Bollywood has always taught us things like ‘Pyaar dosti hai’ and ‘Ek ladka aur ladki kabhi keval dost nahi hosakte’ and so many other things about what friendship should and should not look like ( but then they also showed Naina almost constantly putting down Sweetu and told us that they were best friends [Kal Ho Naa Ho]?!). Even after all of that though, there have been really beautiful and well written on-screen friendships that we loved watching-
1. Goggle and Kartik- Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan– Aside from the fact that this was an amazing movie, and Goggle and Kartik were also amazing characters; they really showed a bond that was extremely underrated and we’d love to see more of it.
2. Kaira and Jug- Dear Zindagi– So this one was kind of a grey area, what with a therapist and his client being friends, and even slightly more than that; the bond they shared and how comfortable they became with each other (without the movie ending with them in a relationship) was a really refreshing take on the relationship, or the scope of a relationship between the two of them, especially in a Shah Rukh Khan film.
3. Amrita and Shivani- Thappad- So this wasn’t a very unexpected relationship, but it was really great to see women holding each other up instead of pulling each other down as Bollywood shows us (Re: Naina and Sweetu). It was also really cool to see women stand up for each other.
4. Amar and Prem- Andaz Apna Apna– Both of them were looking to get with the same girl, and throughout the movie were missing each other. Their comic timing was hilarious and they had an uncanny bromance by the end, but then I think that’s something that fighting Crime Master Gogo together does to you.
5. Ayesha and Kabir- Dil Dhadakne Do– Okay, they were brother and sister; but fighting for each other and helping each other get what they deserved even when that meant going against their feelings. They were open and comfortable bollywood with each other, and always had each other’s backs.
Other really cool on-screen friendships Ishaan and Ram Shankar (Taare Zameen Par); Rancho, Raju and Farhan (3 Idiots) Ooh and and and, Arjun, Imran and Kabir (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobaara) (dreams about going to Spain in 3, 2, 1).
Lavanya Joshi
(Student, Grade XII, Manav Rachna International School) is an aspiring content writer and poet. She is a published author and has performed in various spoken word/poetry forums She has a quirky sense of humour and uses it sarcastically to drive home a point. She is a staunch feminist and takes a keen interest in human behaviour and psychology.
