12 Reel-Life Bollywood Jodis We Loved in 2017!

From Irrfan and Parvathy to Shah Rukh and Mahira, 2017 saw some great jodis come together for the first time.

Bollywood managed to spice up romance in 2017 through some quirky, some breathtakingly gorgeous (think SRK and Mahira) and some effortlessly compatible onscreen jodis.

Here’s revisiting the year that 2017 was through the lens of onscreen romance brought to life by fresh Bollywood pairings:

Shah Rukh and Mahira Khan in 'Raees'

What do you expect when the Badshah of Bollywood and Pakistani beauty Mahira Khan come together for a movie? They weave magic on screen, quite expectedly. In the few scenes that they have together, they light up the screen. The fact that they are both gorgeous pumps up the oomph factor.

Though the sizzling chemistry between Raees (played by SRK) and his arch nemesis Majmudar (played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui) account for some of the most powerful scenes in an otherwise average film, the songs are where the lead pair make it count.

Zaalima and Udi udi jaye act as a little more than romantic interludes in the film. They leave us sighing over the understated yet intense chemistry that Shah Rukh and Mahira share in Raees.

Anushka Sharma and Diljit Dosanjh in 'Phillauri'

Phillauri offered a fresh take on romance while introducing us to a new reel-life pair – Anushka Sharma and Diljit Dosanjh. Though their on-screen romance didn’t see fruition, their lovely chemistry did manage to win many hearts in Phillauri.

An ode to old school romance, the song Dam dam dam hai dua deserves special mention for capturing beautifully the insatiable longing of two hearts.

Ayushmann Khurrana and Parineeti Chopra in 'Meri Pyaari Bindu'

Meri Pyaari Bindu somewhere hit a chord with the hopeless romantic that sheepishly resides in me. The electrifying chemistry between Ayushmann and Parineeti did put a charm on me, although short-lived.

I couldn’t help but ask why is Bindu (played by Parineeti) the way she is? And why is Abhimanyu so accepting of her decisions, mired in innumerable conflicts and insecurities she is constantly grappling with?

A confusing story with unnecessary bumps and crashes falls short (if I may say, by miles) of being the new age retro-esque love story we have all been waiting for.

Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon in 'Raabta'

Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon make love seem earnest in Raabta, albeit only in parts. If we were to call a spade a spade, we’d say the lead pair’s chemistry (more so in the first half) is the only thing that makes this irritating movie somewhat watchable. Kriti and Sushant are endearing, charismatic and fun. They could have done much more had the story been stronger and the director not lacking in imagination.

Saba Qamar and Irrfan Khan in 'Hindi Medium'

Irrfan and Saba Qamar do a brilliant job in keeping the tone of Hindi Medium – a movie that attempts to shake us from the slumber of colonial hangover – light-hearted. They are visibly comfortable with each other, their crackling chemistry making the movie a delightful watch for the audiences.

Mita (played by Saba) and Raj (Irrfan) are not exactly alike but their mutual adulation and love for each other makes them a couple to reckon with. We can all learn a thing or two from the way they compliment each other’s eccentricities. Isn’t that what love is all about?

Sidharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez in 'A Gentleman'

In a film which is trying too hard to do anything, Sidharth and Jacqueline try their best to keep the audience glued to the screen if only by virtue of their killer looks. As they say, give credit where it is due and an enviable body does need sincerity and perseverance.

While Jacqueline is breezy, Sidharth gives much to his female fans to ogle at. They are both flashy, enviously good-looking and fun to watch. But that’s about it.

Yami Gautam and Hrithik Roshan in 'Kaabil'

For a movie that follows the conventional love story trajectory – dating, followed by romance and culminating in marriage, Kaabil has nothing new to offer except that the lead pair is blind. This fact coupled with mushy romantic scenes do lead to aww-worthy sighs from the audience. But soon, they get clouded by a twisted revenge plot.

Nonetheless, the movie that received mixed reactions from the audience, did melt a few hearts all because of the earnest love story of the lead pair.

Arjun Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor in 'Half Girlfriend'

Exasperating. Forced. Cliched.

Half Girlfriend is all this and more.

Madhav and Riya lack depth. Ride high on cliches. Their love (or half-love) lacks gravitas. Their dialogues border on the ridiculous. They are both equally annoying.

And that is perhaps, what makes you believe that they belong together.

Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Kharbanda in 'Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana'

Love. Heartbreak. Jealousy. Humiliation. Revenge. Union.

This is how Sattu and Aarti’s romance unfolds. Of course, there is drama, dowry, corruption and lots and lots of patriarchy.

You may dismiss it at once as archaic, cliched and lacking imagination or try and give the characters a chance – portrayed with utmost sincerity and conviction by Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Kharbanda. The effortlessness of the lead pair made me do the latter.

The movie didn’t work for me but the ever-so-charming Rajkummar Rao and the pleasant Kriti Kharbanda have my adoration.

Irrfan Khan and Parvathy in 'Qarib Qarib Singlle'

Qarib Qarib Singlle is ode to the odd and a beautiful one at that. A refreshing take on a mature love story, the movie speaks even in its silences. It is a journey (literally and metaphorically) of love and self-discovery beautifully intertwined to each other.

Every time I saw Yogi and Jaya in the same frame, I fell a bit more in love (with the idea of love). No, truly. There is no mushy romance, no chocolates and flowers and no over-the-top promises, but there is an earnestness and novelty in the way their romance unfurls – slowly yet powerfully, poignant even in its nothingness.

Yogi and Jaya are diametrically opposite to each other but the way they impact the other is just too beautiful to be put in words. More than a movie, it was a feeling which lingered much beyond the end credits.

Vidya Balan and Manav Kaul in 'Tumhari Sulu'

There’s much to love about in Suresh Triveni’s Tumhari Sulu. It’s a laugh riot (especially the first half) and yet not mindless. It is realistic yet not dull. It makes a statement about feminism without being preachy. It makes extraordinary of the ordinary.

And at the heart of it, there’s a couple with crackling chemistry driving forth the narrative. A refreshing take on marriage – with an unconventional husband ever ready to support his wife’s bustling ideas – Tumhari Sulu managed to give us #relationshipgoals. Ashok (played by Manav Kaul) had his fair share of insecurities but they don’t get the better of him at any point in the narrative. In fact, he is a perfect foil to Sulu’s impulsiveness and they complement each other brilliantly.

Tumhari Sulu is a progressive film which makes a powerful statement on how a marriage can thrive only on equality, love and effortless camaraderie.

Ayushmann Khurrana and Kriti Sanon in Bareilly Ki Barfi

Was it the hinterland connect, the terrific acting, crisp dialogue or the mellifluous songs that made Bareilly Ki Barfi work for me? I guess it’s all four and the unparalleled chutzpah of Rajkumar Rao.

With few dull moments in a run time of about 120 minutes, Bareilly ki Barfi was like that delicious dessert one can always have more of. At the heart of it is a small town romance which is not something we haven’t seen before but the treatment is surely breezy and hatke.

Ayushmann walks with ease into the shoes of a brooding jilted lover, who wants to win the girl by hook or crook. But he won’t make it too evident partly because of fear and partly because of his ego. It is Kriti Sanon who is vested with the responsibility of puncturing his bloated ego while not deflecting from the lighthearted tone of the film. She literally lifts up the script. The fact that the movie has a terrific cast – Pankaj Tripathi, Seema Pahwa and the inimitable Rajkumar Rao – surely adds to Kriti’s heroics.

Ayushmann and Kriti look good together but the song Nazm Nazm just takes their chemistry to another level. It perhaps adds just the right amount of sweetness to make this barfi delectable.