See These Iconic Love Stories Of Bollywood: Raj Kapoor-Nargis, Dilip Kumar-Madhubala & More!
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, love is officially in the air and Bollywood has never been short on dramatic, passionate, sometimes messy, but always unforgettable love stories.
Long before Instagram captions and soft-launch romances, Hindi cinema gave us real-life romances that felt bigger than the movies themselves. Some ended in heartbreak, some survived against all odds, and some continue to feel like pure movie magic. Here’s a look at Bollywood’s most iconic love stories.
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See These Iconic Love Stories Of Bollywood: Raj Kapoor-Nargis, Dilip Kumar-Madhubala & More!
Raj Kapoor-Nargis
This was Golden Era romance at its most intense. Raj Kapoor and Nargis weren’t just co-stars, they were soul-mates who created magic in films like Awara and Shree 420.
Their off-screen love, however, was complicated and painful. Kapoor was already married and unwilling to leave his wife Krishna, despite his feelings for Nargis. After nearly a decade of emotional turmoil, Nargis walked away and married Sunil Dutt in 1958. Kapoor was left heartbroken, proving that sometimes love isn’t enough to change reality.
Rekha-Amitabh Bachchan
Possibly the most whispered-about romance in Bollywood history. Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan’s rumoured affair began around 1976 during Do Anjaane, at a time when Amitabh was already married to Jaya Bachchan.
Rekha never hid her feelings and openly spoke about her deep love for him. Amitabh, however, stayed silent. Their chemistry reached its peak in Silsila (1981), a film that almost mirrored their real-life situation. Ultimately, Amitabh chose his marriage, and the love story ended without closure, making it one of Bollywood’s most haunting ‘what could have been’ romances.
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Dilip Kumar-Madhubala
Often called Hindi cinema’s most heartbreaking love story! Dilip Kumar and Madhubala fell deeply in love during Tarana (1951). They were engaged and ready to marry, but fate had other plans.
Madhubala’s father, Ataullah Khan, exerted tight control over her life and career and tried to turn their marriage into a business deal. The final split came during the Naya Daur court case when Dilip Kumar testified against her father. Their love ended, but the pain lived on, especially in Mughal-e-Azam, where their on-screen tragedy felt heartbreakingly real.
See These Iconic Love Stories Of Bollywood –
Dilip Kumar-Saira Banu
From heartbreak came healing. Saira Banu had idolized Dilip Kumar since childhood, and what began as admiration turned into a lifelong partnership. Despite a 22-year age gap, the two built a relationship rooted in respect, loyalty, and emotional strength.
They starred together in films like Gopi, Bairaag, and Sagina, becoming a beloved jodi both on and off screen. Even after personal loss, including a miscarriage in 1972 and not having children, their bond only grew stronger. Their love remains one of Bollywood’s rare examples of quiet, enduring companionship.
Shah Rukh Khan-Gauri
If any Bollywood love story feels straight out of a movie, it’s this one. Shah Rukh Khan met Gauri as a teenager in Delhi, long before fame, money, or superstardom.
He fell hard, chased her across cities when she briefly disappeared from his life, and promised her a future he hadn’t even built yet.
They married in 1991, just as SRK was stepping into films, and grew together through struggle, success, gossip, and global fame. Through decades of spotlight and scrutiny, Gauri remained his constant, his anchor, and his home.
This Valentine’s Day, these stories remind us that love isn’t perfect, but it’s always worth believing in.