On-screen friendships in Hindi cinema have given generations of moviegoers characters to laugh and cry with. From college canteens to music stages, Bollywood has immortalised the spirit of friendship through dynamic groups whose bonds feel real. This Friendship Day, we revisit five such films where the group, not just the individual, became the heartbeat.
Rang De Basanti (2006)
A bunch of carefree college students end up igniting a nationwide movement in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s 2006 drama Rang De Basanti. DJ, Karan, Sukhi, Aslam and Sonia — Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan — start off as regular Delhi University slackers. The arrival of a British filmmaker and a series of personal reckonings push them into activism. Mehra seamlessly blends their friendship into a larger story of patriotism, without ever coming across as preachy.
Streaming on: Prime Video
Rock On!! (2008)
Music reunites what ego and time once tore apart in Farhan Akhtar’s Rock On!!. The film follows four estranged bandmates — Aditya (Farhan Akhtar), Joe (Arjun Rampal), KD (Purab Kohli) and Rob (Luke Kenny) — as they reconnect after years of not speaking to each other. The film explores the toll of broken friendships and the healing power of second chances. Cherry on top? The soundtrack composed by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy that not only makes you groove to the beats but also ruminate about the lyrics (penned by Javed Akhtar).
Streaming on: Netflix
Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (2008)
Abbas Tyrewala’s debut directorial served up one of the most endearing friend groups in recent memory. Jai, Aditi, Rotlu, Bombs, Jiggy and Shaleen — played respectively by Imran Khan, Genelia D’Souza, Karan Makhija, Alishka Varde, Nirav Mehta and Sugandha Garg — are the kind of friends who fight over minor squabbles and patch up by evening. Their interactions depicted the light-hearted shenanigans of campus camaraderie. With foot-tapping music by A.R. Rahman and a relatable coming-of-age story, Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na reminded us that true friendship does not need labels.
Streaming on: Netflix
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)
Four school friends pursue different goals in life but find their way back in each others’ lives years later in Ayan Mukerji’s sophomore directorial Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. The story follows Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor), Naina (Deepika Padukone), Aditi (Kalki Koechlin) and Avi (Aditya Roy Kapur), whose friendship mirrors the messiness of growing up. When the group gets together at a destination wedding, they discover that emotional distance can sometimes be bridged with a heartfelt conversation.
Streaming on: Netflix
Chhichhore (2019)
Six college friends, who drifted apart in life, come together after a tragedy to iron out their differences in Nitesh Tiwari’s campus drama Chhichhore. The film explores how bonds built in hostel corridors endure through life. Anni, Maya, Sexa, Mummy, Bevda and Acid — played by Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Sharma, Tushar Pandey, Saharsh Kumar Shukla and Naveen Polishetty, respectively — are students with diverse traits and personalities, but their friendship finds purpose in a intra college sports competition.
Streaming on: JioHotstar