I’m a diehard romantic and my voracious appetite for all-things-love has been liberally supplemented with sumptuous helpings of Yash Chopra movies since childhood. A love story has a way of touching the deepest corners of our heart in the most intimate way. When Shahrukh Khan spread his arms wide in DDLJ and proclaimed ‘Come…fall in love!’ the adolescent starry-eyed me followed him like a fallen leaf caught in a storm. Dil To Pagal Hai promised ‘Someone.. somewhere.. is made for you’ and I readily believed that my soulmate would reveal himself to me any day now. Even fairytales, with their sad beginnings, have always promised us a better tomorrow with clichéd ‘…and they lived happily ever after’ endings. That’s what love is; a heady concoction of hope, companionship and longing sprinkled with just the right amount of struggle to make it alluring.
Real love stories are a far cry from these fictional made-up ones though. Our knight in shining armour could be that skinny bespectacled friend who digested our secrets, couldn’t he? Love might choose to charm us with its magic even as one is staring at the last few sunsets of his life. Amusingly, in today’s world of social media the love of our life could block us and move on in a matter of seconds too! Do you believe that every love story can get a happy ending or even a closure in such cases?
Few moviemakers attempt at making love believable and relatable to us onscreen. Gone are the days, thankfully, when beautiful locations and good-looking lead pairs overshadowed a great story. Regional cinema is way more creative and rooted than Bollywood and has some amazing content that’s waiting to be explored. Thanks to OTT platforms and subtitles, of late I’ve been discovering loads of interesting Marathi, Telugu (Vijay Deverakonda, uff!) and Malayalam movies.
One that touched a chord with me (meaning, made me tear up) was a Marathi movie Ti Sadhya Kay Karte (translation, what she might be doing now?). It is an innocent love story which doesn’t reach a predictable end yet manages to warm your heart.
Reunions are like a Pandora’s Box that unravels hidden love stories and feelings. Anurag, now middle-aged, has lost touch with Tanvi and misses her, wondering what she’s upto. They’ve had a rocky past in which a young Anurag instead of professing his love for her yells at her and drives her away. He has lived in regret since. Lovelorn Tanvi moves to Delhi and then Boston. Eventually they get married to different people and have settled lives now. Anurag tries incessantly to meet her when she’s visiting, and does, but is still as shy and speechless as ever. Finally they do confess their love to each other (Thanks to Tanvi) and move apart with a promise to never let this ruin their friendship or respective relationships.
This movie has been directed by Satish Rajwade. My favourite Ankush Chaudhari plays Anurag while Tejashree Pradhan has essayed the role of Tanvi. Abhinay Berde, yesteryear actor Laxmikant Berde’s son, plays the young Anurag. Aarya Ambekar was the younger version of Tanvi.
Many people from my generation have had a Kuch Kuch Hota hai kind of love-friendship which didn’t end like it. I mean, which girl in her right senses would go in Devdas mode for 8 years? Please! Ti Sadhya Kay Karte has what KKHH didn’t; maturity and realism. Tanvi has a happily married life but doesn’t shy away from her feelings for Anurag. Anurag wears her favourite colour and names his daughter after Tanvi. They’re both comfortable with and also nervous around each other. I loved Tanvi’s line in the end where she says that she doesn’t want Anurag to be the hidden part of her life. Acceptance of love and the responsibility of a committed relationship,isn’t that how a real love story would go? Karan Johar could learn a thing or two, if he tries. We win some and we lose some, don’t we?
Fictional incomplete stories leave a mark but don’t real incomplete ones deserve to be expressed too? Every dried rose petal in old college books and every word dedicated to that special someone has a tale attached to it. If we look closely, there’s a love story everywhere around us. We simply learn to live with it, with or without closure. What do you think?
‘This post has been written for the Petals of Love Blog Hop hosted by Swarnali Nath.’
That’s very true ..there’s a love story everywhere around us …and not all love stories are happily ever after
Indeed, real stories have too many elements involved!
