Valentine's Week: 5 times Bollywood movies normalized live-in relationships
Live-in relationships- they are the good, the bad, and everything in between! In India, the trend of live-in is still not normalized but the fast-paced lifestyle, and the liberation in metropolitan cities, somehow allow couples to explore the effects and side-effects of living together. Time and again, Bollywood movies have taken on the live-in theme. We list down five such movies.
'Salaam Namaste' (2005)
When we think of live-in relationships, the movie Salaam Namaste comes to mind quite instantly. This is among the first mainstream Bollywood movies to explore the whole live-in "situation." The film encircles the lead characters Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta, who decide to move-in together, not out-of-love, but rather convenience, and eventually fall for each other. Unplanned pregnancy also brings unsaid challenges.
'Pyaar Ka Punchnama' (2011)
Remember the five-minute-long rant of Rajat aka Rajjo played by Kartik Aaryan? Apart from giving popularity to Aaryan, the whole monologue summed-up the "cons" of living together under one roof, and the Indian audiences resonated extremely well with the feeling. Touted as a "close-to-reality" film, Luv Ranjan's directorial Pyaar Ka Punchnama was a funny take on relationships, and still enjoys a distinct fan base.
'Cocktail' (2012)
It has been 11 years since the release of the Homi Adajania directorial Cocktail but the movie is still so fresh in our memories. It's normal for a boy to live-in with a girl, but the twist comes when they are joined by the girl's friend. What happens next - well obviously the sparks start flying for the "other" girl and things become haywire.
'Shuddh Desi Romance' (2013)
The luxury of living together in big cities is still normalized, but this concept is heavily frowned upon in smaller cities. Shuddh Desi Romance that featured actors Parineeti Chopra and late Sushant Singh Rajput created a solid buzz at the time of its release because of its fresh and realistic take on live-in relationships, and was set against the backdrop of a small city.
'Luka Chuppi' (2019)
This movie served a different perspective on live-in relationships because it was "live-in with family." The story traces the journey of a couple who claims to be married, but in reality, are not! The decision to hide reality turns bizarre when the family gets involved and the roller-coaster ride then just never stops! A commercially successful movie, it makes for a perfect weekend watch.
