Anita Ratnam:Dr. Zhivago . I saw it in 1965. It was released at a time when the Adults Only certificate was taken seriously by theatre owners. My parents took me along with special permission to Safire Theatre on Mount Road. I was 10 years old! It struck deep into my soul; the Russian winter landscape, bleak snow, lovers snuggling under furs and firelight…the haunting theme. I fell in love with the idea of Love! With Omar Sharif and with Russia too.
Mansur Khan (QSQT/Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander):Bobby . It is the first film that came to my mind. It was a blockbuster and made no bones about being anything other than commercial. The love affair in the film was so refreshing and candid. I actually loved the Dad too. Dimple’s dad played by Premnath.
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor:Roman Holiday in Hollywood and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in Bollywood are my favourites. Because both these films have a feel good factor and you can keep watching them over and over again. They are pure classics!
Arundhathi Subramaniam :
Before Sunrise . Because it is just one long conversation, shot in real time. And because it's shot entirely in Paris -- one hell of a photogenic city. And because it's between two very believable adults: a man and a woman with a past, and possibly a future. And because of the conversation which meanders across art and politics and love. And above all, because of the remarkably subtle rhythms of pause, digression, argument, directness, hesitation. And of course, because it ends on a note of possibility -- without that, there's no romance, is there?
Rana DaggubatiThe Sound of Music
I first watched the movie when I was very young, probably in my Class III or IV, and was fascinated by it. I’m not sure how much I understood it then. Later, I watched it close to 15 times, for academic reasons. I realised why it was an all-time classic. What I liked most is that nobody is at fault, yet there is a conflict. The narration was beautiful, and the songs lingered for long.
A similar reason saw me love Rangeela . Each character had its own viewpoint, but as the audience, you were torn between the characters….
Madhuri Banerjee
My favourite romantic movie of all time is Jerry Maguire . It’s a love story with so many layers. I love the bit when Renee Zellweger says, “I've had three lovers in the past four years, and they all ran a distant second to a good book and a warm bath.” Most women feel like that nowadays though the film is 20 years old. It was also the film I watched on my first date with my husband.
Madhuri Banerjee is a best-selling author. Her latest book is Forbidden Desires.
Kalki Koechlin
It’s very unintellectual but I love Pretty Woman and Julia Roberts character is just brilliantly funny and sexy, but it's closely followed by When Harry met Sally which is just a classic.
Geetu Mohandas
My favourite is Happy Together by Wong Kar-wai is a beautiful love story. The film revolves around Ho Po-wing and Lai Yiu-fai, who take a trip to Argentina to revive their ailing relationship.
Ravinder Singh
My all-time favourite romantic movie is Notting Hill . There is something about Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, their appearance, the way they fulfil their roles, their effortlessly beautiful chemistry …It’s natural. Watching Notting Hill even for nth time is a pleasure. It’s evergreen (Secretly, in my mind, I never wanted Julia Roberts to age!). Anna is from Beverly Hills. William is from Notting Hill, but she takes away your heart when she says to William: “I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” And how do I not mention the famous Ronan Keating background romantic score in this movie. You say your best, when you say nothing at all...
G.V.Prakash
My favourite romantic film is Alaipayuthe . Everything about it – from the way director Mani Ratnam put together his lead characters to the wonderful music – is lovely. I can recall most of the scenes from the film even now. Everybody has one love film they grow up with; for me, it was Alaipayuthe .
