These Bollywood Portrayals of Real-Life Love Stories Will Warm Your Heart

Fairytales and romantic films ignite hope. A hope that one day, you will come across a love so eternal—and pure—that it could make the pages of a dreamy romance novel. The hope that there exists a special someone, somewhere in some corner of the world, who you're destined to end up with. The hope that all will work out in the end, post worldly trials and tribulations. A love that transcends time; brings two souls together who are just meant to be. 

But the best kind of love is the one that goes beyond life and death. The most honest love stories ever told are the ones that were renditions of a real-life couple, their struggles, their triumphs, leaving behind a legacy. Quoting Dr Seuss, American Author, "You know when you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." 

While you've probably heard of Romeo and Juliet, there are several other reel portrayals of heartwarming real-life love stories that deserve recognition. Here are a few; brace yourself (and keep the tissues close).

 

Shershaah (2021) 

Cast: Sidharth Malhotra as Captain Vikram Batra, Kiara Advani as Dimple Cheema

Stream on: Amazon Prime Video

 

The biographical war film follows the personal and professional life of Kargil War hero Captain Vikram Batra. While going over the series of events that took place in Kargil in 1999, the film also highlights the military officer's romance with college sweetheart Dimple Cheema. The two met at Punjab University, where both were pursuing an advanced course in English. Their courtship went on for four years until the captain attained martyrdom during the Indo-Pak War. However, Sandeep Srivastava, the writer of the film, reveals that they spent roughly 40 days together. "She is a very integral part of Captain Vikram Batra’s life, you cannot tell his story without his relationship with Dimple, and without what he did in the war, he said in an interview.

Dimple Cheema, who is unmarried to date, about her relationship with Batra, in her own words:

 

 

2 States (2014)

Cast: Arjun Kapoor as Chetan Bhagat, Alia Bhatt as Anusha Bhagat

Stream on: Disney + Hotstar

 

Based on a best-selling novel by Chetan Bhagat, the film adaptation follows the tumultuous love story of the Punjabi author and his South Indian wife. Meeting during their college days at IIM Ahmedabad, the two have to fight for their love amidst cultural differences that lead to family clashes. Differences between the families pose a hurdle, taking the two on a rollercoaster of a ride in an attempt to convince their parents. 

 

Manjhi – The Mountain Man (2015)

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Dashrath Manjhi, Radhika Apte as Phaguniya

Stream on: JioCinema

 

Dashrath Manjhi, a destitute person in Gehlour, a small village in India, lost his wife when he could not take her to the doctor after she fell off a cliff. Out of sheer rage—and love—Manjhi sets on a quest to carve a road through the treacherous mountain. It took him 22 years breaking stones in the mountains to pave a 400 feet long and 30 feet wide road that connected the village to the nearby city; all so that nobody loses a loved one as he did. 

 

Raazi (2018)

Cast: Alia Bhatt as Sehmat Khan, Vicky Kaushal as Iqbal Syed

Stream on: Amazon Prime Video

 

The espionage film follows Sehmat, an Indian spy who is married into a Pakistani family by her father, with the purpose to extract information about the enemy's plans during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. However, the film also sheds light on the relationship between Sehmat and Iqbal, which gradually grows into love, resulting in the birth of their son Samar. 

 

Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017)

Cast: Akshay Kumar as Keshav, Bhumi Pednekar as Jaya

Stream on: Netflix

 

Many may be unaware that the movie is based on the true story of a woman named Anita Narre, who was married into a family hailing from a village in Madhya Pradesh, who didn't have a toilet at home. It took her just two days to make up her mind, muster her courage, and leave her husband's house. In the spirit of true love—and to bring her back home—her husband stood up against age-old Indian traditions to build a toilet just for her. 

 

Padman (2018)

Cast: Akshay Kumar as Arunachalam Muruganantham, Radhika Apte as Shanti 

Stream on: Netflix

 

Padman is inspired by the true story of social entrepreneur Arunachalam Muruganantham who set out on a mission to make affordable sanitary towels for women in his village after he saw his wife using a dirty cloth. Fuelled by love—and fear that his wife may contract a deadly infection—he creates a machine that produces hygienic sanitary napkins at a cheap price while fighting the social stigma associated with menstruation. 

 

M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016) 

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput as M.S Dhoni, Kiara Advani as Sakshi Dhoni

Stream on: Disney + Hotstar

 

Canvassing the professional and personal struggles and victories of former Indian Cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the biopic touches upon Mahi's relationship with his wife Sakshi. Dhoni—running to play for the country—and Sakshi—pursuing an education at the Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad—the movie showcases how the two struggle to ensure that their relationship remains a priority amidst their demanding professional lives.