Bollywood’s obsession with the “broody, broken, boundary-less” hero is back in full force, with recent films like Dhurandhar, Tere Ishk Mein, and Saiyaara showcasing male leads who equate obsession with love and aggression with passion. Ranveer Singh’s Hamza in Dhurandhar fits the classic template a man whose temper and possessiveness are framed as emotional depth, while the woman silently adjusts to his volatility. The pattern repeats with Dhanush’s Shankar in Tere Ishk Mein, a lover who sees rejection as an insult and devastation as devotion. In Saiyaara, the familiar fantasy of a “good woman fixing a broken man” is revived through Ahaan Panday’s abrasive Krish Kapoor.
Experts say this isn’t a new trend. From Darr and Devdas to Kabir Singh and Animal, the industry has long glamorised red-flag behaviour as romantic intensity. Film analyst Girish Wankhede notes how Bollywood’s romantic archetype excuses stalking, threats, and emotional manipulation as signs of “passion.” Producer Girish Johar adds that such portrayals resonate with young male audiences who view these heroes as acting out suppressed aggression.
The appeal is further amplified by soulful music that softens the toxicity, making obsession appear poetic. But critics warn that these narratives blur boundaries between love and violence, influencing real-world behaviour. When films repeatedly show men slapping before apologising, shouting before confessing, or controlling women in the name of love and women accepting it audiences internalise troubling ideas about intimacy.
Despite this, Bollywood has proven that healthy romances work too, with films like Piku, Sairat, and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani offering meaningful alternatives. The question remains: if non-toxic love stories succeed, why cling to harmful tropes?
As newer releases double down on hypermasculine, obsessive lovers, the debate intensifies. Real heroism, critics argue, lies not in dominance but in men who respect boundaries, embrace vulnerability, and treat “no” as a sentence not a challenge.
