And while there is no denying the fact that heartbreaks can be emotional, they also don’t always look the way they are shown in most Indian movies:

1. Why are most of the heartbreak scenes shot in a public space?

Though there is definitely no fixed place to break up with a person, it seems highly unlikely that people would want to do it in cafes or other public spaces. And then also, create a scene while they’re at it. 

2. No one looks pretty when ugly crying. No one. 

Seriously, who is looking this gorgeous when ugly crying? How is their mascara not running and creating raccoon eyes? What about the snot and sniffling? It’s just not real if there ain’t ugly crying. 

3. Friends are BIG support during heartbreaks. But they remain missing from most movies. 

While men still get the occasional BFF who helps them drink their pain away, female characters are often left to battle heartbreak alone. But, when you’re drowning in liquor or chocolate or both, because your heart feels physically broken, friends often come to the rescue. I can understand the need to be alone and grieve, but good friends are always there in the background – helping you process the hurt and pain. And it’ll be great to see that represented on-screen more often.  

4. OTT dramatic gestures.

I am certainly not saying that people don’t get dramatic in a break-up. But that’s not true for everyone. However, going by Bollywood, 9 out of 10 break-up scenes end with one of the persons making a dramatic exit, while the other cries. The occasional scenario where things are thrown and broken, is actually scary, rather than romantic. Of course, Kabir Singh just straight up moved to violence and alcoholism. 

5. A ‘creative’ catalyst.

Heartbreaks don’t always lead to art. And not everyone can turn pain into an artistic masterpiece. Stop painting heartbreak as an inspiration for art. Sadness isn’t beautiful, it’s painful. 

5. Never moving on.

Though there is never a fixed period of time in which a person moves on, most people do move on from emotional heartbreaks. And yet, most Hindi movies will literally spend half of the film showcasing a heartbroken protagonist, but not envision a future where the protagonist over the heartbreak. 

7. Getting back with toxic exes.

There is a reason why some people part ways. And there is nothing wrong with breaking up with a person because you can’t see a future with them. But not in Bollywood movies. In movies, the couple will almost always end up together because the possibility of remaining single or finding a new love, is rarer than a Hindi film with no music. 

8. Blaming the break-up on the person who rejects. 

Yes, unrequited love is real. But it is not always someone else’s fault. A person is allowed to say no to declarations of love, no matter how grand they may be. In fact, blaming the person (often, the woman) for rejecting your advances sets the wrong precedent where people feel comfortable putting the onus of their feelings on someone else. And that’s neither fair, nor healthy. 

Mutual or not, heartbreaks are always hard, and more times than not, they’re messy and painful. The only thing they’re not is romantic. But in our filmy universe, a film like Queen is rare. What we often have, are beautiful heartbreak songs and dramatized situations that make heartbreak appear romantic. Maybe keeping on with the trend of realistic cinema, let’s stop romanticizing heartbreaks, shall we?