It was a beautiful read Varsha. The movie has a nice storyline that’s heart touching. Reunion has a special place in my heart. Like you, I love to watch South Indian movies with subtitles and love their stories. You have written the piece with so much beauty and brilliance. I really loved the way you have written this heartfelt post. Lovely. Thank you so much for joining us in the blog hop, I am grateful to you dear. Best wishes 💐💐❤❤
Thank you so much for your kind words, Swarnali. I truly enjoyed writing for this bloghop and this movie is quite special for me as well. Glad you liked it. 🙂
How true did you state when you said Bollywood movies aren’t real! And yes, regional.movies have high value and great concepts for movies.
Content in regional movies is wag beyond Bollywood’s imagination. Glad you agree. 🙂
We have moved forward a very very long way from those typical romanticism.. today definition of love, relationship, commitment is changing and people are more practical thankfully rather than getting carried away by this reel vs real thing.. quite agree with you on this topic .
Thank you so much! Reel vs real romance confuses our view of relationships too. Thankfully we’re slowly changing.
Yes at least we are trying to move ahead..
Totally with you. No story needs a closure ever and the sooner we understand that the better it is for us. You know reality must strike sooner than it actually does. I like your forthright writing.
Thank you so much, Sonia!
Talk about movies depicting real life. It’s rare. Have you watched 96- Tamil movie? I have a feeling you’re gonna love it.
I haven’t watched it, will try and find it online. Thank you for the recommendation! 🙂
What an interesting take on love stories, Varsh. I too think that bollywood should learn a thing or two about realistic love stories. I love romantic tales as well and have often turned to books to get something other than the clichéd ‘happily ever after’ narrative. It’s nice to know that some films out there do show something different. I think love can weave beautiful stories, with or without closure. 🙂
The clichéd narratives take the fun out of a good story. Different and fresh approach is what we as an audience like, don’t we?
True frictional stories do have some things relatable but with some extra drama if with some simple yet good stories ott is good at recent times.
OTT has been a saviour. Happy to explore regional cinema through them!
Like you, I am also a die hard fan of Yash chopra ( and SRK style) romance during my collage days. and I agree that fictional and movie present love in different way that real life. real life love stories need more maturity and adjustment that movie drama. I had not watched the regional movie you had mentioned here. will surly try to watch it. sounding interesting to me.
Filmy love and romance is so unreal and dreamy that the drama seems painful at times. I have a feeling you’ll like the movie. Watch if you can.
Nice to read the review… Will check out this movie. I too like movies that are realistic and picturize relatable things more than the commercially successful larger than life kinds. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for reading. 🙂
Absolutely!! Acceptance of love and the responsibility of a committed relationship… that’s what a mature love looks like. We don’t have to feel ashamed of our love for someone but simultaneously should be proud of ourselves for staying committed to a new relationship. The plot of ‘Ti Sadhya K karte’ looks quite intriguing. I will have to watch it now. Thanks Varsh, for the recommendation.
This movie was a revelation for me as well, hence the recommendation. Glad you liked my take on it. The matured way of handling a love story was quite refreshing.
Lovely take and one I relate to as a movie buff. I honestly don’t find realism in almost any romantic film that Bollywood has produced in recent years. That should be troubling… Its high time we get rid of the cliches and give stories that get people talking.
Bollywood doesn’t want to grow out of its formulaic approach. Thank God for regional cinema, we can enjoy what they don’t offer. High time they change, indeed!
Your splendid post was oozing with love, prudence and magic. I’m a sucker for Bollywood love stories too and yet their “larger than life” and “too good to be true” portrayal irks me many times. Real incomplete ones definitely deserve a telling and Karan johar definitely needs to add a dash of maturity to his cheesy scripts. Your last paragraph made me think, isn’t it time, we as audiences should mature and move towards judicious showbiz and reduce out affinities towards conclusive happy endings!
Won’t the change in us as an audience inspire moviemakers to become responsible as well? I wish they gave some leverage to realism atleast.
What a brilliant piece of writing. Totally agree our knight in shining armour could be anyone also incomplete stories are love stories too. Beautiful review of the movie.. willbe watching soon and of course Bollywood needs to growup regarding love stories. kudos on a beautiful post
Deepika Sharma
Thank you so much! Glad you liked my review. 🙂
Aha!!! “Hrudyat Vaje Something” whenever I heard the name of my favorite movie ‘Ti sadhya kay karte?’, this movie has different fanbase. I can completely resonate with your thoughts even though being a big Bollywood buff, I can’t deny that Bollywood losing it’s track in terms of the authentic content. Loved your take on the theme of the blogHop.
