Friendship Day: 12 Bollywood buddy films celebrating the bond

Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety: The film that made Kartik Aaryan a star remains a laugh riot no matter how many times you watch it. Aaryan plays Sonu, the bestie to his Titu (Sunny Singh), who is in love with his Sweety (Nusrat Baraucha). Things come to head when Sonu realises Sweety isn’t as sweet as everyone makes her out to be. In the follow up game of one-upmanship, will love win or friendship?

Veere Di Wedding: Bollywood had seen its fair share of buddy comedies centred on men. Which is why ‘Veere Di Wedding’ (2018) served as a breath of fresh air, a story about four female BFFs going through life’s many highs and lows with their bond carrying them through. There are moments in the film that remind you of ‘Sex and the City’, but Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania made it their own with their stilettoes and humour in check.

Sholay: Arguably the greatest film to ever come out of Bollywood, ‘Sholay’ set the benchmark for buddy comedies and camaraderie when it came out in 1975. The action-adventure, laced with some snappy humour, stars Amitabh Bachchan as the strong and silent Jai, while the brash and loud-mouthed Dharmendra is his perfect foil as Veeru. The ensemble cast, which includes Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Hema Malini and Jaya Bachchan, perfectly summed up the Ramesh Sippy directorial. The Jai-Veeru bonding continues to be a cultural phenomenon even today.

Maine Pyar Kiya: The 1989 film that shot Salman Khan to super stardom redefined the meaning of friendship and made it the very foundation of this love story, which also starred Bhagyashree in the lead. The Sooraj R. Barjatya directorial follows the bond of Prem and Suman, which grows from friendship to true love. Forces come in the way, but our lovers show us that nothing can tear them apart.

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai: The 1998 Karan Johar film that taught us love is friendship, stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukherjee in the lead. The story was a simple one: Rahul (Khan) and Anjali (Kajol) are college buddies who appear to have an unbreakable bond, but life and Tina (Mukherjee) comes in the way and drives a wedge between the BFFs. Years later, the besties reunite and set the foundation for some sparks to fly along the way.

Dil Chahta Hai: This 2001 cult classic, which was directed by Farhan Akhtar, followed the trials and tribulations of three best friends, played by Aamir Khan, Akshaye Khanna and Saif Ali Khan. Bonds are tested, new relationships are forged and heartbreaks are experienced – but the humour stands strong amidst it all. The film continues to delight fans even today.

Rang De Basanti: Keep the tissues handy as this 2006 Rakesh Omprakash Mehra directed film can easily bring on the waterworks. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Aamir Khan, Siddharth Narayan, Soha Ali Khan, Kunal Kapoor, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni and British actress Alice Patten in the lead, the film follows a group of carefree friends who find their lives shaken up when one of them is killed. The remaining friends set out to take on the system and bring about change or die trying.

Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na: Aamir Khan’s nephew, Imran Khan, showed us his skills as the perfect millennial who goes through life’s many dilemmas with his best mates by his side. Jai ‘Ratz’ Singh Rathore (Khan) and Aditi ‘Meow’ Mahant (Genelia D’Souza) are best friends who are the alphas in their circle of friends. The two may fight non-stop but have each other’s back when the situation demands. But life and newfound loves find a way to pull them apart. The 2008 Abbas Tyrewala film picked up several awards post release, including Best Debut for Khan. It’s a shame his career never saw the heights it promised.

Rock On!!: The Abhishek Kapoor directorial was no buddy comedy, but hit all the right notes with Farhan Akhar, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli and Luke Kenny bringing the realism to one band’s struggles in finding fame, while slaying their own demons along the way. The film was a smashing success, largely also because of the music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The movie also scored big at the Indian National Awards.

3 Idiots: Aamir Khan, R Madhavan and Sharman Joshi spearheaded this Raju Hirani film that went on to become one of the most successful films to ever come out of Bollywood. Based on a book by Chetan Bhagat, the 2009 film unspools across 10 years, following three friends in an engineering college in India. The humour draws laughs even today, with Kareena Kapoor Khan lending the romance to Khan’s Rancho. The film won six Filmfare Awards including Best Film and three Indian National Film Awards including Best Popular Film.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara: Another classic by Farhan Akhtar was this gem of a movie, out in 2011, which also starred Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif and Kalki Koechlin in the lead. The premise was one many of us could relate to: Deol’s Kabir is getting hitched and he wants a last road trip with his buddies Arjun (Roshan) and Imran (Akhtar) that leads them across Spain. Along the way, bonds of friendship are tested and each one finds more than they had bargained for when they signed on for the trip.

Ka Po Che!: Sushant Singh Rajput’s debut film, which was also based on a Chetan Bhagat novel, also features a young Amit Sadh and Rajkummar Rao. The 2013 buddy drama, directed by Abhishek Kapoor, is set in Ahmedabad and revolves around three friends who find themselves at loggerheads when life plays a few unpredictable cards, including the 2001 Gujarat earthquake and Godhra train massacre in 2002. The communal hatred may simmer at times, but the underlying message is a simple one – friendships can conquer it all.