Love triangle: Most bankable idea in Bollywood?

Many upcoming films are based on love triangles this year; experts say that it’s a genre which is here to stay.

Love triangles seem to be the flavour of the season. A spate of new Bollywood projects have romance involving three people as their theme. While director Vishal Bhardwaj’s Rangoon is a love triangle set against the backdrop of the Second World War, filmmaker Shakun Batra’s Kapoor & Sons revolves around a love triangle between its lead characters. Directors Mudassar Aziz’s Happy Bhaag Jayegi — starring Ali Fazal, Abhay Deol and Diana Penty — and Aanand L Rai’s production Manmarziyan also revolve around the same theme.

Alia, Fawad and Sidharth will be seen in Kapoor And Sons.

Shakun Batra, whose film shows a romantic relationship between actors Alia Bhatt, Fawad Khan and Sidharth Malhotra, says that he is not bothered by other films in the same genre. “Love triangle is a basic theme. There are hundreds of things you can do with it,” he says.

Vishal Bhardwaj will bring together Kangana, Shahid and Saif in his upcoming film.

Bhardwaj insists that the love triangle between actors Kangana Ranaut, Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor shown in his film is very different from what we have seen in the past. “It is a period film. Like Casablanca, it is a love-triangle but it is in no way inspired from any film. It is an original work,” the filmmaker was quoted as saying earlier.

Diana Penty, Abhay Deol and Ali Fazal will together in Happy Bhaag Jayegi.

Trade analyst Atul Mohan says that while this trend may not be new, the stories which spin out of the genre are often different. “Romance has always been the backbone of Indian cinema. We have been seeing love triangles right from the black and white era and will see them in future as well. The only difference is that from simple stories of yesteryear, the plots are getting more complex and bold,” he says, adding, “The genre continues to do well as it is something that the youth can relate to.”

Manmarziyan will feature Bhumi Pednekar, Vicky Kaushal and Ayushmann Khurrana in important roles.

Acting in a love triangle can be fun, says actor Vicky Kaushal, who will be seen in Manmarziyan, alongside Bhumi Pednekar and Ayushmann Khurrana. “It’s very different from playing a hero in a regular love story. Every story needs a conflict and in the context of a love triangle, it always turns out to be interesting,” he says.

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