51 Great Hindi Romantic Movies

Old Bollywood Romance

This article is a tribute to the great romantic films of Bollywood. There are so many romantic Hindi movies to choose from, but I picked my top 51 films for this article. I hope you love them as much as I do.

Did you know that the first ever Indian film with sound, 1931's Alam Ara, was a love story? The history of romance in Indian cinema can be traced back as far as Indian cinema itself. The first ever sound film had to be a love story, because love reaches a large audience. Romantic movies are a classic part of Bollywood and Hindi films from all over!

I have always been a fan of all things Bollywood. In a typical romantic movie, there is a touch of everything, from love at first sight to the rona-dhonas to the fight sequence for saving the heroine and, lastly, the happy ending. In the history of romantic Hindi cinema, there are many such films that have experimented with different kinds of stories. But we can always return to the romantic side of Bollywood!

Did you know that the first ever Indian film with sound, 1931's "Alam Ara," was a love story?

1. Pyaasa (1957)

This is a romantic movie masterpiece. You will definitely cry after watching this movie. The script is finely balanced with excellent and soul-stirring performances by Guru Dutt and Waheeda Rehman. Speaking of songs, let me remind you that one of the funniest, Sar Jo Tera Chakraye, belongs to one of the most emotional films. To me, Pyaasa is the finest of all the movies in this list with a breathtaking script, great dialogues, and a mind-blowing climax.

2. Madhumati (1958)

One of the must-watch old movies. Though the movie is black and white the cinematic appeal and the script will keep you guessing.

3. Mughal-E-Azam (1960)

Old is gold. Don't take this statement as a cliche. I mean, who doesn't know about Mughal-E-Azam, a romantic Hindi film which saw great success at the box office when it was released for the first time and again when it was re-released in 2004 as a color version. Great movie with some of the most romantic songs.

4. Kashmir Ki Kali (1964)

I love this because of Shammi Kapoor. My favorite actress, Sharmila Tagore, is also part of this movie. Sharmila definitely looks like a Kashmir ki kali in this! It's the story of a rich guy loving a poor girl; with beautiful locations and songs. One such song with a beautiful location is lined up for you below. Watch the kali in action!

5. Koshish (1972)

Watch this if you want to experience a truly different kind of love story. Two deaf and mute people fall in love in this sad romantic film classic. To me, none other than Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bhauduri could've done justice to this. Both are kind of method actors.

6. Daag: A Poem of Love (1973)

Indeed, poetic.

7. Silsila (1981)

Keep the tissue box near you before you start this movie; you'll need a lot of them. I mean, what a great movie. Truly it can make you cry. The dialogues are recited even now in many movies and TV serials. Yes, I am talking about Main aur meri Tanhayee, though many times with a funny intent.

8. Love Story (1981)

Blockbuster songs with blockbuster movie. Kumar Gaurav became an overnight star. Vijayta Pandit heartthrob of many. I particularly like all the songs and they are a regular feature of many radio shows.

9. Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981)

Now if a movie like Silsila (1981) makes you cry then this will fill buckets with your tears. Like many of us, I have also heard that after watching this movie many lovers sacrificed their lives just like Vasu and Sapna. I remember hearing it from the anchor of news channel NDTV that many died after watching this film. Other than that I don't have any other news links to prove it. But that may very well be true.

The scene which prompted many of them is above. Just watching the clip gives me shivers.

10. Arth (1982)

Recipient of numerous awards. The story tries to justify extra-marital affair and the old saying "All is fair in love and war".

11. Prem Rog (1982)

The best romantic movie of Rishi Kapoor. Leading lady Padmini Kohlapure does full justice to her role. To me, she is some of the few actresses who got meaningful roles in their career.

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12. Hero (1983)

The rise of Jackie Shroff.

13. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988)

One of the greatest hits of both Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla. A true mix of all things that a Bollywood movie can give us. Its exceptional songs make it a must-watch.

14. Maine Pyar Kiya (1989)

A movie that made Salman Khan a household name. I love this movie because of the girl-next-door performance of Bhagyashree and the few comedy scenes that it has of Laxmikant Berde.

15. Aashiqui (1990)

The best Bollywood musical romantic film of the 1990s.

16. Dil (1990)

A romantic comedy movie again, bringing together Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit. This film might be one of those films that I first watched on TV. It's a great movie which I would even love to watch in the middle of the night.

