Bollywood Made Us Believe in Love. Reality Made Us Believe in Therapy
Riya Kumari | Feb 04, 2025, 23:59 IST
( Image credit : Timeslife )
Highlight of the story: You ever watch a rom-com and think, Wow, where do these people find the time, energy, and perfect lighting for love? Like, I can barely text back in a reasonable timeframe, let alone sprint through an airport to declare my undying devotion. But Bollywood—and Hollywood, for that matter—had us believing that love was all about destiny, dramatic monologues, and slow-motion twirls in the rain.
Okay, let’s talk about the most absurd thing that’s ever happened to us—love. Or, more specifically, how Bollywood made us believe in it. You know the drill: the rain-soaked confessions, the spontaneous airport runs, the sheer unadulterated passion that only comes in full-on song-and-dance sequences. We were all there, eyes wide, hearts soaring—because obviously, love is meant to be this perfect, whimsical, picture-perfect thing. And who could blame us? We were fed a steady diet of dreamy, intense love stories where nothing could possibly go wrong... unless it was a tragic misunderstanding that could be solved in under three hours, ideally with an impromptu dance-off.
Let’s take a moment to remember when we used to believe that love could fix everything. It wasn’t just about the meet-cute at a fancy coffee shop (don’t even get me started on how unrealistic that is—does anyone actually just "bump" into the person of their dreams at an artisanal café with no spilled coffee on the floor?) No, love was the one-size-fits-all solution to all of life’s woes. Feeling lost? Love can save you. Insecure? Love can fix you. Too many existential crises for one week? No problem, love is your miracle drug.
But then, reality tossed the entire Bollywood script into the trash bin (where it belonged) and whispered, “You know what? Maybe you need to process this. Also, go see a professional, because this is a lot.” Enter therapy. The modern-day hero who doesn’t wear a dazzling smile, doesn’t sing on top of mountains, but, boy, does it get you. Therapy doesn’t promise you eternal love—it promises self-love, which, let’s face it, is far more useful when your heart is not dramatically broken by an unreturned text.
Now, let’s be clear. We’re not saying love is dead. Far from it. But love in 2025 looks a little different. It’s not about finding "the one" (who, let’s be real, is probably just going to ghost you after three dates), it’s about learning how to navigate relationships with a healthy dose of self-respect and emotional intelligence. Which is where therapy comes in. You’re not just solving your dating problems. You’re solving your problems. And as it turns out, the best relationships are the ones where both parties have done a little work on themselves, not just on their Spotify playlist for date night.
So, while Bollywood’s still stuck in the 90s, whispering about epic love stories that end with forever hugs under a golden sunset, therapy is here telling us that it's totally okay to ask, "Why does this person keep interrupting me?" or, "Why do I feel emotionally drained?" It's all part of the journey. No, you won’t get the airport-chase-with-a-song-and-dance number (unless you’re in a very specific type of relationship), but you’ll have a sense of peace about the whole thing. And, surprisingly, that feels like the ultimate win.
Here’s the thing about therapy—it doesn’t just help you deal with the fallout from that real toxic relationship you stayed in for three years because you were convinced you could “change them.” It’s the unsung hero who gets you out of your own way. It lets you understand that maybe, just maybe, you’re worth more than just someone else’s happiness. You deserve your own brand of it. And yeah, sometimes that involves tackling some childhood trauma or learning how to set boundaries—but that's a lot more fulfilling than chasing love that feels like it’s straight out of a Bollywood movie.
So next time you’re curled up on the couch watching a rom-com, remember: love is great. But maybe, just maybe, you’re going to get the best kind of happy ending when you figure out how to love yourself first. And as for Bollywood? Well, it’s still there—pouring its saccharine, over-the-top, heart-on-sleeve nonsense into our brains, one song at a time. But while the world of romance and drama rages on in technicolor, we’ll be here, cozy in the real world, with our therapists, working on becoming the best damn version of ourselves.
1. Bollywood vs. Reality: The Love Battle
But then, reality tossed the entire Bollywood script into the trash bin (where it belonged) and whispered, “You know what? Maybe you need to process this. Also, go see a professional, because this is a lot.” Enter therapy. The modern-day hero who doesn’t wear a dazzling smile, doesn’t sing on top of mountains, but, boy, does it get you. Therapy doesn’t promise you eternal love—it promises self-love, which, let’s face it, is far more useful when your heart is not dramatically broken by an unreturned text.
2. The New Reality: Love, But With Boundaries
So, while Bollywood’s still stuck in the 90s, whispering about epic love stories that end with forever hugs under a golden sunset, therapy is here telling us that it's totally okay to ask, "Why does this person keep interrupting me?" or, "Why do I feel emotionally drained?" It's all part of the journey. No, you won’t get the airport-chase-with-a-song-and-dance number (unless you’re in a very specific type of relationship), but you’ll have a sense of peace about the whole thing. And, surprisingly, that feels like the ultimate win.
3. The Plot Twist: Therapy is the Real Love Story
So next time you’re curled up on the couch watching a rom-com, remember: love is great. But maybe, just maybe, you’re going to get the best kind of happy ending when you figure out how to love yourself first. And as for Bollywood? Well, it’s still there—pouring its saccharine, over-the-top, heart-on-sleeve nonsense into our brains, one song at a time. But while the world of romance and drama rages on in technicolor, we’ll be here, cozy in the real world, with our therapists, working on becoming the best damn version of ourselves.