Bollywood romance movies are popular for their main leads breaking into lip-syncing and dancing every now and then.
For Malaysians who have grown up watching Bollywood movies on national TV, their captivating plots, dramatic acting and humour transcend cultural boundaries and always leave us wanting more.
Here are 18 Bollywood romance movies you must watch at least once in your life:
1.Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
This list would not be complete without Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. It is one of the highest-grossing Bollywood movies in India and abroad.
The plot circles around the love triangle story of Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan), Anjali (Kajol) and Tina (Rani Mukerji).
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai marks Karan Johar’s directorial debut who later directed, produced and wrote many Bollywood blockbusters.
2. Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)
When Naina (Preity Zinta) falls in love with her terminally-ill neighbour Aman (Shah Rukh Khan), Aman tries to get her friend Rohit (Saif Ali Khan) to fall for her instead.
Karan Johar wrote this movie and co-produced it with his father, Yash. It was the last film Yash was involved with before his death in 2004.
3. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)
Here is another movie produced by a father-son pair. Aditya Chopra directed and co-wrote this film while his father Yash produced it.
The story follows Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) and Simran (Kajol) who fall in love during a vacation through Europe.
4. Veer-Zaara (2004)
The subject of cross-boundary love between India and Pakistan has been a popular theme for many Bollywood movies.
However, the most memorable of the bunch is Veer-Zaara in which Veer (Shah Rukh Khan) is an Indian Air Force pilot who falls in love with Zaara, a Pakistani woman from Lahore.
5. Hum Tum (2004)
Not all Bollywood romance movies are about forbidden and unrequited love.
Starring Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mekerji, Hum Tum follows the encounters of the two leads over several years and various meetings until they eventually fall in love.
6. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
Loosely based on Maitreyi Devi’s Bengali novel Na Hanyate, the movie is another Bollywood cliched love triangle story.
The movie starred Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn and Aishwarya Rai.
7. Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)
Who wouldn’t want to compete for the love and attention of King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan onscreen or off-screen?
Understandably in this movie, two dancers played by Madhuri Dixit and Karishma Kapoor were both in love with Rahul played by Khan.
8. Mohabbatein (2000)
If it is a movie starring King of Bollywood (Shah Rukh Khan) and Shahenshah of Bollywood (Amitabh Bachchan), then you have to watch it.
Mohhabbatein follows the story of a headmaster (Bachchan) who enforces a strict rule of no romance among his students. Then, comes a music teacher (Khan) who is a strong believer of the power of love.
9. Devdas (2002)
Set in the early 1900s, Devdas was one of the most expensive Bollywood film ever produced.
It follows the story of Devdas (Shah Rukh Khan) who is in love with his childhood sweetheart Paro (Aishwarya Rai) despite his family’s objection.
10. Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001)
This movie is famous for its tag-line “It’s All About Loving Your Parents.” And the parents who acted in this film are real life husband and wife, Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan.
In the story, Amitabh plays a successful businessman who is against his adopted son’s marriage with a poor girl.
11. Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (2008)
Jai (Imran Khan) and Aditi (Genelia D’Souza) are two best friends with completely different personalities. Their families and friends believe they are meant for each other but they disagree.
12. Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012)
Directed by Yash Chopra, this film stars Shah Rukh Khan as Samar, a bomb disposal expert, who has a whirlwind romance with Meera (Katrina Kaif).
This is Chopra’s final film before his death in 2012.
13. Om Shanti Om (2007)
A fictional love story wouldn’t be fun without some reincarnation going on. This story follows Om (Shah Rukh Khan) a junior artist in the 70s who died trying to rescue his love and was then reincarnated as a superstar in the 2000s to avenge his love.
Shah Rukh’s wife Gauri Khan produced this film.
14. Kaho Naa Pyaa’r Hai (2000)
Would you fall in love with your deceased boyfriend’s doppelganger? Apparently in Kaho Naa Pyaa’r Hai, it is possible to do that.
Ameesha Patel in her first acting role as Sonia falls in love with a guy who looks exactly like her dead boyfriend played by Hrithik Roshan.
15. Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002)
Raj (Hrithik Roshan), Pooja (Rani Mekherjee) and Tina (Kareena Kapoor) are three childhood friends. And in true Bollywood fashion, Raj is attracted to Tina while Pooja is attracted to Raj. Who will he choose in the end?
16. Myaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998)
Myaar To Hona Hi Tha is a remake of the 1995 Hollywood film French Kiss starring Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline.
It stars real life married couple (who were still dating when this movie was filmed) Ajay Devgn and Kajol.
17. Jab We Met (2007)
Here is another film starring then real life dating couple, Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor.
Jab We Met is about Geet (Kareena) who bumps into Aditya (Shahid) on an overnight train to Delhi and somehow gets left stranded in the middle of nowhere.
The couple reportedly broke up in 2007 during the shooting of this film.
18. Lootera (2013)
Inspired by O.Henry’s short story The Last Leaf, Lootera is a period romance directed by Vikramaditya Motwane.
It stars Ranveer Singh as Varun, a young archaeologist who is in love with a landowner’s daughter Pakhi (Sonakshi Sinha).