17. Love (1991)

This is the debut Hindi film of Revathy. She plays the role of Maggie, and you'll definitely love the freshness that she brings on screen. Salman plays the leading hero who has a troubled and dreaded past and is not able to control his anger. How falling in love with Maggie changes his life is the plot of the movie.

18. Saajan (1991)

The other day I heard on the radio while coming back from work that the role of Sanjay Dutt was first offered to Aamir Khan. Ohhh ... poor Aamir. I can't help but mention that the soundtrack is just awesome and touches the heart.

19. Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1993)

A fun-filled romantic movie. A beleaguered Sunil (Shahrukh) does everything in and out of the book to win the trust and show love to Anna (Suchitra Krishnamoorthy), but Chris (Deepak Tijori) always has an upper hand.

A dialogue that I remember from it goes like this, "Idhar se jao, Udhar se jao sab rasta god ke paas jaata hai". Isn't that sensible and cute?

20. Hum Aapke Hain Kaun...! (1994)

A good mix of comedy and romance with emotional scenes. The story is very similar to Nadiya Ke Paar but I like this over the former so I have listed it here.

21. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)

Yes, it's still running at Maratha Mandir in Mumbai as a morning show. One can still see lovebirds hand-in-hand lining up to buy tickets for this one. On major holidays like Holi many visit to watch this movie.

22. Raja Hindustani (1996)

An ultra-emotional-romantic movie. Muaah for Aamir-Karishma chemistry.

23. Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)

A musical romantic movie starring the most romantic actor of Bollywood: Shahrukh Khan. I say that because Shahrukh has had many box office hits from the romance genre.

24. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)

Consider this. An eight-year-old waits every year for her dearest birthday gift: a letter from her dead mother. When she turns eight, her mother (Rani Mukherjee) writes in the letter to make sure that her father (Shah Rukh Khan) is reunited with his best friend (Kajol), who was his first love.

I think you may be getting a clue about which film I am describing. Yes, it is Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. At first I thought, this story sounds bizarre and trivial. But the presentation of the story is so self-assured that it's one of the most famous romantic Hindi movies ever made.

There have been many other great Hindi romantic movies other than KKHH, but to me it ranks among the finest. Again a Shah Rukh starrer. He is paired with Kajol, which is time and again touted as the most romantic pair of Bollywood.

If you weren't able to get your first love then there is no song that will cater better than "Tujhe Yaad Na Meri Aayi." It teatures Geeta Kapoor of Dance India Dance fame at the start of the video.

25. Mann (1999)

Emotional and soul-stirring.

26. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)

Another classic movie. No need to tell you that this is the last movie in which Salman and Aishwarya were seen together, and probably will remain the last featuring them. The song "Tadap Tadap" remains one of my personal favorites of KK (Krishnakumar Kunnath).

27. Dhadkan (2000)

An unusual combination of actors like Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty star in this romance. Both were mainly involved in doing action films back then.

Akshay awesomely performs the character of a well-behaved person who lives by his ideals, and then Sunil Shetty's role of unforgettable lover makes this a good watch.

28. Mohabbatein (2000)

The name itself is enough.

29. Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000)

Hrithik Roshan was an unknown face before the release of this movie. This film made him famous overnight. For me, the movie gets more interesting when the second Hrithik comes on screen.

30. Tum Bin (2001)

Despite the all-new star cast, this was a success. The songs are nicely written by Faaiz Anwar and music by Nikhil-Vinay.

31. Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001)

The youthful story that brought a southern star to Bollywood. Madhavan's career took off after this movie.

32. Devdas (2002)

The story of Devdas has been taken from a novel of the same name written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. It's a remake of the older version, but as I haven't watched the older one, I can't compare it. I liked the roles of Jackie Shroff, Shahrukh, and Smita Jaykar (who played Deva's mother).

33. Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)

Bring back the tissue boxes!

34. Tere Naam (2003)

I am a big fan of this movie. Love it in every way. Cool songs, script, and Radhe Bhaiya is just awesome.

35. Veer-Zaara (2004)

A love story set with lovers from across the border. Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) is another film set along similar lines.

36. Hum Tum (2004)

A rom-com which gives the viewers a happy feeling throughout.

37. Vivah (2006)

Vivah was released without much fanfare or publicity and became the surprise hit of 2006. Watch it if you like family-oriented romantic films.

38. Awarapan (2007)

A strong performance by lead star, Imran Hashmi, and as with all of his movies, the music is especially noteworthy. While Awarapan bills itself as a crime thriller, just below that is a gentle love story.

