Most Romantic Characters

Ever since the past 100 years of its existence, Bollywood has been known for churning out memorable love stories through different generations. There has never been a dearth of movies of the romance genre and some of them present characters who prove to be ideal lovers. In this month of love, BollyCurry reminisces such larger than life characters from the 1990's and the 2000's who, with their passion and yearning, have touched the hearts of many as the epitome of love and romance.Raj Aryan from Mohabbatein: Soulmates vow to be there for each other till death do them apart. But the power of Raj Aryan's love in Mohabbatein (2000) prevents even death from separating him from his soulmate, Megha. Fate plays cruelly with the young couple as Megha's father doesn't accept their relationship and a torn and devastated Megha commits suicide. Years after she is gone, Raj continues to keep her alive with the fond memories of their short-lived but beautiful romance. He doesn't need a photograph to remember what she looked like because her face is imprinted on his heart, the face of the woman he continues to love his entire life. With the help of his music, Raj spreads the power of love and the joy of being loved to the youngsters. He personifies eternal love which breaks the barriers of life and death and refuses to perish through the sands of time.Veer from Veer Zaara: We've seen many couples spending a lifetime together. Amidst them, there was a man who spent most of his life away from his beloved just to make sure she leads a smooth and happy life. 2004's biggest blockbuster Veer Zaara introduced us to Veer Pratap Singh who confesses to the false accusation of being an Indian spy upon being blackmailed in Zaara's name. He chooses to spend his life rotting in a prison in Pakistan, away from his homeland, his parents and his bright future in the Indian Air Force. In a world where people spend their lives with their lovers, Veer chooses to give up his life, his freedom and even his name for the woman he loves with every fiber of his existence.Aman from KHNH: None have seen the future and no one knows what tomorrow will bring. Aman Mathur of Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) taught us to live in the present and make the most of what we have currently. His cheerful and free-spirited nature would fool anyone into thinking his life is perfect. Little do they know that he suffers from a weakening heart, which dared to love despite not having the strength to. Knowing that he won't be living long, he makes the most of his short time with Naina, the girl he loves, by sorting out her family's personal and financial problems. He even makes sure she gets married to her friend, Rohit, and dies in peace knowing she's in good hands.Rehaan and Zooni from Fanaa: Fanaa (2006) brought to us two of the most rounded characters in Bollywood. Rehaan is a tourist guide who falls in love with a blind girl, Zooni. However, the twist in the story is that he is actually one of the most dangerous and ruthless terrorists the country has seen. But seems like he did have a heart which could love. He decides to help Zooni get her sight back and promises to marry her. However, he later realizes that being a part of his dark life will only lead to much heartbreak for Zooni. He leaves her by faking his death so that she can move on from him to a happier and safer world. Years later, when their paths cross once again, she is the mother of his seven-year old son and seeing this he decides to marry her after all. Zooni, too, is shown as a positive, strong individual who doesn't let her blindness bog her down in life. While on a tour to Delhi, she meets and falls in love in with Rehaan without expecting anything in return. She doesn't even show any regret about consummating her relationship with him knowing that they probably won't ever meet again. She is devastated when she finds out that Rehaan is dead and over the next seven years, she tries to sketch his face to show her son what his father looked like. When she finds out that Rehaan is indeed alive, she is elated and then heartbroken on discovering that he is a terrorist and the murderer of her father. Not wanting him to sin further, she shoots him while he is on the verge of completing a dangerous mission thus releasing him of his sinful life. Even after knowing the truth and even after his death, she still continues to love him for eternity.Pooja from DTPH: "Kahin na kahin, koi na koi, har ek ke liye bana hai". Living in her fantasy world of pink bubbles, Pooja is a die-hard romantic, madly in love with the idea of love because after all, the movie is called Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997). She believes that somewhere in the world, there is a man made just for her. All she has to do is find him. He happens to be Rahul, the leader of a dance troupe, who doesn't understand how two people can spend their whole life with each other and absolutely does not believe in the silly concept of love. However, Pooja's strong faith in love transforms his views as he too falls in love with her. Pooja is a character who makes us believe in soulmates!Raj and Pooja from Baghban: Love is ageless and timeless. Baghban (2003) tells the story of Raj and Pooja Malhotra who are an aged couple forced to live in different households by their two children. Having to live separately after 40 years of marriage, their yearning for each other is painfully palpable which touched one and all. They signify how true love never dies regardless of age or time spent together. At 60+, their love is still as young and as true as when they first got married.Prem from Vivah: When exchanging marriage vows, the bride and the groom promise to stand by each other through thick and thin but Prem from Vivah (2006) fulfills this vow before he gets married to his bride, Poonam. The shy man shows his inner strength when Poonam meets with a terrible accident on the day of their wedding leaving her heavily burnt. Her family fears that Prem might not marry her because of her scars but he proves them wrong when he performs the wedding rites in the hospital itself. His love isn't weak, rather it has the power to accept her despite the long-term damage to her body. He teaches us how love is a strong emotion which binds two souls and goes much beyond the physical level.Ranbir Raj from Saawariya: It is said that the hardest thing is to watch the one you love, love someone else. Saawariya (2007) tells the tale of one such man, Ranbir Raj, who falls in love with Sakina. Smitten, he is heartbroken to discover that she is in love with Imaan, who she is waiting for relentlessly. Ranbir's true and pure love for her makes her affectionate towards him and she decides to accept him. But when Imaan returns, Ranbir urges Sakina to go back to him because he knows that with Imaan is where Sakina's happiness truly lies. Love is selfless and Ranbir wanted the woman he loved to be happy, even if it wasn't with him.Pooja from Lamhe: What happens when a girl falls in love with a much older man? Pooja Bhatnagar in Lamhe (1991) is an 18-year-old girl in love with Viren, a man who is a generation older than her. She has loved him since her childhood days but isn't able to see him much since he leaves without meeting her every year. He was in love with her mother who loved and married her father. To make matters worse, Pooja looks exactly like her mother. Constantly being reminded of his lost love, Viren snubs Pooja whenever he can. Pooja's passion and yearning for Viren finally wins his heart as he too ends up succumbing to his love for Pooja.All these characters have taken love to another level establishing the qualities of true love. Don't forget to leave your views on the different shades of love and tell us about your ideal lover.

Author: Neethi B.
Editors: Komal P. & Gunia M.
Graphics: Preet K.