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HER: Spike Jonze’s 2013 film, nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture, tells the story of Joaquin Phoenix’s Theodore Twombly, a lonely writer who falls in love with Samantha, the voice of his newly-bought operating system. The voice belongs to Scarlett Johansson so we really can’t fault his taste!
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BLACK: Blind and deaf Michelle Mcnally (Rani Mukerji) has a unique bond with her teacher Debraj Sahai (Amitabh Bachchan). As the years wear on, Sahai becomes Michelle’s friend, mentor and guide. So when social outcast Michelle wants to experience love for the first time, she seeks it in Sahai. Powered by the performances, this is Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s claim to enduring fame.
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THE LUNCHBOX:
A widower (Irrfan Khan’s Saajan) on the verge of retirement and a neglected homemaker (Nimrat Kaur’s Ila) find love through the notes they slip into the lunch dabba she rustles up for him everyday. Do they meet eventually and travel to their dream destination Bhutan? Bitter-sweet and poignant, the Ritesh Batra film taught us that love can tiptoe in anytime, anywhere.
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KING KONG: Set in the New York of 1933, the popular film, rebooted as recently as 2005, is about a film crew that travels to the fictional Skull Island to shoot, only to come face to face with the dreaded giant ape. Kong, on his part, is instantly smitten by the film’s leading lady Ann who, in turn, pulls out all the stops to protect him.
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LARS AND THE REAL GIRL: Friends and family are keen to know who is the girl that socially awkward and often delusional Lars Lindstrom (Ryan Gosling) will finally bring home. The one big problem? Bianca is a life-sized doll that Lars has ordered off an adult website. Few understand that what Lars is looking for is not sex, but a deep and meaningful relationship.
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EDWARD SCISSORHANDS: Edward (Johnny Depp) is an unfinished creation who has scissors for hands. But that doesn’t stop him from falling in love with the beautiful Kim (Winona Ryder). Their magical romance inevitably ends in heartbreak for Edward but the love they share lives on in their hearts.
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PAHELI: Amol Palekar’s fantasy film, a remake of the lesser-known 1973 film Duvidha, was the story of newly-wed Lachchi (Rani Mukerji), who is abandoned by her husband Kishanlal (Shah Rukh Khan) and finds herself hopelessly in love with a ghost who has taken her husband’s shape and form. Dheere jalna...
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BARFI!: The love story between a deaf-mute boy (Ranbir Kapoor’s Barfi) and an autistic girl (Jhilmil played by Priyanka Chopra) made this Anurag Basu film a memorable and magical movie experience. Love at its purest.
it’s raining romance at the bolly box office this year
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Hasee Toh Phasee: Released last Friday (February 7), this refreshing rom com co-produced by Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap and directed by debutant Vinil Mathew stood out for Parineeti Chopra’s effervescence and Sidharth Malhotra’s quiet charm. Vishal Shekhar’s music — notably Zehnaseeb — has been the high point of this love story played out over seven years and seven days between Miss ‘Mental’ and Mr ‘Senti’.
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Gunday: Bikram (Ranveer Singh) and Bala (Arjun Kapoor) are childhood friends who fall for the same girl, Nandita (Priyanka Chopra). Ali Abbas Zafar’s action-romance, set in the Calcutta of the ’70s, has been extensively shot in and around the city and is this year’s Valentine’s Day release.
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Highway: This may be pegged as Veera’s (Alia Bhatt) journey of self-discovery, but at its core, this Imtiaz Ali film is Veera and Mahabir’s (Randeep Hooda) love story against all odds. A.R. Rahman’s soulful tunes give tone and texture to this unconventional romance that hits screens on February 21.
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Shaadi Ke Side Effects: Saket Chaudhury explores love after marriage in his follow-up to his 2006 sleeper hit Pyaar Ke Side Effects. Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan are the married couple whose lives are turned upside down with the arrival of their newborn. Even as the two struggle to make things work, they are faced with The Question: Do marriage and babies spell the end of love? Releases February 28.
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Bewakoofian: Sonam Kapoor and Ayushmann Khurrana team up for this rom com from the Yash Raj stable. Directed by Nupur Asthana, Bewakoofian shows promise in the novel casting of its lead pair and Rishi Kapoor in the central role of Sonam’s strict dad. Releases on March 14.
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2 States: Arjun Kapoor is Krish Malhotra to Alia Bhatt’s Ananya Swaminathan in this Karan Johar-produced love story based on the Chetan Bhagat bestseller 2 States. With talk of a romance between Arjun and Alia doing the rounds, 2 States is red-hot. Releases in April.
