Ah, the month of love and romance is back! And I thought to myself, what better way to celebrate February 14 with your partner or by yourself than a movie marathon? If you're looking for a cheap date idea with bae or by yourself, then get ready to access my personal curated list of favourite movies to watch or rewatch this Valentine's Day.
1. Premam: I'm a Mallu, of course I will recommend this first for anyone who's looking to watch something that will get them all mushy and cheesy. This 2015 Nivin Pauly starrer has a huge fan following for many reasons -- the iconic number 'Malare', Malar miss (played by Sai Pallavi) who broke the mainstream beauty standards with her natural look, the famous black shirt with mundu combo donned by the infamous trio which made us all swoon, and so much more! Premam was and still is that one film which transcends borders and languages. In fact, it has re-released in theatres across Tamil Nadu and is currently running. Apart from the romance and fun, Premam portrays the life of George (Nivin) going through various phases of life which is so relatable and probably another reason why many of us loved it.
2. Jab We Met: If there's one thing about Kareena Kapoor, it's about how she stands out in her roles and the bubbly Punjabi girl Geet Dhillon was definitely one such legendary role. The Bollywood blockbuster is set to hit the big screens once again as part of the Valentine's Film Festival. Bebo took to her Instagram about this and posted a video featuring her unforgettable shots and dialogues from the film, such as "Aaj tak life mein ek train nahi chuti meri", "Sikhni hoon main Bhatinda ki", "Itni bhi sundar nahin hoon main", and "Main apni favourite hoon". In the background, the evergreen song 'Yeh Ishq Hai' adds to the nostalgic charm. Alongside the video, Kareena wrote, "Never gets old... by God," accompanied by a black heart emoji. Starring opposite her was Shahid Kapoor essaying the role of Aditya Kashyap, a heartbroken tycoon who aimlessly boards a train after attending his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. The well-known saying ‘Opposites attract’ truly encapsulates the essence of the plot with Geet being a wacky chatterbox while Aditya is the stark opposite. Over the years, the film has attained cult status, with rumors circulating time and again about a possible sequel. If that ever comes true, then I will surely book tickets for FDFS!
3. A Walk To Remember: It's true that the books are always better than the movies but when it comes to this Nicholas Sparks adaptation, I'd pick the film over the book. Starring Shane West and Mandy Moore, this 2002 romance drama revolves around a boy named Landon (West) who falls in love with the reverend’s daughter Jamie (Moore) during a school play. But as their love story blossoms, a secret threatens to end it. What happens next is all about the movie. A Walk To Remember is one of those classic bad boy falls for good girl trope but with a twist! There are plenty of reasons why this movie is my favourite; For starters, Landon's character setting unrealistic expectations/high standards, a realistic first kiss, the beautiful soundtrack ('Only Hope', 'Dare You To Move'), and last but not least the miracle that our brave devout Jamie got to witness, which took us all on an emotional rollercoaster.
4. P.S. I Love You: Get ready to bring out the tissue box as this 2007 rom com starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler is nothing short of a tearjerker. The movie is based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Cecelia Ahern. The plot is about a young widow Holly (Swank) who discovers a series of letters that her late husband Gerry (Butler) left her to help her move on from his passing. I personally loved the whole concept of grieving, especially after losing your partner forever. The entire process of healing was depicted realistically, showing the character relapsing, her little joys and finally finding herself again, which is something I will always hold onto.
5. Letters to Juliet: I personally find this movie to be very underrated. It is a must watch for all youngsters in love this V-day, especially those who wish to see Italy. This 2010 rom com revolves around a young woman Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) who joins a volunteer group in Verona where the writers respond to letters written by people seeking romantic advice. Sophie finds one such letter from Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) dated 1957 and decides to write back. Inspired by her words, Claire sets out to find her long lost lover, accompanied by her disapproving grandson Charlie (Christoper Egan) and Sophie. Letters to Juliet sends a message to us singles out there that nobody is too old for another chance at love and that one should take hold of opportunities when they come along. This is echoed in the wedding scene where Claire reads out Sophie's letter which talks about how two non-threatening words 'what' and 'if' can have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life once we put them together side-by-side. A fun fact that I learnt after watching this gem was that although the film is fictional, the Juliet letter club is based on a real-life program.
6. Pride and Prejudice: The enemies-to-lovers switch in films holds a captivating charm for many viewers. The gradual transformation from ‘hate them more than anything’ to ‘can’t stay apart’ is a trope that we can't help but root for. The 2005 romantic drama based on Jane Austen's 1813 novel of the same name gives us the chance to experience the love story of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet on screen. Period drama enthusiasts will be interested to know that the director Joe Wright set this movie in the late 18th century instead of the early 19th century in part because of his hatred of empire waist dresses. The reason why I and many others fall under the 'hopeless romantic' category is due to our benchmarks for grand gestures, and Mr. Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth where he opens up his heart and says, “You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love...I love...I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on,” simply tops the list in my opinion.
7. Love, Simon: One of my favourite LGBTQIA+ and coming of age films starring Nick Robinson as Simon Spier, an average high-schooler who has fallen for an anonymous online admirer. The only problem? He hasn't come out to his family or friends. To top it off, a blackmailer threatens to reveal his identity which takes him on a rollercoaster journey as he comes to terms with his sexual orientation. Love, Simon shows us everything that we need to hear from bullying, discrimination, hatred to fear, shame and acceptance. If I had to describe this 2018 rom com in one word, then it'd be 'beautiful.'
8. Oh My Kaduvale: This 2020 Tamil romantic fantasy film, written and directed by Ashwath Marimuthu, has a special place in my heart. The film focuses on two childhood friends, Anu (Ritika Singh) and Arjun (Ashok Selvan), who decide to get married. However, their marital life becomes complicated due to misunderstandings and miscommunications. The film also stars Vani Bhojan, Sha Ra and Santhosh Prathap in supporting roles. Vijay Sethupathi and Ramesh Thilak make extended cameo appearances in the movie. I watched the movie solely on the suggestion of many friends who added that Ritika's Anu is almost similar to me and it's not just because of the hair.
9. '96: Here's some good news for all our Trisha and Vijay Sethupathi fans! The 2018 Prem Kumar directorial is set to hit theatres again this Valentine's Day, with the makers sharing a poster confirming the news. This romance drama is about the reunion of a school batch and turns into a deep exploration of a couple who had some feelings for each other during their school days. It resonated with me a lot as I remembered my high school crushes back in the day. More than the older versions of Ram and Jaanu, I really loved the performances by Aadithya Bhaskar and Gouri G. Kishan who played the younger versions. Not to forget, the music and background score was composed by none other than Govind Vasantha who bagged the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Tamil for this.
10. OK Kanmani: Saving the best for the last -- one of my all time favourite Mani Ratnam films which is way better than the Hindi remake in my opinion. Since I'm also a huge fangirl of DQ, this movie obviously had to make it to my list. This 2015 romantic drama explored the intricacies of couples dating in the modern era, involving two characters, Adithya and Tara, played by Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen respectively. The duo gets into a live-in relationship, deciding that marriage is not their cup of tea. What follows forms the crux of the story. OK Kanmani is one of my guilty pleasure films mainly for its familiarity and cinematography for which I ought to thank P.C. Sreeram for. Apart from that, the songs and dialogues somehow make me weak in the knees which is probably why this film is loved by so many of us.