Ohho! Hello, fellow TSKK fan! Such a delight to meet someone who has seen and liked this brilliant movie. I’m a sucker for romance but this kinda romance is the one I like. Grown up from the ‘larger than life’ phase, I guess.
Actually there is never a “The end” in a real life love story. But in books and movies they have to make it a happily ever after for the audiences to be happy. Glad I read your review
This is a comprehensive and lucid review. I loved how you started with a compelling introduction and further connected it to the review. Going to watch this for sure
So true! Every love story does not get closure.We learn to move on without closure. I want to watch the movie that you mentioned. This post is so profound, hard-hitting, and thought-provoking. Great job!
Thank you for your kind words. Humbled. 🙂
What a heart warming story dear !! I had a smile through out and I can surely say, that this wonderful fictional world of bollywood makes us believe in perfect love stories that usually is not the reality. Par fir bhi Dil he ki Manta nahi…we still long for that perfect companionship!
Oh, we crave for the perfect relationship alright! It’s surreal to look forward to living them too. Reality is a different story though! Glad you liked the story. 🙂
Absolutely agree 😊
I am all for realistic love stories. Ti Saddhya Kay Karte looks interesting and many people can relate to the storyline. 😀 Will check it out.
Love stories always get a smile on our face no doubt we find Love story every where around us and love is limitless.. Such a wonderful read thank you for sharing.
Absolutely, all love stories does not have a happy ending plus all college romances does not end up in successful marriages. We should sometimes see realistic movies instead of fantasy ones. Great take on the prompt.
Very well said. Me and my mom had been to watch it sadhya kay karte and both of us throughly enjoyed it for the maturity and beautiful songs that the movie has.
I too feel that not every love story needs a closure. Something leaving it there itself also needs a lot of courage. Such a beautiful post this is Varsha.
This is so so true; not every love story needs a closure and I too wish that Bollywood starts churning more realistic love stories.
Like you I too love everything love Varsh and I really liked the point you raised. I am smitten by real stories whether or not they end in happily ever after
Bollywood isn’t life and not every story has a happy ending. Similarly, not all love stories turn out great and I’m sure we have all seen that around us.
I liked your take on love stories per se 🙂
regional cinema is something, i too, am discovering thanks to OTT platforms, otherwise, before this, it was limited to the very popular movies that cable wala would show!
I like the idea of us being complete with ourselves even in an incomplete love story.
The variety on offer is huge now. Of late I’m watching mostly regional movies with subtitles and not missing Hindi movies a bit.
Regional love movies portray love in much better way than Bollywood. Loved your narration and review. In fact the tales that don’t have closure leaves an indelible mark and stays with you for long.
Thank you so much, Debidutta!
What a beautiful story with a practical ending! I am adding this movie to my watch list.
Also, I love your writing style Varsha. Your interpretation of love that begins from impractical and fantasy love in Bollywood to ending it appropriately with the regional movies and recommending one such good movie, I enjoyed reading your take on love.
I truly believe that gone are the days of Bollywood when love and lovers seemed to enchanted, where every girl dreamed of ideal man on a horse. Bollywood definitely needs to learn a lot from regional movies, unfortunately there are not much sensible moviemakers thriving there. Marathi, Malayalam movies are extremely good especially with the story and casting.
Wow, such a lovely and detailed comment! Thank you so much for agreeing with my take on movies, both fantasy and practical. We may dream as we like but reality shouldn’t be hard after that, right?
I am a great fan of romantic stories too. The one you mentioned seems to be a great story. I really like the way you talked about closure. I am with you in this.
Not all love story needs a happy ending but all thanks to YRF n Dharma, it is always believed that there will be a happy ending. Ironically I am a SRK fan but it’s true that Perfect Love Stories doesn’t exist. Loved reading this different kind of post on Love Varsha ❤
Thank you, Nidhi! I’ve grown up on YRF and Dharma movies too and now feel that the happy endings were somehow forced. Have we changed?
What a Beautiful plot. Definitely watching this weekend. Am craving some good happy movies. You have written your review quite well.. loved your style