Bollywood witnessed a remarkable resurgence of romantic films in 2025, defying post-COVID trends that favored action spectacles. Hits like ‘Saiyaara’ and the ‘Sanam Teri Kasam’ re-release proved audiences crave heartfelt love stories, from tragic sagas to modern romances. This trend highlights the enduring appeal of classic Bollywood emotions and compelling narratives.
The movie business has been in a turmoil post covid with everyone wondering and chasing the new big idea. And it was in this period when a bunch film big ticket actions from Hindi and South industry which lit the box office on fire be it yash’s KGF 2 or Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2- The Rule or Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan and Pathaan or Prabhas’s Kalki 2898 AD or Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava. And now it was made public knowledge that the audience want to step out of their homes only to witness something which they want to experience on the big screen. But just like every rule has an exception- the year 2025 proved that people want to step out to watch romantic films as well with films like Saiyaara, Sanam Tere Kasam( Re-release), Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, Tere Ishk Mein and Dhadak 2 creating magic at the box office. This year’s releases proved that the audience’s appetite for heartfelt stories, longing gazes, poetic dialogues, heartbreak anthems, and classic Bollywood emotions is far from over. What made the resurgence truly striking was not just the number of romantic films releasing, but the diversity within the genre. From tragic love sagas, modern city-based connections, nostalgic re-releases to love triumphing caste boundaries- Bollywood flirted with every possible shade of love. Talking about the return of the genre trade expert Taran Adarsh says , “ The romantic genre was always around, its just the industry thought that making masala action films or metro-centric films will bring in the audience. But people want to watch a good love story.”Trade expert Komal Nahata states , “ All kinds of cinema runs and it has been proven once again with love stories working spectacularly at the box office. So the theory that after Covid people only want to come out only to watch larger than life film proves wrong, yes there big success in other genres like Chhaava or Kantara 2 or Mahavatar Narsimha but in Hindi, love triumphed over everything else”. And the box office numbers supported the sentiment. Many romantic films set box office records. A Year of Many Romances- And Many VictoriesSaiyaara -Rs 329.73 crore
The biggest romantic blockbuster of the year, Saiyaara directed by Mohit Suri and starring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda changed the landscape. A sweeping love epic with soaring music and emotionally charged performances, the film became a cultural phenomenon. Crossing Rs 300 crore, it proved that romance when mounted with conviction can command the same numbers as mega action spectacles. Saiyaara wasn’t just a film; it was an experience, re-establishing romance as a bankable genre.The film not only brought back Mohit Suri but also turned its leading cast into legit stars. Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat -Rs 78.96 croreRiding high on the success of Sanam Teri Kasam’s re-release, Harshvardhan Rane attempted another love story with Milap Zaveri who was out of luck with his last film Satyameva Jayate which was an actioner. A passion-fuelled love saga despite its controversial hook connected with the audience and went on to collect Rs 78.96 crore. Its collection placed it as one of the year’s bigger non-franchise hits and reaffirmed that emotional drama still sells.Tere Ishk Mein -Rs 60.25 croreTere Ishk Mein saw the reunion of Aanand L Rai with Dhanush and his return to rooted romantic stories with Kriti Sanon added to the mix. Though to many audience members the film felt toxic and got mixed reviews from the critics, the film still went on to collect Rs 60.25 crore at the box office and went past Raanjhanaa’s lifetime collection in just two days. The film was powered by melodious music and a relatable heartbreak arc.Sanam Teri Kasam (Re-release) -Rs 33.18 crore
In an unprecedented moment, the re-release of Sanam Teri Kasam headlined by Harshvardhan Rane became a box office sensation, amassing Rs 33.18 crore. The film’s cult popularity, especially among Gen Z, turned cinemas into nostalgia arenas. The audience’s emotional attachment to the soundtrack and tragic love story proved how deeply a romantic film can linger in public memory.Many fans of the film has reached out to the producer of the film at his office requesting how the film should be re-released and this time they will visit the theaters to watch the film. The film in its first run had just managed to earn around Rs 9 crore but by the end of its second run the total collection of the film ended around Rs 42 croreBhool Chuk Maaf -Rs 72.73 crore
