Some Bollywood movies have coloured the way an entire generation perceives love and relationships

They say 'Love is Eternal'. But is it? The answer to this seemingly innocuous question depends on who you are putting it to. If it's the Maine Pyar Kiya (MPK) generation — those who were kids or teenagers when the movie was released — the answer may be yes. But if it's the Chalte Chalte generation — then you may be in for some unexpected answers.

These two Bollywood blockbusters can be called watershed movies in India and ones, which have shaped the way an entire generation thinks about love, relationships and marriage. MPK coloured the way of thinking of the contemporary generation in such a way that they began looking at everything with tinted glasses (the tint was a deep shade of pink).

Love was all one had to look for in life, if you were an MPK fan. If you found true love, your life was made. You had no need to demand anything more or anything better than that. Love was undying, unselfish and unquestioning. The lead actor and actress always professed unconditional loyalty and affection to each other and pledged to stay together till death did them apart.

“Till reality hits you, one doesn’t actually realise what it is like. Especially love affairs, we cannot escape the Bollywood influence. In my first affair, I was also very much under the influence of one such movies, may be that was the reason why it didn’t work,” smiles Subodh Dutt, student, MIT.

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