The Ishq Obsession

From Aishwarya Rai Bachchan lamenting Ishq Bina Kya Marna Yaara in Taal to Alia Bhatt embracing Ishq Wala Love in Student of the Year, generations full of Bollywood romance are coloured in all hues of ishq.

But it's not just movie songs, film-makers love to add a dash of ishq to movie titles as well.

Latest to join the bandwagon is Vikram Bhatt's horror Bloody Isshq, which drops on Disney+Hotstar this week.

On that note, Sukanya Verma looks at all the times Bollywood peddled its treasured ishq our way.

Ishq

Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgn, Juhi Chawla and Kajol pitch in all their talent, chemistry and comical prowess in the Indra Kumar helmed masala as it alternates between silly shenanigans to over-the-top melodrama in classic '90s fashion.

 

Ishk Ishk Ishk

A box office bomb, Dev Anand's mountain-side musical co-starring Zeenat Aman, Shabana Azmi, Padmini Kolhapure and Nadira chronicles around the evergreen hero's quest for all things ishk.

 

Ishq Vishk

The fresh-faced troika of newcomers Shahid Kapoor, Amrita Rao and Shenaz Treasury indulge in some Archie comics-inspired college romance in Ken Ghosh's Ishq Vishk.

 

Ishq Vishk Rebound

Two decades later, an attempt to cash in on Ishq Vishk's bubble-gum fervour with a brand new batch of rookies on board finds few takers at the box office.

 

Kambakkht Ishq

Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor cross swords in a cringe-inducing battle of the sexes that struggles to keep face despite Hollywood-sized appearances from the likes of Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards.

 

Salaam-E-Ishq

Nikhhil Advani's dreams to dole out a desi Love Actually over a series of interconnected stories and a sprawling set of stars isn't nearly enough to draw the audiences in Salaam-E-Ishq.

 

Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat

Hailed as the last word on slick Bollywood action masala thanks to superhits like Tridev, Mohra and Gupt, Rajiv Rai's decision to go against type in the syrupy romance of Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat proved to be everything but favourable.

 

Dawaat-E-Ishq

Parineeti Chopra and Aditya Roy Kapur bring forth the evils of dowry over their scrumptious romance in the under-rated Yash Raj production.

 

Dangerous Ishhq

Karisma Kapoor's dreary comeback after a six-year sabbatical involved kidnapping, past life regression and multiple timelines, leaving the viewer both exhausted and exasperated.

 

Humko Ishq Ne Mara

Back in the '90s, a bunch of first-timers falling in love against lilting music and done-to-death tropes had no trouble finding an audience in YRF's made for TV offering, Humko Ishq Ne Mara.

 

Issaq

Prateik Babbar and Amyra Dastur channel their inner Romeo and Juliet against two warring clans of Varanasi in this Shakespearean themed adaptation.

 

Feels Like Ishq

The Netflix anthology looks at the world through the prism of post-pandemic lenses in various stories about that crazy little thing called love directed by film-makers ranging from Anand Tiwari to Tahira Kashyap Khurrana.