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Main Tera Hero: Dad David Dhawan directs son Varun in this cool campus romance that releases in April. Ileana D’Cruz and Nargis Fakhri are the hotties the Student of the Year star gets to romance.
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Daawat-E-Ishq: Ishaqzaade man Habib Faisal directs Parineeti Chopra and Aditya Roy Kapoor in this edgy romance largely shot in Lucknow. Aditya plays a chef (hence the film’s title) to Parineeti’s feisty young woman. Hits theatres in May.
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Running Shaadi.com: Shoojit Sircar puts money and muscle behind protege Amit Roy’s directorial debut. Running Shaadi.com stars Kai Po Che! man Amit Sadh and Taapsee Pannu of Chashme Baddoor as the lead pair and revolves around a website that helps people in love to elope! Quirky and fun, the film releases in mid-2014.
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Kill Dil: Shaad Ali, the man behind romances like Saathiya and Bunty Aur Babli, has Ranveer Singh and Ali Zafar with Parineeti Chopra as the woman in the middle. The quirky title apart, the film’s making news for pairing Govinda and Rani Mukerji in what is being billed as “a romance across generations”. Releases in September.
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Roy: Not much is known about this Arjun Rampal-Jacqueline Fernandez-Ranbir Kapoor film apart from the fact that it is an “intense love triangle”. Directed by debutant Vikramjit Singh, Roy will go on the floors in March and is eyeing a September release.
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Bang Bang: Hrithik Roshan’s medical and personal crises may have stalled Bang Bang for a long time, but the official remake of the Tom Cruise-Cameron Diaz action-romance Knight and Day is currently being shot in Shimla where Hrithik rekindles his onscreen (and off screen?!) chemistry with Katrina Kaif. Releases in October.
Eleven love stories set to blossom on holly screens in 2014
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Missed making him or her feel special? Here are a few make-up-for-it gift ideas. You’re welcome!
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Store addresses: Spacio: 86B Topsia Road. Stellar Furnishings: 234/3A AJC Bose Road (near Flying Monk). Paartyckles: 2/4C Hindustan Road (between ICICI Bank and Tata Capital). Lizard’s Skin: 392/1 Prince Anwar Shah Road (opposite South City Mall). Oxford Bookstore: 17 Park Street. Giggles: 12B/2 Park Street. William Penn: Quest mall, 3rd floor.
Satya Paul Accessories: Quest mall, 1st floor. F-Bloc: 46A Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road. Chamba Lama: F 58-60, New Market. Asian Arts: F 61, New Market
A dummy’s guide to buying your lady lingerie in this special time of the year
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Size up
It may sound obvious, but always find out your partner’s lingerie sizing before you go shopping. “If you are really unsure, opt for a baby doll or slip to ensure an embarrassment-free Valentine’s Day,” says Sarah Shotton, creative director of luxury lingerie label Agent Provocateur.
Bypass boring
“Avoid buying white cotton for women!” adds Shotton. The same goes for flesh tones and styles that say ‘practical’ as opposed to ‘present’, like T-shirt bras and seam-free briefs. Those might be the things she buys for herself, but they’re not necessarily what she wants to receive as a gift.
Focus on fabric
Similarly, avoid cheaper, scratchy fabrics like nylon and polyester if you can. “Every woman loves the sensual feel of silk, so glamorous lingerie from our exclusive Rosie for Autograph range is the perfect treat,” recommends Soozie Jenkinson, head of lingerie design at Marks & Spencer.
Name your price
“There are so many great options out there at different price levels now that there’s no excuse to buy anything less than beautiful anymore,” says Shotton.
Think for two
“It’s important to buy lingerie that you will both like as you want your partner to get as much wear out of the gift as possible,” advises Shotton, “but bear in mind her tastes and find out her favourite colours or materials if you can.”
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Though the thought of asking for help selecting underwear for your significant other may be mortifying, it really could save you a whole lot of bother — particularly if you haven’t done your research. “Agent Provocateur boutique staff love to offer advice to make sure you choose the right gifts and interact with female customers every day and so are aware which lingerie sets suit certain skin tones and hair colourings,” assures Shotton.
But lingerie isn’t the only option
If the world of lingerie is boggling your mind, think outside the box and instead opt for luxurious lounge or nightwear. “This year, boyfriend styled pjs in silk and satin are bang on trend,” says Jenkinson. “If she simply loves flirty nightwear then our feminine negligees will hit the mark.”