39. Jab We Met (2007)

This one resurrected Kareena Kapoor's sinking career, giving it a fresh lease of life. The story, the songs, the screenplay ... every bit of Jab We Met is awesome.

40. Ghajini (2008)

Director A. R. Murugadoss essentially remade his own Tamil-language film from 2005. It was a roaring success at the box office and also earned tremendous praise from the critics.

41. Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (2008)

This romantic comedy is the debut of Irfan Khan and Prateik Babbar. Irfan's career blossomed afterward, whereas Prateik never quite gained wider acceptance.

42. Love Aaj Kal (2009)

One of the few movies that I like from Saif Ali Khan. It features some very good songs and first-time actress Giselli Monteiro. The Brazilian model looks great in Indian attire.

43. Band Baaja Baaraat (2010)

B3 gave Bollywood a new charmer: Ranveer Singh.

44. Rockstar (2011)

A recipient of numerous awards and by far the best individual performance of Ranbir Kapoor's career. Director Imtiaz Ali gets into the grove to create this masterpiece. Rahman's music is divine.

45. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)

When I asked one of my friends for his review of this movie, he said, "Go and watch. It's something different". And that is my advice to you.

46. Aashiqui 2 (2013)

Like its precursor, Aashiqui 2 was a hugely popular romantic musical drama. But, outside of the logo, the similarities between the two movies ends there. The story is so much different from the earlier film that it's a pleasant surprise for the audience.

47. Ram Leela (2013)

Hot!!!

48. The Lunchbox (2013)

A genuine effort to make a different movie. The dabbawalas of Mumbai provide a tremendous service in delivering food across the city, but even they make mistakes. Director-writer Ritesh Batra leans into this to create a very thoughtful, modern day love story.

49. Raanjhanaa (2013)

With A.R. Rahman's music and southern star Dhanush in the lead role, Raanjhanaa is worth every bit of your money and time.

50. Ek Villian (2014)

This one is a musical romantic thriller. Awesome songs and commendable role by Ritesh Deshmukh.

51. Bajirao Mastani (2015)

Ranveer Singh has come a long way in his career. With this historical romance he further established his reputation as one of Bollywood's finest actors.

Related Reading

• 10 Underrated Bollywood Movies You Must Watch
  Sometimes, the best movies are the least recognized, most unknown ones. Here's a list of top 10 best Bollywood movies that deserve more attention and praise.
• 20 Best Bollywood Hindi Movies
  You can feed your Bollywood fever with my list of the 20 Best Bollywood Hindi movies! I also included trailers, best scenes or fun video songs to this list in order to help you decide which movie to choose. You can even watch some movies here!
• 101 Classic Bollywood Movies: The Best Hindi Movies (1950–1990)
  Check out this list covering 100 of the best old classic Indian movies. Get a short review along with some rare images collected from around the Internet.

© 2012 Kannan

Comments

Beentu on June 14, 2020:

Plz i l ike old films free or dwonlod help

Chandan on December 20, 2019:

meri lalkaar

Bami Oba on July 31, 2019:

It is wonderful to watch Indian films in the fifties and sixties at our youthful age.We watched LOVE and Romantic films with beautiful music played with local instruments and super Actors like Dev Anad, Asherperic and Pran.

Ahmadtaj on March 20, 2018:

I love indian romantic movies i think taht the ASHIQUI 2 is the most romantic movie in the world its really beautiful movie i love it very much

Samshad Raaz on March 16, 2018:

Where Is Muskan Movie

Gyan prakash yadav on January 21, 2018:

Veer Zara is wonderful Bollywood movie and

I love S R K all movie

Kannan (author) from Mumbai on January 12, 2018:

Thanks everyone for a the comments and suggestions. I will definitely keep in my when I update this article

jose on January 08, 2018:

Best hindi romantic was love story Kumar Gaurav

praa on November 06, 2017:

Where is love story

Harry rana on July 16, 2017:

I really love story movie romantic stories so every time I watch lion ke that movie

omi on July 03, 2017:

kahona pyar hai is the best romantic movie in bollywood

avichal on May 30, 2017:

Tum bin best romantic movie

sapna jangid on May 10, 2017:

I love hindi romantic song

priyanshu on April 15, 2017:

Where is Hum apkea hain koun and love story.

Sanyam on February 09, 2017:

Where is rockstar?? u will end up crying

chand on January 04, 2017:

tum bin.... is all time classic movie

rocky on January 03, 2017:

Tum bin... is highly standard movie of Indian cinema

shahbaz on January 03, 2017:

Tum bin......is master piece . best romantic movie of Bollywood.