This rom-com starring Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi surprised everyone as it was first supposed to have a theatrical run but was later decided that it will hit the OTT platform directly but after a court battle it made its way to cinema halls.The love story which revolved around time-loop angle managed to appeal across demographics, collecting an impressive Rs 72.73 crore at the box office. Param Sundari -Rs 51.31 croreParam Sundari brought the fresh pair Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor in this clash of cultures to the big screen. The film scored big on the music front with most of its songs turning out to be chartbusters and when you have a romantic film with good music the film is usually a winner. The film went on the cross Rs 50 crore mark at the box office. Dhadak 2 -Rs 23.42 crore
The sequel to a cult heartbreak film which revolved around caste and societal pressure came with expectations. While it didn’t reach the highs of some other titles or its spiritual original but Siddhanth Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri’s love story directed by Shazia Iqbal did well in speaking up about topics that are rather shunted in public forums. The film also found acceptance on OTT platforms to many audience members regretting not catching the film on big screen.Metro… In Dino -Rs 53.37 croreA multi-narrative exploration of love in contemporary urban India by Anurag Basu with names like Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, Anupam Kher,Neena Gupta, Konakan Sen Sharma,Ali Fazal and Fatima Sana Sheikh did try to evoke the freshness of the original film but somewhere it fell short of expectations. But the film still managed to connect with a niche audience and managed to cross the Rs 50 crore mark. Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari -Rs 61.85 crore
Varun Dhawan and Shashank Khaitan’s Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari marked their return to the rom-com genre after giving audiences films like Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Badrinath Ki Dulhania. The film was a breezy, family-friendly love story. Though its box office performance fell short of expectations, the film was appreciated for its charm and for marking Varun’s confident return to the romantic genre he has traditionally excelled in. De De Pyaar De 2- Rs 71 .45 crore Ajay Devgn returned to the rom-com genre with the sequel to his 2019 hit film De De Pyaar De with Rakul Preet Singh. The film carried good expectations but it failed to live up to the box office collection of the first part which went on to cross Rs 100 crore mark. The film is still running at the box office having collected Rs 71.45 crore till now, it is not expected to cross the Rs 75 crore mark. The film was a good addition to the romantic genre this year. Trade Analyst Atul Mohan opened up why there was this sudden influx of romantic films after a while, he states , “ The makers had not explored the genre for a very long time ,it was behind south remakes or doing action films.”He also pointed out an important aspect which led to less romantic films being made and that is as an industry we lack good directors who can make romantic films, he said, “ Today we don’t have many directors who can execute a love story on the big screen with chemistry between the leading actors and good music . This is where names like Yash Chopra or Sanjay Leela Bhansali or Karan Johar stands tall for their experience, their maturity and their ability to build up emotions. “ He also added that today everyone has a template and wants to stick to that thus leading to insincere attempts. He states , “ Today there is a template set, so where is the hard work and if you keep on serving the same dish over and over again why would anyone have it . At the start of the year I had noticed that love stories are back – some worked and some didn’t- thats a tale for another day. So now when a romantic films comes it feel fresh, Take Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat say whatever you want about the film but the music of the film worked and same was the case with Sanam Teri Kasam.Even Tere Ishk Mein with Aanand L Rai and A R Rahamn had some great music and that helped the film.” If 2025 proved anything, it’s this: no matter how much cinema evolves, love stories remain Bollywood’s heartbeat. From mega-blockbusters like Saiyaara to surprise winners like Bhool Chuk Maaf and emotional favourites like the Sanam Teri Kasam re-release, romance once again became the genre that united audiences everywhere. Go to Source
