Not every love story ends with a proposal, and not every romance finds closure. Some end in silence, unanswered feelings, and quiet heartbreak — emotions that feel especially familiar to a generation navigating situationships, ghosting, and mixed signals. Bollywood, long known for grand love stories, has also delivered some deeply moving portrayals of one-sided love, where longing becomes the purest and most painful form of romance.
Here are 10 Bollywood films that explored unrequited love with honesty, intensity, and emotional depth.
Barfi! (2012)
Jhilmil’s love for Barfi is gentle, instinctive, and free of expectations. She doesn’t demand anything in return — her love simply exists, making it one of Bollywood’s most tender portrayals of emotional devotion.
Streaming on: Netflix
Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994)
Shah Rukh Khan’s Sunil redefined the lovelorn hero — flawed, awkward, and deeply sincere. He loses the girl but wins hearts with his authenticity, proving that vulnerability can be more powerful than a happy ending.
Streaming on: Netflix
Raanjhanaa (2013)
Kundan’s lifelong love for Zoya is intense, messy, and often obsessive. His emotional journey makes the film one of Bollywood’s most complex and haunting depictions of unrequited love.
Streaming on: ZEE5
Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997)
Nisha silently loves Rahul, masking her heartbreak behind friendship and dance. Her unspoken feelings add a rare emotional vulnerability to the film’s glossy romantic fantasy.
Streaming on: Prime Video
Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)
Aman’s silent love for Naina is among Bollywood’s most selfless. He steps aside and plays cupid, prioritising her happiness over his own, redefining sacrifice in love.
Streaming on: Netflix
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016)
Ayan represents the modern friend-zoned lover — aware that love isn’t always reciprocated, yet unable to detach emotionally. The film normalised heartbreak as a legitimate and complex form of love.
Streaming on: Netflix
Devdas (2002)
While Devdas and Paro share mutual love, Chandramukhi’s devotion remains one-sided. Her silent, sacrificial affection for Devdas is one of the film’s most poignant emotional arcs.
Streaming on: Prime Video
Tere Naam (2003)
A tragic love story that became a cultural phenomenon in the 2000s. Radhe’s obsessive devotion shaped pop culture — from hairstyles to dialogues — while portraying love’s darker, consuming side.
Streaming on: ZEE5
Darr (1993)
One of Bollywood’s earliest psychological portrayals of obsessive love. Rahul’s terrifying fixation on Kiran made one-sided love chilling, unforgettable, and iconic with the famous “K-K-K-Kiran” line.
Streaming on: Prime Video
Rockstar (2011)
Jordan’s love for Heer remains distant and incomplete. His pain, separation, and emotional dependence transform heartbreak into music and art, making the film a cult favourite among romantics.
Streaming on: Netflix
Sometimes, the deepest love is the one that never gets a chance to exist — and Bollywood has captured that quiet pain in stories that still resonate across generations.