Attikou Mato on December 13, 2016:

Hello you forgot Dosti : friends forever , that movie will make you cry, yeah cry

prit on November 22, 2016:

you should watch (tum bin) movie . its one of the best movie. if you see this movie then you forget about all of love story movies. try only one time then you definetly like it and you watch many times.

sudhir on October 19, 2016:

good collection overall.

gulab on October 16, 2016:

dilwale should be in the list

Elz. on September 30, 2016:

You should post Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. I've watched it like a 100 times and I still ended up crying up so hard.

SK IMRAN on September 19, 2016:

NICE

Rahul gujjar on September 05, 2016:

I love a akash vanilla movi

Deepak Aggarwal on August 22, 2016:

please add my fav....sadma and koshish...

Abhishek on August 19, 2016:

My fav. Yami Gautam

dileep on August 02, 2016:

u missed namastey london

Fateemah on July 24, 2016:

His name is Ranveer Singh, not Ranbir Kapoor in Band Baaja Baarat.

Ankita on July 21, 2016:

B3 gave Ranveer Singh not Ranbir kapoor

Naveed khan on May 03, 2016:

My fvrte actor sharukh khan he is a great of all time he is king of romance. And my fvrt movie is ddlj..

king on May 02, 2016:

i love llllllllllllllllllllllllll

Guru on September 13, 2015:

My favourite movie Devdas

Bunty on August 04, 2015:

this is only the favourite movie list of your man. make a list after observation, study and survey. there are missing some important movie like Ghajini, Vivah, Jab we met.

tpande on June 28, 2015:

Best actor-hrithik roshan

raj on June 25, 2015:

Ye jawaani hai deewani should be in the list..

Yatin H. Patil on June 08, 2015:

Where is RHTDM(2001) & Ekk Deewana Tha(2012)

bez on June 06, 2015:

for me kuch kuch hota hai,kal ho naa ho and kahona pyaar hai are the best movies.

SAJID ALI on April 27, 2015:

Shahrukhan is best

Renu on March 11, 2015:

l love dil to pagal h

aditya on February 07, 2015:

Sryy vivah should be there..

Coz it is the most romantic movies I have ever watchexwatched

naz on September 18, 2013:

please i would appreciate it if sum1 can help me with the name of this movie. it's a bollywood movie i love so much and have bin lukin for it but i can't remember the name cos i was younger den. way back in the 90s. a movie where two men who were friends became enemies and along d line, both got married and had children a male and a female. the girl is a spoilt brat and her dad (Buhari)is very wealthy while the boy is from an average home. somewhere along the line, the boys did was involve in this gambling of a tin dat he staked so much and lost huge amount of money that crumbled him. the two children met by chance n the girl splashed water while driving her car, on the boy who was on his bike. they both started exchanging words and finally fell in love with each other but their parents were nt in support. at the end the boy's father sacrificed his life to save the girls father.

mannat on March 05, 2013:

kuch kuch hota h rahul tum nhi samjhuga

vision on January 23, 2013:

sadma is the movie which must be in these lists.

shiv on December 05, 2012:

Hum aapke h kon.. the sweetest movie of all time ... where Madhuri did a great job.. also till today, she is away from low quality popularity.. she is having all positive attitude which make her awesome...

Nandita on October 26, 2012:

Additions: Jab We Met, Socha Na Tha, Dil Chahta Hai. :)

intelgaintech on October 26, 2012:

My Fav Salman Khan.. and i love his all movies!! love u Sallu...He is the best!!

Shrikrishna Potdar from Bangalore on September 23, 2012:

Missed "Mann" Amir Khan in this list, which is one of my favorites Nice list nice songs especially Deewana hua badal

Thanks

where is jab we met on September 14, 2012:

where is jab we met

Akshay on September 10, 2012:

srk s d bst.... he roxx.... d king of bollywood...

Varun on July 31, 2012:

I think Hum Tum should also be a part of this list.

R.d jibon on July 11, 2012:

I love raja hindustani

soumitra on June 23, 2012:

veer-zaara is the best movie of all time & srk is the best actor of all time . love u srk ,the king of the king..................................................................................................................................................................................................

Jason Matthews from North Carolina on January 22, 2012:

Nice hub...very interesting!

Kannan (author) from Mumbai on January 21, 2012:

@santhosh8611 Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

R K SANTHOSH from Bangalore on January 20, 2012:

My fav actor sharuk...great acting...An actor who came will all Struggles in his life..i appreciate for his hard work..