Saiyaara To Tere Ishq Mein: Celebrating Romance's Grand Bollywood Comeback In 2025

Gen Z is often shamed for lacking commitment and seriousness in relationships, yet this emotionally guarded generation secretly craves a love that’s raw, pure and overwhelming. Maybe that’s why Bollywood’s

experiments in the romance genre turned out to be a massive win in 2025. After 2024’s action-heavy streak, the Hindi film industry subtly shifted its focus back to timeless romance and revived old-world charm, soulful music and love stories that hit straight to the heart. Saiyaara became a sleeper hit, proving that strong content always finds its audience, while Dhadak 2 earned critical praise despite a modest box-office reception.As this year comes to an end, here’s a look at the grand comeback of romantic films in Bollywood after years. Sanam Teri KasamSanam Teri Kasam, starring Harshvardhan Rane and Mawra Hocane, marked the beginning of the romance era 2025. The 2016 film, considered a cult classic by many, received an overwhelming response at the box office during its re-release. It even outperformed several new films in its second run. Thousands thronged theatres to watch Inder and Saru’s tragic love story and soak in the nostalgia of its heart-touching album. The result? A clear indicator of what audiences had been missing amid Bollywood’s obsession with action.SaiyaaraThis Mohit Suri musical touched hearts and how! Videos from theatres showed fans breaking down after watching it. Exaggeration or not, its box-office returns silenced every critic. The film became a blockbuster, raking in over Rs 330 crore in India and surpassing Rs 500 crore globally. It emerged as the highest-grossing Indian romance film led by debut actors.Saiyaara’s success was more than just a win for the makers; it reminded Bollywood of the magic of romance. Two fresh faces brought a new love story to the big screen, and the audience embraced them wholeheartedly. It’s safe to say the film played the biggest role in romance’s grand comeback in Bollywood.Dhadak 2This Triptii Dimri and Siddhant Chaturvedi starrer, based on an inter-caste relationship, earned an underwhelming Rs 33 crore worldwide at the box office. However, it received immense love after its OTT release.Directed by Shazia Iqbal, the film was appreciated for its hard-hitting storyline and powerful performances by its leads. While it may have tanked at the box office, its second innings brought huge traction and turned it into a conversation-starter.Metro… In DinoWith this one, Anurag Basu brought back old-school Bollywood love stories with a modern twist. Featuring Konkona Sen Sharma, Ali Fazal, Sara Ali Khan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Anupam Kher and Pankaj Tripathi, the film showcased multiple love stories tied together with the thread of love.Reportedly, it earned around R 50 crore worldwide. Being the sequel to Basu’s cult classic Life In A Metro helped this multi-starrer draw audiences to theatres.Tere Ishq MeinBefore the year ended, Aanand L Rai delivered what felt like a love letter to Raanjhanaa fans through this Kriti Sanon and Dhanush starrer. The film received mixed reviews from critics but was warmly embraced by the audience, with its soulful album creating massive buzz.It recently crossed Rs 100 crore at the box office, cementing its position as one of the most-loved romantic films of the year.Apart from these, Bollywood also delivered moderate romantic hits like Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari and Param Sundari. Up next, Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri arrives this Christmas, a Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday romantic comedy revolving around modern dating.Ahead of 2026, it’s safe to say romance has made a grand comeback in Bollywood!