Valentine's Day: 14 Hollywood, Bollywood films that bring the romance on February 14

If the pandemic has laid waste to your plans of whisking away your partner for a weekend of romance, then there’s no better time than to snuggle down in front of the telly to watch some eternal favourites streaming on a platform near you. Moving away from the millennial slop that’s churned out as often as Hallmark prints greeting cards, these classics most certainly command a repeat watch on February 14 with your Valentine.

Bridget Jones’ Diary: If you read the books then you most certainly would have loved the films as well. Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant star in this outrageously funny tale of the inner workings of the female mind. Bridget takes herself on an adventure that will hopefully lead her from Mr. Right- now to Mr. Right. Watch it on Netflix.

Jab We Met: Kareena Kapoor Khan’s path breaking role as the vivacious Geet in the 2007 hit film remains endearing even today. Shahid Kapoor played Aditya, the heartbroken business tycoon, who has no clue what life has in store for him as he boards a train to escape his life. Geet emerges as a force of nature and he gets pulled into her crazy life and loses his heart in the process. Streaming on Netflix.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: Kate Hudson and Mathew McConaughey turn on the charm and some crazy antics in this 2003 romcom. McConaughey bets his co-workers he can make a woman fall in love with him in just 10 days. But the girl he picks is after her own agenda. Sparks fly and love truly makes us lose our hearts even years later. Catch it on StarzPlay.

The Notebook: No Valentine’s Day list can be complete without this 2004 classic front and centre. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams play two star crossed lovers divided by their social differences. Will their love defy the odds or forever be captured in the pages of a notebook? Watch it on Netflix this V-Day if you haven’t as yet and learn the answer.

Serendipity: What’s not to love here — it’s Christmas in New York with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale to add to the charm. Jonathan and Sara are strangers whose paths cross in New York one snowy day and sparks fly. Leaving their union to fate, Sara throws out their phone numbers into the universe to see whether their paths will cross again. Years later, the duo set out to find each other and nudge the hand of fate. This is a film for all seasons. Watch it on StarzPlay.

10 Things I Hate About You: According to research by holiday company Kuoni the ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ singing scene from this film, where Heath Ledger’s character serenades Julia Stiles on the school bleachers, has been voted the most loved romantic scene in film history. The two-minute clip has 99.3 per cent positive reactions — making the attempted woo-ing the most popular scene of romance. If you still need further convincing, the film follows high-school boy Cameron, cannot date Bianca until her anti-social older sister, Kat, has a boyfriend. So, Cameron pays a mysterious boy, Patrick, to charm Kat. Sparks will fly, of course. Catch it on Netflix.

While You Were Sleeping: We hit rewind to this 1995 classic starring Sandra Bullock and Bull Pullman. Bullock plays Lucy, a lonely transit worker who saves the life of her crush Peter (Peter Gallagher) and is mistaken as his fiancée by his family while he’s in coma. However, as she finds herself more involved in the family’s crazy antics, Lucy also finds herself drawn to Peter’s sibling Jack (Pullman). Has she fallen for the wrong brother? Catch it on OSN.

French Kiss: Another 1995 classic brings Hollywood sweetheart Meg Ryan into the spotlight in this hilarious movie. Ryan plays Kate, a woman ready to confront her straying fiancé in France. En route, she meets Luc (Kevin Kline), a thief, who hides a stolen necklace in her bag. Her life changes when she falls in love with Luc. If the film sounds familiar then Bollywood fans may have also seen a similar premise in the Ajay Devgn-Kajol starrer, ‘Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha’. Catch it on OSN.

You’ve Got Mail: Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks repeat the magic they sparked in ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ with this lovely tale of finding true love over the internet. This 1998 film will be particularly amusing to watch now for those who can’t recall the rudimental nature of the World Wide Web back in the 90s. Naturally, Hanks and Ryan are all charm as well. The film is streaming on Netflix.

Notting Hill: Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant charm their way into our hearts as a couple from very different backgrounds who find themselves caught up in love. Roberts plays Anna, a successful American star who falls in love with a British bookseller, played by Grant. What could go wrong? Watch the film on Netflix.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: No V-Day list can be complete without this 1995 classic on the list. Shah Rukh Khan wrote himself into the history books as the charming Raj who falls hopelessly in love with the endearing Simran (Kajol). Hurdles to their happily ever after come in the form of an over-bearing father, played by the late Amrish Puri, and age-old family traditions. However, love always finds a way, as Raj and Simran continue to teach generation of fans. Watch it on Amazon Prime.

Four Weddings and A Funeral: This 1994 romcom features Hugh Grant — and shot him to fame — as young introvert Charles who find the path to love taking him through four wedding and a funeral. Will he win over Carrie (Andie MacDowell)? Watch it on OSN and find out.

The Wedding Singer: The Kuoni research also vote the ending scene of ‘The Wedding Singer’, which features a musical number with Adam Sandler singing ‘Grow Old With Me’ to Drew Barrymore on a plane, as one of the most romantic scenes in movie history. Sandler plays Robbie, a wedding singer, who meets Julia (Barrymore), a waitress, at a reception and the two hit it off. He soon learns that she is engaged to another man, who treats her like garbage, and he must stop their wedding somehow. Rent it through Amazon.

The Proposal: Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds star in this charming romcom. Bullock plays a no-nonsense New York editor who faces deportation to Canada. To avoid the legal drama, she convinces her assistant Andrew (Reynolds) to marry her in return for a promotion. A trip to his hometown, however, leads to some surprises. Watch it on Netflix and most certainly see it for the outrageously funny Betty White.