Where has all the love gone? Romances missing from theatres this Valentine’s Day

New Delhi, Feb 13 (PTI) It’s the season of red roses, hearts and chocolates but couples out on a movie date to rekindle their romance or perhaps begin one can pick only from a historical-actioner or a superhero film, unless they settle for a rerun of a nine-year-old film.

This Valentine’s Day, which falls on a Friday, only three new films would have released. There’s Vicky Kaushal’s historical action drama “Chhaava”, superhero film “Captain America: Brave New World” and scattered screenings of the latest in the Bridget Jones franchise.

It is a far cry from earlier years when romantic dramas were an important part of Hindi cinema’s release calendar. That the two romances currently in theatres are the 2016 “Sanam Teri Kasam”, starring Harshwardhan Rane and Pakistani actor Mawra Hocane, and the recently released “Loveyaapa” with Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor is telling. The former, a flop when it released, is a surprise hit and the latter is doing humdrum business.

The inevitable question being asked is this – why have love and longing disappeared from the big screen, the kind shown in “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak”, “Maine Pyar Kiya” and, of course, “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” .

“Today, we see every film has some element of romance be it in war or action but there are no individual love stories. It’s sad for those who want to watch romantic films,” lyricist-writer-director Varun Grover, known for penning popular romantic songs such as “Yeh Moh Moh Ke Dhaage” and “Shauq”, told PTI.

Have people lost interest or is it simply a temporary phase as Hindi cinema tries to find a solution to increase footfalls in theatres?

Filmmakers and trade insiders argue that romantic stories will always stay in demand. If the re-release success of some films is any indication, it is time to come up with a great love story once again. But are filmmakers listening.

“If one film (in the romance genre) does Rs 500 crore, then there will be more films being made. At Emmay Entertainment, we are working on three to four romantic stories, let’s see which one fires,” said Nikkhil Advani, who made his directorial debut with “Kal Ho Naa Ho” with Shah Rukh Khan Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan.

In his view, the industry is trying to get through a difficult time and everyone is “trying their best to reduce risk”. This may explain the lack of love stories in theatres.

Hindi cinema’s three superstars — Shah Rukh, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan — had plenty of love stories in their filmography before switching to action later in their careers. Shah Rukh’s last two releases were the high octane actioners “Pathaan” and “Jawan”.

Filmmaker Ashwini Iyer Tiwari, who recently re-released her 2017 small-town love story “Bareilly Ki Barfi” starring Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana and Rajkummar Rao, said the absence of fresher romantic content may have something to do with how life has become more complex.

“This is reflected in the cinema that people are watching… There’s so much consumption of electronic media that somewhere the patience level of everyone is decreasing and that is reflected in cinema and the consumption of content,” Tiwari told PTI.

“After the pandemic, a lot of things have changed in the way we view cinema. I’m a big lover of romantic cinema, I love the genre. I would love to make more romance films. There’s a lot of love missing in people’s lives, we as storytellers need to add more love and joy to their lives,” she said.

Iyer pushed for more romantic stories and fresh pairings on the big screen. Why, for instance, can’t Alia Bhatt and Ayushmann be cast together in a romantic film or Vicky Kaushal and Sanon?

Films are a reflection of society, said filmmaker Aziz Mirza, who made “Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman”, “Yes Boss” and “Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani”, all starring Shah Rukh and Juhi Chawla, and still ranked as amongst the most loved films.

“Today, there’s the stress of existence, I don’t know how much time is left for romance, and I don’t blame people for it. People are worried about jobs and they’ve other priorities that become important. That is all reflected more in our movies,” Mirza told PTI.

In the absence of love stories, audiences have begun turning towards re-releases. Some that have worked are Imtiaz Ali’s “Laila Majnu”, “Rockstar” and “Jab We Met”, R Madhavan and Dia Mirza-starrer “Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein” and “Sanam Teri Kasam”. Most did reasonably well, with “Sanam Teri Kasam” earning Rs 27 crore in its second outing, three times its Rs 9 crore business when it was released.

Admitting that “love and songs” are missing from Hindi movies today, trade expert Taran Adarsh said love stories should be the centrepoint, not the side track.

Metro-centric films of today only resonate with certain sections of the audience, he said and added, “Love stories, if made well with great music, are bound to click. The biggest example is ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, which is still running in theaters. Films like ‘Maine Pyaar Kiya’, and ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’ are other such examples. Romantic films do well and there’s an audience for it.”

According to exhibitor Vishek Chauhan, there is no young romantic star quite like the three Khans, who all did a number of romantic stories early in their careers.

“About 20 years ago there was a staple diet of romantic films and we had romantic stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan. The genesis of their stardom lies in their romantic image which they had initially, and later they went on to do different things, like Salman went on to become an action star.

“After Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir moved on from romantic image, the younger generation of stars, barring Hrithik Roshan, and later Ranbir Kapoor, nobody else has managed to connect with the audiences at that level,” he said.

Looks like romcom fans might have to wait some more.