20 Most ‘Date’ Worthy Characters Bollywood Introduced Us To!

As I walked out of the theater having watched Shoojit Sircar’s Piku some twenty months back, I wasn’t just captivated by the absolutely charming storytelling, I was smitten by the film’s leading lady herself. In one of the last few scenes when Piku played by Deepika teasingly asks Irrfan if he would marry her, he replies by saying that he isn’t mad. In my head I was telling myself what an idiot this fellow is for letting this emphatic, brainy and understanding woman go away. Where else would he find her? That was my mind telling me that Piku is a character I could fall for!

When you connect with a character that inherently soaks you in completely, you don’t just get attracted to that one living soul, you discover your own self and your interests. Bollywood as it turns out has given us hundreds of such characters you could fall for. Who would really mind dating a charming Raj Malhotra from DDLJ who didn’t bother about cultures, countries so long as his love drove him?

Post 2000’s when cinema was really believed to have gotten a makeover, the character sketching also changed manifold. From bad to worse to good to brilliant, we had it all in our own Hindi Film Industry. So studying some of those finely etched characters through the stories we have seen on screen, here are 22 characters introduced to us who you wouldn’t think twice before dating:

Sid from Dil Chahta Hai

He was quiet, he was fun, he was thoughtful and he was himself. Sid was a man of different layers! Not only did he have the sensibility of understanding his love for a woman much above his age, he wasn’t scared of confessing it either. He took offence to his feelings being cheaply attributed and stood up for he felt wasn’t acceptable. Despite being precluded from giving any shape to his feelings, he didn’t let her go until she breathed her last. From being the kind of friend one could kill for, Sid proved why he would have made for the most understanding relationship of the three.

Rishi from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna

Having started from loving someone dearly to reaping the patience it takes to prepare someone to be with you, Rishi from KANK was perhaps the most sorted character in the film. He loved, he stayed, he tried and when the time came, he let go! Such was the sketching of this character that made it too real to be true. While he may have been ignorant to understand his wife’s rooted emotions, Rishi never once came across an unreasonable husband. If you were to make a pick to date someone from the lot, he would be most in demand amongst all four.

Laila from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobaraa

From defining life’s true meaning to having the courage to not placate her natural emotions, Laila quite literally can only be a writer’s imagination. While she chooses to live life exactly the way she wants, she understands human behavior and brings out the best in other people. While she is audacious to the highest degrees, she knows how life needs to be driven with feelings, support and love. Arjun just got lucky, didn’t he?

Murli Prasad Sharma aka Munna Bhai from Lage Raho Munna Bhai

A man of absolute strength doesn’t mind mending his ways and go several lengths to get his love what she wants. Everything that Munna Bhai does in the film is purposefully projected to make us understand how good a person he is. While he could be ruthless to have his own way, he would still go the extra mile to do the right thing in right way. Despite being showed an ouster by the girl he truly loves, he stands his ground to win her back using only the right tricks. Munna Bhai here was quite desirable!

Leela from Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ramleela

What a strong, menacing, articulate and eccentric this character of Leela was! She understands her culture, but has own her ways. She gives importance to what she finds important, but wouldn’t shy away from procuring her own desires. As strong a person she projects herself to be, she knows she can be an emotional wreck and admits her vulnerability. Leela wasn’t just someone you would have a thing for, she was the kind who could make you go weak in your knees.

Tara Singh from Gadar: Ek Prem Katha

From letting the transporting innocence submerge in red eyed fury, Tara Singh would go down as the most protective lover to have ever lived. The kind of reassurance he brought with himself even in the most tension filled situations, it only went to tell his character was supremely strong to be true. He sets culture, communities aside when it came to following his heart and later takes on a complete regime to bring his love back where it truly belonged.

Zeenat from Dor

While she establishes herself as a strong independent woman, the transmitting journey of Zeenat’s life only makes her more attractive. She understands herself and is brave enough to not be fooled by imaginations. On her journey of self-discovering herself, she comes across as a support to Meera who couldn’t be more thankful to her. Zeenat through her convincing mental approach lets us concede she is no ordinary woman.

Rahul from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham

Despite being raised in a rich business family, Rahul doesn’t know if his feelings can be channelized to fulfill everybody’s expectation. As much as he wants to apply himself to his family, he is considerate enough to not let his love go away amid a vague quest. He speaks up for himself, builds a new life and earns a family away from family. However, he keeps himself in check and never lets his true emotions move out of sight. He is sweet, emotional and wants to prove himself a good son. However he realizes his other duties and doesn’t compromise on what he knew was the first love of his life.

Aman from Yahaan

While his duties compel him to serve his country, his heart takes him where he didn’t exactly expect. He knows only to stick by the right and is fearless in voicing his objection to anybody. He understands nothing is either absolutely white or absolutely black in the realm of his life. While Aman respects his duties by applying them wholeheartedly, he knows he owes a fair share of commitment to his feelings as well.

