal Kohli

Inseparable like air and water, love is the soul of our Indian cinema. Name any film; you will discover the hint of love in the story line. You may find it wrapped in a package of family drama, suspense, comedy, mystery, murder, revenge, motivation, inspiration, hate or as many feelings as you can recall. Love in the context of romance is what valentines day meant for! Our Hindi films are true epitome of that kind of romance, with songs and dances!

For a special issue on valentine, Pandolin spoke to the director Kunal Kohli, who masters the genre, as he has delivered the films that have been applauded by cupid-struck audiences. The filmmaker revives the unforgotten magic of love with his top five picks in the ‘Most Romantic Hindi Films’ of all times.

[box_dark] “Apart from showing romance between two people lapping over generations, the film also shows the sanctity of love. This is what makes Yash Ji’s ‘Kabhie Kabhie’ the most romantic films of all times.” [/box_dark]

‘Kabhie Kabhie – Love is life’, the concept of the film was inspired by a poem of lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi, which director late Yash Chopra happened to read. In the next moment, film went on the floors. Released in 1976, the film spoke of romance that spanned over the second generation. Many popular actors of 70’s including Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee, Waheeda Rahman, Rishi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor starred in this romantic movie. ‘Kabhie Kabhie’ was shot in picturesque Kashmir, and for Yashji the film was one of his happiest experiences that he described the production as a ‘honeymoon’. The film won four Filmfare awards in 1977, three were in music category and one was for best screenplay. Evergreen songs, that still touch the hearts of many, best reflected the theme of everlasting love! ‘Kabhie kabhie mere dil mein khayal aata hai….ki jaise tujhko banaya gaya hai sirf mere liye….’

[box_dark] “DDLJ is a cult film in the genre of romance in Indian cinema. The essence of the film is modern yet it got a desi feel to it. For the first time, it is depicted in the film that the girl in love is ready to elope but the boy says ‘we won’t run away from home’ and instead he tries to win over the girl’s father. It is really wonderful thing shown in the film i.e. loyalty towards our Indian culture.” [/box_dark]

‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ is the romantic, comedy and musical film directed by Aditya Chopra. Starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol opposite each other for the first time, the film narrates the story of a young couple who fall in love on a European vacation, and relates how the boy tries to win over the girl’s parents so that she can marry him rather than the boy that her father has chosen for her. The story also aims to capture the struggle between traditional family values and the modern value of individualism. Though Raj and Simran (the characters) want to be together regardless of her father’s plans for her, Raj tries to win over the father rather than simply eloping. Shot in the most romantic locations of India, London and Switzerland, the film was declared an all-time blockbuster hit and remains as the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema. DDLJ won 10 Filmfare awards in different categories and one national award for being the most popular film. Songs like ‘Tujhe dekha to ye jaana sanam’, ‘Mehendi laga ke rakhna’, and ‘Ho gaya hai tujhko’ still echoes with our spirits of love. Indeed!

[box_dark] “The title of the film ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ says it all! It’s a really wonderful film, which spans romance from college fun to a mature love, keeping the innocence intact all throughout the story. I simply love this film.” [/box_dark]

Having hit the screens in 1998, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ directed by Karan Johar, is a saga of friendship turning into an eternal love. The film also reunited the popular pair of Shahrukh Khan and Kajol after DDLJ. In fact, it was the success of Aditya Chopra’s directorial debut film DDLJ only, that inspired Karan Johar to make his directorial debut with ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’. The crew of the film was as young as the film’s characters were and that added the freshness to the romance. The most interesting part of the film is the transition of Anjali (Kajol) from a tomboyish look to an elegant dance teacher. The actress Rani Mukerji also made her entry into Bollywood in a sexy diva avatar. KKHH turned out to be the highest grossing Indian film of 1998. Bagging eight Filmfare awards and two National awards, the film continues to remain in the minds of people, from college students to office goers. ‘Tum paas aaye, yun mukurae, tumne na jaane kitne sapne dikhae…’ rightly expresses the emotions of many first time fallers in love!

[box_dark] “I have chosen this film in my top five, not because I directed it, because it shows contemporary modern love, which speaks language of today’s youth. It connects with people at so many different levels.” [/box_dark]

Directed by Kunal Kohli himself, the film ‘Hum Tum’, as the title suggested, depicts the difference in the mindsets of a male and a female on how they approach life and connect at a level of love. Starring Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji, the film follows the encounters of Karan and Rhea (the characters) until they, after several years and various meetings, become friends and finally fall in love at the end of the movie. Adding to the fun were the comic characters ‘Hum’ and ‘Tum’, who are used to represent the current state of Karan’s and Rhea’s relationship. From songs to situations, every aspect of the film connects to the young hearts in different phases of their lives. Having won five Filmfare awards, ‘Hum Tum’ is indeed a movie you would love, live and laugh with! ‘Sanson ko sanson mai rehne do zara…’ reverberates with the moods of those passionately in love!

[box_dark]“I like this film for the intensity of love shown in between two super actors Kajol and Aamir Khan. It is very hard to find such kind of romance in our films today.” [/box_dark]

‘Tere dil mein meri saanson ko panaah mil jae, tere ishq mein meri jaan fanaa ho jae!’ does this phrase sound familiar to you? Once again directed by Kunal Kohli himself (Didn’t we tell you that his films also master the genre?), Aamir Khan and Kajol starrer ‘Fanaa’ is a unique love story in all its glory. The film shows the romance of Rehaan Khan, who plays a tourist boy in disguise and Zoonie Ali Beg, a Kashmiri blind girl, which despite reaching a level of communion remains unfulfilled. The story, on the backdrop of terrorism, boasts of eternal intimacy in the love that never reached to its happy ending. The film also won three Filmfare Awards in that year.

‘Tere haath mein mera haath ho……saari jannatein mere saath ho’ isn’t it what you would like to promise to your beloved?

[box_dark] “As you must have observed, in three out of five films I have mentioned, Kajol is playing the lead. This shows her acting prowess as a heroine in romantic films. Her name would arise again and again, whenever we talk of romance in Hindi cinema.”[/box_dark]

5 Movies That Spell Romance – Kunal Kohli