10 great movie choices for that date night on February 14.
Key Points
- We look beyond the regular Bollywood blockbuster romances, and pick 10 underrated romances on OTT.
- 10 great picks for a date night at home on Valentine's Day.
- Socha Na Tha leads the list.
Valentine's Day is around the corner and love is already in the air.
If you're planning a date night at home, it's time to move on from films like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Kota Hai and Jab We Met that we have watched a dozen times.
Deepa Gahlot picks 10 under-rated romcoms on OTT.
Socha Na Tha (2005)
Where to watch: Z5
Imtiaz Ali's directorial debut captures the confusion of young love, as the lead pair cannot make up their minds about each other. It was Abhay Deol's acting debut, produced by his uncle, Dharmendra. Starring opposite Ayesha Takia, he went against the family brand of action movies to do this low-budget, realistic romcom.
Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (2008)
Where to watch: Netflix
Though a hit at the time, Abbas Tyrewala's cute story about friends who don't realise they are in love has slipped from memory, maybe because lead actor Imran Khan dropped out of the scene and Genelia D'Souza also eased out after marriage.
Its charm remains undiminished. That last scene of the hero riding a horse to the airport to stop the girl from leaving is cringe, but in a funny way.
Break Ke Baad (2010)
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
A look at how long distance and career ambitions affect a long-standing romance, Danish Aslam's film starred Deepika Padukone as Aaliya, who doesn't believe in commitment, and Imran Khan as Abhay, who can't let go. She gets a jolt when she learns that he is about to marry someone else. At that age, both stars looked like they were made for romcoms.
Hasee Toh Phasee (2014)
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
One of the most unusual female leads in Bollywood, Parineeti Chopra plays Meeta, a geeky scientist with mental health issues, in Vinil Mathew's film. Sidharth Malhotra plays her sister's fiance, who is forced to put Meeta up at his house for complicated reasons.
In the midst of the chaos she creates, they fall in love. To prepare, Parineeti reportedly spent weeks practicing the specific facial twitches and the 'glassy-eyed' look to ensure that Meeta didn't look like a caricature.
Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015)
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Sharat Katariya's Dum Laga Ke Haisha had an unconventional story about a contentious arranged marriage between a mismatched couple that grows into real love. This was Bhumi Pednekar's debut film -- before acting, she was an assistant casting director at Yash Raj Films.
She had to gain nearly 30 kilos for the role and then spent months losing it before the film's marketing even began, shocking people at the trailer launch. She was cast opposite Ayushmann Khurrana, as the husband who does not want an overweight wife, till he learns to value her for what she is.
Happy Bhag Jayegi (2016)
Where to watch: Z5
With jingoism as the default position in movies these days, cross-border comedy like this probably wouldn't get made. Maybe because of the lack of A-list stars, this is genuinely funny Mudassar Aziz film didn't get enough attention.
Diana Penty plays the titular Happy, who wants to elope with her boyfriend (Ali Fazal). But in all the confusion, she ends up in Pakistan, in the backyard of an aspiring politician (Abhay Deol), who keeps trying to deport her, but fails!
Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017)
Where to watch: Z5, Amazon Prime Video
A brilliant performance by Rajkummar Rao lifts this sweet, quirky film, deeply rooted in small-town charm.
Bareilly Ki Barfi is based on Nicolas Barreau's French novel, The Ingredients of Love. Director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari adapted the Parisian setting to the gullies of Bareilly so seamlessly many people don't realise it's an adaptation.
Kriti Sanon played Bitti, an independent woman, smitten by the books of a progressive writer. To meet him, she seeks the help of printing press owner (Ayushmann Khurrana), who falls in love with her.
Qarib Qarib Singlle (2017)
Where to watch: Z5, Amazon Prime Video
Tanuja Chandra's Qarib Qarib Singlle is a mature, refreshing take on online dating and how carrying emotional baggage is a deterrent in romance, as Jaya (Parvathy Thiruvothu) realises when she meets the irrepressible Yogi (Irrfan Khan).
Meri Pyaari Bindu (2017)
Where to watch: Netflix
Akshay Roy's nostalgic, music-heavy story about unrequited love and friendship, starred Ayushmann Khuranna, who loves Bindu (Parineeti Chopra), a free spirit whom he tries to capture in the pages of his novel, when she rejects him. It doesn't follow the typical happily-ever-after journey, which is probably why it did not do well when it released.
Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya (2017)
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
The conflict in Shashank Khaitan's film is, refreshingly enough, not class or caste, but male entitlement versus female ambition.
Vaidehi (Alia Bhatt) wants to escape the suffocation of a small town with its built-in male chauvinism. Badri (Varun Dhawan) is a decent guy who needs to get generations of patriarchal conditioning out of his mind before he can win Vaidehi's love and respect. Nobody could have done the role as well as he did.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
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