Pakhi from Lootera

She is fragrantly expressive and that’s what sets her aside the most. Being born to a supremely rich household of Bengal, Pakhi’s progression of discovering love is a fabulously subtle experience. As much as she gives herself in a relationship she herself isn’t sure about, she makes amends by highlighting the roughness of her attitude. She isn’t too mellowed to get swayed away by the feelings and carries the conviction to identify what’s right for her. As strong as she wants herself to be seen, the settled touch of her emotions can resurface to test her strength. Pakhi in totality is a character that knows how to love, hate, care and let go!

Aditya from Saathiya

Mounting out of a first look fling to reestablishing himself as a mature husband, Aditya presses most notes absolutely spot on. He isn’t commitment phobic and is willing to take risks if they get him where he wants to be. Under the untroubled soul that keeps him smiling is a man with true emotions trying to fix every possible roadblock in his marriage. He owns up his mistakes and doesn’t run away from anything. The persistent love for his wife sums up his complete stability as a ‘romantic’.

Amol from Life In A… Metro

Amol lets us all reconsider the definition of love set in our heads. As he makes a decision of getting back to his 40 year old love even if it’s not going to last long, he convinces everybody how he didn’t want to die without experiencing the one facet of his life he loved most. Taking every objection to his decision right on his chin, he even stands by his resolution after his love is no more alive. He regrets not spending his lifetime with someone who would have made him complete. The reason Amol gains all our respect is because he acknowledged his love even if he was forty years too late.

Romila from Lakshya

From someone who believes in loudly voicing opinions to having a mature take on love and relationships, Romila’s biggest attribution of strength was her ideology. By equating her love and support to Karan, she gives him the kind of push he needs. However her downright rejection of his decision to come back leaving the academy marks the mettle she is made of. She is opinionated and doesn’t mind taking the rough route if it gets her to the destination safe. She acts as a true motivation in Karan’s life through her disapproving ruling towards him. However, she also doesn’t take him for granted and tries to do her share to make things ok.

Aryan from Dhoom 2

There are more worldly reasons to look at Aryan as someone you could fall for but he has deeper layers to his interesting character. While he takes Suhani along against his own reservations, he doesn’t let his instincts talk when he finds out the truth about her. He lets real emotions get in between and lets her convince him of her true emotions. He doesn’t mind changing his living ways and skillfully manages to win every situation he’s in.

Abhay from Just Married

Understanding the tiny bits and pieces of a relationship shaping out of an arranged marriage, Abhay himself becomes the most comfortable thing around Ritu. While he’s trying to find his ways and make things work, he is somewhere a little weak himself. He gets hurt for not getting his way of reciprocation but that doesn’t push him back. After relinquishing a chapter of life, he keeps his responsibilities in check and most importantly gives his wife what she perhaps needs the most, time and space.

Geeta from Swades

As much as her heavily driven activism to bring about a difference highlights her character, her acknowledgement of values and respect places her in the right zone. She is emotionally driven and would yet not give up on her objectives. She concedes far off luxuries as real elements but is more concerned of her own worries. While she becomes an inspiration in herself to make Mohan understand the true connect with his country, her strong charisma puts her in a league of her own.

Ananya from 2 States

Having been torn between the hindsight of her love towards her family and her boyfriend, Ananya’s staunch persuasion to make it work kept her going. While she gives in all she has to make it work for Krish’s family, she in the process doesn’t compromise on her self-esteem in anyway. She is selfless and eccentric, she is submissive yet a rebel! Her constant backing towards her love and Krish’s relentless attempts also make him feel a little relaxed and gets him going to make it work at some point.

Sultan Mirza from Once Upon A Time In Mumbai

Given the fact that he widely became popular for his wrong deeds was a different matter. What Sultan Mirza does throughout his journey is convince people of his magnetic personality. Which as it turns out isn’t just a fluke and is substantially rode. He gets things done according to his liking and never once lets the process appear as unfair or bigoted. His persuasion of winning his love with real personality attributes, make him a man solid enough to be trusted and counted on. His compliance into letting the right thing happen is another aspect of his fabulous persona.

Piku from Piku

Independence, maturity and understanding are only shades of what make this free spirited character a complete treat. From being laden with constant nagging of her constipating father to executing her own plans, thoughts and emotions, Piku makes enough room for herself in everybody’s heart. She is consoling and needy at the same time but that doesn’t take away her opinions away. She is one character who likes to take control only to be subconsciously be controlled by someone else.

Rizwan Khan from My Name is Khan

Rizwan Khan evokes feelings within feelings through his words and actions that look to carry a message of their own. While he molds himself as a husband and a father only to be stripped off his recognition later, his persistence in carrying out his objective is what defines his real character. He truly understands love and doesn’t hesitate to express his emotions. Completely driven by his wife and the responsibility he owes to the relationship, Rizwan Khan defies all odds of commitment and the intent of living up to those tests.

It is undeniably impossible to include more such gems that carry this inherent quality of making you fall in love with them. But remember, actors can only help you identify a performance, a character is what you ultimately fall in love with.

What’s your pick?