Modern Love Mumbai To Lunchbox: Contemporary Indian Films And Series Revise Romance

Like many genres, romance has also evolved in Indian films. From the 90s to 2000s and then the recent years, the range of films and shows based on love stories have grown out from dancing in meadows to the display of real intimacy in closed spaces.

Yash Chopra productions: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, the film which in some ways started it all, Dil To Pagal Hai and Karan Johar’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, the Indian films and shows have now started to experiment with various love themes, cutting away from the conventional love stories. Modern life is introduced and just the mere expression of love is not enough. The audience wants to see the different shades of love on screen and hopes for a glimpse of their ordinary life celebrated on the screen. Recent shows and films have tried to do that.

Contemporary Indian Films And Shows on Love 

Modern Love Mumbai

Amazon Prime's latest series, Modern Love Mumbai is a set of six episodes capturing India's vast melting pot, which is, the city of Mumbai. Within the series, we see the trope of fighting for love in a societal space which often makes the triumph a lot challenging. The series is a solid attempt at illustrating this uphill and ultimately rewarding battle for love. Coupled together humor and melancholy, the series is a staple for showing love in the city of Mumbai.

The Lunchbox 

Written and directed by Ritesh Batra, The Lunchbox is the story of an unusual friendship that results from a misdelivered lunchbox. A Catholic, a Muslim and a Hindu character, despite religious differences, effortlessly open up to each other when given the opportunity to share the stories of their lives. "I think we forget things if we have no one to tell them to," says a dialogue from the film. 

Geheraiyan 

When the trailer released, it did not give away much about the film. One may argue that it seems like the makers of the film have tried to glorify cheating in relationships in a way. In addition, the movie should also have a disclaimer about mental health triggers because throughout the movie, there is childhood trauma and infidelity.

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Wake Up Sid

Ayan Mukherji’s film portrays  the distance between two characters who are born out of different cultures. While Konkona Sen Sharma’s character is reserved, the character of Ranbir Kapoor is loud and seemingly “fun.” There's a tragic dimension to the Punjabi mother who speaks English, even though Ranbir Kapoor’s character calls it awful. While the movie looked at Bombay, all the moments of the film felt real and organic. 

Pariyerum Perumal

Produced by Ranjith, Pariyerum Perumal stars actor Kathir as the protagonist. As an ambitious youth beginning his dreams of becoming a lawyer. He strives to escape the den of casteism he and his family have been living under. Director Mari Selvaraj builds a double narrative, including a macro look at some contemporary real-life caste-based  violence and caste discrimination. The film also captures Perumal's college and personal life derailed subtly and overtly by casteism.

Aruvi

Aruvi hit the screens while being backed by a concept album from independent musicians Bindhu Malini and Vedanth Bharadwaj. Arun Prabhu Purushothaman’s film is a bildungsroman telling a story about dealing with one’s formative years or spiritual education. The woman who is also the protagonist of the film, was shunned by everyone, including her parents. The tonal shifts are many, some working better than the rest, and yet, Aruvi is one of the rarest films with a sole woman as its lead who is unapologetic throughout.

Visaranai

Visaranai is based on true events narrated in M Chandrakumar’s 2017 novel, Lock-Up: Visaranai deals with police brutality and violence in prison. Vetrimaaran, being arguably the most refined filmmaker operating in Tamil cinema for almost a decade now, his cinematic language is one that translates across cultures. Visaranai was India's entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2015.

Salaam Bombay!

Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay! from 1988 was developed through journalistic research into the street children of Mumbai with her screenwriting partner Sooni Taraporevala. What strikes us about this film is not simply its energy and vitality but also its Dickensian storytelling appetite and a one-of-a-kind movie which withholds resolution. 

Masaan

At the heart of the film is the conflict between what has always been, and what can be. What makes ‘Masaan’ cherished is all about its underlying grimness, hope and redemption. Kindled by the fine writing, both in the departments of script and lyrics, the film is deeply philosophical, sensuous and spiritual at the same time, set against a 5,000-year-old backdrop: The city of Varanasi.

Views expressed are the author's own.