And if you’re still stuck…
“I think black lace is always a great option as it’s normally very flattering and can be worn on an everyday basis,” says Shotton. “You can never go wrong with knickers,” advises Jenkinson. “Knickers make a very cheeky Valentine’s gift, from Brazilians to boy shorts, fun floral prints to bright colour pops, we have a knicker to fit and flatter every woman’s shape and suit her style.”
Author Preeti Shenoy on the power of love.Plus, ‘unromantic’ Calcutta!
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Bestselling writer Preeti Shenoy (in picture) is just out with a book and this time it’s about a love story that wasn’t meant to be, titled The One You Cannot Have [Westland, Rs 200.] t2 caught up with the Bangalore-based mom of two on Valentine’s Day eve.
Why did you start writing love stories?
Because I am a romantic at heart! My books aren’t exactly boy-meets-girl love stories, they are more inspirational. And I feel love is a very powerful driving force. Love makes a person do things that they never thought themselves capable of doing. I feel if one is in love, it’s like one can conquer the world. It kind of gives you that power. So I do believe that love and friendship have a power and all my books deal with love and friendship.
So why did you write about unrequited love in The One You Cannot Have?
It’s about Aman and Shruti, who were in this perfect relationship. They never imagined their life without each other. All my other books have been from a woman’s point of view but 60 per cent of this book is from a male point of view. I wrote it because a lot of guys wrote to me and they were like heartbroken after the woman they loved left them. They said why don’t you write a story about why do women do this, why do women leave us? And they keep saying that women are hard to understand!
So I was like, ‘Okay man, when a woman writes it, may be they will come to know what goes on inside a woman’s head.’ For example, in this book, you’ll see how Shruti was forced to mary Rishabh. And probably after a guy reads this book, he’ll understand better why a girl who is madly in love with him will leave him and go to another guy.
Tell us your own love story…
[Laughs] You know, it’s really like in the movies. We met on March 17, 1995 and by April 28, within 40 days, we were married. I was actually meeting him to say no to him. I was 23 and working in Bombay at that time. I didn’t want to get married. So all my friends and colleagues said, ‘Just meet one guy, your parents will be happy and by the time they actually find someone you’ll be 26-27.’
But when I met him, I completely fell for him! And it was the same for him. We were inseparable… it was crazy. I wouldn’t have believed it unless it had happened to me. Now we’ve been married 18 years. We have two children, a 16-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl.
Any Valentine’s Day plans?
I haven’t made any plans. Nowadays it has become so commercialised... the other day I was asking my husband, ‘Should we do something for Valentine’s Day?’ And then I just started laughing because even though you’re married for 18 years you still feel the pressure! And it’s so commercialised… if you go out everything is overpriced, everything is decorated… so much hoo-ha going on.
Love should be celebrated every day. The day you cook a special meal for your husband or the day he cooks a special meal for you or you do something different, you know, a candlelit dinner in your house, some nice music… that would be my idea of a celebration. On any day, not just Valentine’s Day.
Your favourite romance books and films?
In movies, I like Love Actually, Before Sunset, Bridges of Madison County and Up in the Air (even though it’s not strictly romance). Also, The Descendants... I love that.
Books… umm, I don’t really read romances (laughs out loud). But my all-time favourite romance is The Time Traveller’s Wife [by Audrey Niffenegger]. It’s splendid.
What is your message to your young readers?
I would just say that when you are young, don’t run behind love. If love happens it’s good but don’t chase it. Instead, chase your dreams because that is going to be more fulfilling for you. Don’t focus on whether you have a boyfriend or whether all your friends have a boyfriend. In the long run, this will not matter. What will matter is your goals and how diligently you have chased them.
Also don’t lose your head over break-ups because your focus should be on achieving something and getting somewhere in life.
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Calcutta is the least romantic among Indian metros, if you go by the sale of romance novels! On Valentine’s Day, Amazon India revealed that when it comes to love reads (both physical format and e-books), the national capital is also the romance capital of the country. A close second to Delhi is Bangalore, followed by ‘Maximum City’ Mumbai. Calcutta ranks a very poor sixth, below Chennai and Hyderabad. Here are the Top 10 titles in the light romance category:
• I Too Had a Love Story by Ravinder Singh
• Can Love Happen Twice? by Ravinder Singh
• It Started with a Friend Request by Sudeep Nagarkar
• Love Stories that Touched my Heart by Ravinder Singh
• Hold My Hand by Durjoy Datta
• Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
• Someone Like You by Nikita Singh and Durjoy Datta
• Few Things Left Unsaid by Sudeep Nagarkar
• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James
