Today, Bollywood treated its audience with another new romantic drama, Dhadak, starring Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter.
But is it really new?
Haven't we witnessed enough renditions of the tragic love story that William Shakespeare originally made famous in the late 1500s?
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It's true that star-crossed lovers fit so easily in an Indian context, what with the ready supply of caste, class, and religion differences, that we have available in abundance.
But frankly, it's high time Bollywood got over its obsession with Bard's tragedy and stopped recycling the same old love story.
Back in 1981, the Bollywood debut of Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri, Ek Duuje Ke Liye became one of the most successful romantic dramas of its time.
The performances in the movie were noteworthy and hit a nerve with many people.
But wasn't this another tale of ill-fated lovers?
Only it wasn't just family feud, Ek Duuje Ke Liye also relied on the cultural difference as a barrier to love.
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But the essential plotline was the same - lovers separated by family but united in death. Just like it was in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, released in 1988 and Saudagar in 1991.
Again, the only change Bollywood brought to Saudagar was its ending.
In the recent past, we had Ishaqzaade in 2012, Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela and Issaq in 2013. And Dhadak (adapted from Sairat) is, of course, the latest addition.
Has Bollywood run out of stories to adapt? Don't we have enough literature in the world to borrow from?
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You may consider Romeo & Juliet as one of the most romantic plays ever, but it is not the only romantic story ever written. Plus, it could definitely do with a few changes.
And even when Bollywood has attempted to tweak some of these stories, the basic theme remained the same - love stories suffering under the pressure of family feuds.
The problem with retelling the same story for the hundredth time (or so it feels) is that there is nothing new that the story is telling us.
After all, how different can an adaptation be? And not like Bollywood tries really hard!
While it's true that the public at large considers love stories that end prematurely as more romantic (a formula perfected by Nicholas Sparks), it is not the only story that works.
And if we have to adapt the story, how about a few intelligent changes? Like having adults fall in love without societal or familial obligations.
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Or a lead pair not falling in love at just a glance! Maybe they spend a few dates getting to know each other, to realize whether it is love or just plain old infatuation.
And can we please stop romanticizing suicides? It's not making the love immortal, it is just perpetuating a very unhealthy belief system.
Dear Bollywood, there are easily fifty different shades of love that can be portrayed on screen, so why not focus on any one of them instead?
Because the concept of star-crossed lovers has been done to death, no pun intended!
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