12 years of Raanjhanaa: 5 films capturing same chaos of love and obsession

Raanjhanaa turns 12! Revisit five films like Fitoor, Tamasha, Manmarziyaan and more that echo its themes of love, obsession, and heartbreak.

Twelve years ago, on June 21, 2013, Raanjhanaa was released to the public, telling an emotional story of naiveté, obsession, and loss that many could relate to. The film examines the various shades of unrequited love and teenage passion, with Dhanush's explosive Hindi cinema debut, a haunting score by A.R. Rahman, and Aanand L. Rai's grounded directing serving as its anchors. In honour of the film's 12th anniversary, we take a look back at five more films that share the same Raanjhanaa vibe—an intense emotional journey marked by untidy longing and honest vulnerability.

Raanjhanaa

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Five films that share the Raanjhanaa vibe

Fitoor

As a modern-day adaptation of Great Expectations, Fitoor explores issues of social class and the psychological wounds caused by unrequited love. The film stars Katrina Kaif as the icy, otherworldly Firdaus, and Aditya Roy Kapur plays the role of an artist whose obsession with the eerie Kashmir backdrop and artistic images leads him to fall in love. It tackles the same themes as Raanjhanaa—the way love can turn into an obsession and the trauma that people carry with them into adulthood.

Tamasha

How can we cope when the pressures of conforming to society stifle our true selves? Two individuals, Ved (Ranbir Kapoor) and Tara (Deepika Padukone), who meet in Corsica and develop feelings for each other's unrestrained selves, are the means through which this is examined in Tamasha by Imtiaz Ali. Similar to Kundan in Raanjhanaa, Ved also grapples with the conflict between conforming and fully embracing life. Romance is depicted in both films as a path to self-discovery rather than merely a romantic pursuit.

Cocktail

At its heart, Cocktail is about friendship, love, and the hazy space in between. Relationships are unpredictable, as shown in the stories of Meera, Veronica, and Gautam, portrayed by Diana Penty, Deepika Padukone, and Saif Ali Khan, respectively. Similar to Raanjhanaa, it explores the complexities of love and asks if it is ever sufficient on its own. Love is depicted as unpredictable, fragile, and chaotic at times.

Manmarziyaan

One of the most direct spiritual descendants of Raanjhanaa is Manmarziyaan by Anurag Kashyap. Rumi, played by Taapsee Pannu, is conflicted between Robbie's (Abhishek Bachchan) level-headed wisdom and Vicky's (Vicky Kaushal) impulsive, poisonous love. The film exposes the tumultuous emotional turbulence that frequently characterises contemporary love, thanks to a scathing screenplay by Kanika Dhillon. Vicky is just like Kundan: a real, flawed, and obsessed person.

OK Bangaram

This Tamil romantic comedy features Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen as a contemporary Mumbai couple negotiating a live-in relationship, and it was directed by Mani Ratnam. The emotional tug of war between commitment and independence is delicately woven into the second half of Raanjhanaa; despite its seemingly lighter tone, OK Bangaram manages to portray this conflict. It's about a love that finds its way through life while holding on to its dreams.

Raanjhanaa reflected on more than simply romantic relationships; it also explored themes of sacrifice, identity, and the challenges of first love.