14th February is celebrated every year in many parts of the world including India as the day of love and romance – Valentine’s Day. For this article, we recommend you watch these five relatively underrated / underappreciated romantic movies with your loved ones on Indian OTT platforms. Happy Valentine’s Day and happy bingeing!
Photograph, 2019 (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
Directed by Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox), the film features Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the role of a struggling street photographer, who tries to convince a stranger (Sanya Malhotra) to pose as his fiancée to counter the pressure of getting married. But the story takes a turn when the two develop a unique relationship which transforms their lives.
Love Per Square Foot, 2018 (Streaming on Netflix)
Anand Tiwari directed this Netflix original romantic comedy movie starring Vicky Kaushal and Angira Dhar, which became the first ever Indian film to stream directly on any Indian OTT platform. The film’s story revolves around Sanjay and Kareena, who enter into a marriage of convenience to buy a home.
Qarib Qarib Singlle, 2017 (Streaming on Netflix, Zee5)
It’s a heart-warming rom-com directed by Tanuja. The story revolves around two diverse personalities. One is a lovelorn widow named Jaya (Parvathy Thiruvothu) and the other is a carefree and happy-go-lucky person Yogi (Irrfan Khan). They meet through an online dating app and undertake an amusing inter-state journey.
Kareeb, 1998 (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
Although the film is generally not regarded amongst Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s best directorial films, it’s nevertheless a watchable enterprise. Set amidst the backdrop of a small hill town in Himachal Pradesh, the film’s plotline follows a carefree man Birju (Bobby Deol), who is the son of an affluent textile merchant (Saurabh Shukla). His life takes an interesting turn when he falls madly in love with a beautiful woman Neha (Neha Bajpai) but an unfortunate incident threatens to ruin their relationship forever.
Doli Saja Ke Rakhna, 1998 (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Shemaroo Me, Yupp TV)
A relatively underrated gem directed by veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan. A wealthy boy Inder (Akshaye Khanna) meets a beautiful girl Pallavi (Jyothika) in college and the two fall in love with each other. Their biggest hindrances are Pallavi’s three over-protective brothers (played by Paresh Rawal, Mohnish Behl and Tej Sapru). They confront and humiliate Inder which causes the two lovers to elope. But soon they begin to reconsider their decision and its repercussions.