Dharma Productions celebrates its 35th anniversary today – Dostana released on 8th October 1980 – which is a huge milestone for any production house. We’ve gotta say it: in general, some of Team MissMalini‘s favourite movies – here’s looking at you, K3G – have come from Dharma. And while Dharma is known for a lot of different kinds of films, our favourites happen to be the love stories because Karan Johar and his team know love. They know how messy, crazy, and just downright amazing it can be. And so to celebrate Dharma’s 35th anniversary, we’re sharing with you 10 love lessons we’ve learned from their films throughout the years! Enjoy 🙂
Sometimes love doesn’t happen just once
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai tries to tell us that “pyaar ek hi baar hota hai,” but by the end, we know that’s not true. In fact, love can happen multiple times.
You’re pretty great just the way you are
Kal Ho Naa Ho‘s Naina may have ditched the glasses, but in essence, she didn’t change much else – she was still irritable, cynical and part of a fairly dysfunctional family. Rohit still fell in love with her anyway.
Be your own person in a relationship
It may feel easy to lose yourself in a relationship or always defer to the other person, but Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham shows you how that can backfire. Nandini didn’t stick up for herself in the relationship, and things went downhill. On the other hand, Anjali remains her own brand of crazy… and you know Poo’s not going to take shit from anyone.
If it’s not working out, you have the option of leaving
Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna might have been something of a “controversial” film, but it’s true: sometimes you don’t have to stay in a bad relationship and “work on it” just because you’re married. Leave if you have to. You’ll be happier.
There’s no such thing as “perfect”
Raj from I Hate Luv Storys probably looked perfect on paper, but he still wasn’t the right guy for Simran. Ditch your “perfect person” checklist and be open to many kinds of different people – you may surprise yourself.
You can find love in unexpected places
On that same note: Aisha probably didn’t expect to fall in love with the younger, more immature Sid in Wake Up Sid! She did, though, and it worked out for her. Love is not always where you expect it to be.
Sometimes you’re not going to get the one you want
Yes, we’ve heard pyaar dosti hai, and while that’s true, the reverse is not necessarily true – every relationship should be based on friendship, but every friendship doesn’t need to turn into a relationship. Sometimes, you just won’t get the person you love. Maybe you’ll find someone better, or maybe you won’t… but that’s a reality you’ll have to live with like Rahul does in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu.
Learn to let it go
On the same note, you’ve got to learn to let go of a potential relationship if it’s just not happening. Aditi eventually stopped pining over Avi in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and ended up happier because of it. (She ended up with the awkward Taran instead, and let’s just say it: slightly awkward people are the best people to be in relationships with. <3
Sometimes you have to remember what’s really important
As a society, when it comes to marriage, we tend to put too much importance on other aspects of the wedding and marriage. Stuff like saris, jewellery and supposed “etiquette” come higher up in the list than the actual couple – exactly what we saw in 2 States. While love many not trump everything, we really do make things a lot more difficult than they need to be sometimes. Remember what’s really important in life.
Don’t give up on love
Yeah, it’s a pain in the ass sometimes, but really: love (in all its forms) is worth it. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from all of these movies – whether it be a Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania or a 2 States or a Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or a Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham – it’s this: love will be difficult, but don’t give up on it.
What are the love lessons YOU’VE learned from Dharma movies?