Heartbreaking Hindi Film Romances That'll Make You Reach For A Tissue

Romance has many shades and our Hindi films have captured all of them over the years. While we always feel inclined to watch or rewatch romcoms, as they have a feel-good quality to them, tragic romances can offer us a catharsis, helping us have a good cry and feel lighter.

Besides, beautiful and broken love stories that do not get their happily ever after are the ones that get stuck in our minds forever. The saddest part is that these couples seem oddly perfect for each other. They share cute and sensual moments, complement each other but their destinies are not written together. Sometimes we know that things are going to end badly for an onscreen couple long before the opening credits roll, but then there are times when tragedy strikes them without a hint.

Whatever may be the case, over the years, there have been many Hindi film couples that have stayed with us for the heartbreak they suffered and they have played a big role in shaping our understanding of love.

Tragic Hindi film love stories that'll leave your heart aching:

Naina and Aman in Kal Ho Naa Ho

Based in the US with her dysfunctional family, Naina (Preity Zinta) is desperately looking for love and it walks into her life in the form of Aman (Shah Rukh Khan), the only problem is that he has little time to live. Aman uses his remaining life to ensure that Naina marries a man who loves her unconditionally, at the cost of nursing a broken heart himself. Directed  Nikkhil Advani, Kal Ho Na Ho still makes us cry and laugh in equal measures.

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Ram and Leela in Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ramleela

Supriya Pathak in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela

Ram and Leela's love story becomes a tragedy due to the egoistic differences that their families share. Loosely inspired by the tale of Romeo and Juliet, the couple falls for each other despite knowing that they were from rival clans. Eventually, Ram and Leela have to choose between love, family and their duty towards their clans. This film by Sanjay Leela Bhansali gives us the stunning chemistry between real-life couple Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, but its heartbreaking end leaves viewers moist-eyed.

Arohi and Rahul in Ashiqui 2

Perhaps one of the most iconic romantic musicals of the last decade, Ashiqui 2 is about the power of love and how it motivates us to see beyond ourselves. Directed by Mohit Suri, the film is led by Aditya Roy Kapur as Rahul, an established but alcoholic singer and Arohi, his protege who rise through challenges in her life to make it big. What makes the film special is its soundtrack by Jeet Gannguli, Mithoon and Ankit Tiwari that still tugs at a listener's heart.

Sanjay Singhania and Kalpana in Ghajini

The movie is about a person suffering from short term memory loss is largely an action film, but the romance hidden at the core of it is both sweet and sad at once. Featuring Aamir Khan and Asin, the movie is a happy and joyful love story with a lot of funny and romantic moments that suddenly descends into a tragedy. The Hindi film is actually a remake of a Tamil film by the same name, which is inspired by Christopher Nolan's Memento.

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Zooni And Rehan in Fanaa

Zooni and Rehan's love story in Fanaa is sensual, romantic and euphoric. The moments they spend together, their chemistry and the growth of their love is a beautiful journey. However, when Zooni gets to know that Rehan (Aamir Khan) is a terrorist, she decided to be faithful to her country without caring for her love and their child. A promise of a happy ending is always surrounded by a sense of doom in this love story as we the viewers know that Kajol's Zooni will have to eventually make a tough choice.

Devdas, Paaro and Chandramukhi in Devdas

Shah Rukh Khan Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit in Devdas.

The ever classic love story of Devdas, Chandramukhi and Paaro is all about love and longing. While Devdas (Shah Rukh Khan) and Paaro (Aishwarya Rai) love each other immensely, their different family backgrounds force them to be separated. Paaro gets married to another man while Devdas drowns his sorrows in alcohol, accompanied by a courtesan named Chandramukhi who eventually falls in love with him. The love triangle ends tragically with Devdas leaving Chandramukhi for Paaro and dying at the door of Paaro's house who doesn't even get to see him for one last time.

Pakhi and Varun in Lootera

Vikramaditya Motwane's adaptation of a short story by O Henry is so picturesque, you want it to end on a happy note. How can such tragedy unfold in such a beautiful setting? Varun, a conman, falls in love with the daughter of a zamindar whom he plans to rob. When Varun leaves Pakhi in the lurch with her family's inheritance, she falls on hard times. A chance encounter in Dalhousie gives Varun another chance to mend things with Pakhi, but life has its own plans.

JJ and Heer in Rockstar

The tragic love story of Heer and JJ will leave you choking and crying for sure. The story starts with a friendship that evolves into a soul-t-soul connection that changes JJ's entire life. JJ realises how strongly he feels for Heer only when she marries another man and the heartbreak inspires his music. Eventually, JJ (Ranbir Kapoor) and Heer's (Nargis Fakhri) paths cross again and the two finally confess their love for each other. When Heer walks out of her marriage, it seems that the couple will finally have a happy ending, but death keeps that from happening.

Views expressed are the author's own.