Bollywood loves a good love story, but more than that, it loves an impossible one. The carefree bad boy and the obedient girl. The introverted nerd and the flamboyant flirt. The rich brat who suddenly discovers humility through a middle-class love interest. Bollywood movies are full of the ‘opposites attract’ trope, but if these couples existed in real life, they’d be over within a month. And let me tell you why.

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“Yahaan hamaara pyaar koi nahi samjhega”

Yes, Simran. Because it’s impractical af! Falling in love in a picture-perfect European town is not love, it’s a well-edited travel montage. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge had us believing that Raj and Simran were meant to be, but let’s break it down. They meet on a trip, share a few fleeting moments, and suddenly, she’s willing to defy her entire family for him. That’s not romance; that’s a vacation high. Try replicating that chemistry in real life, and Raj’s endless “charm” will feel more like borderline harassment.

Then there’s Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, where Naina, the studious, sensible girl, falls for Bunny, the reckless, adventure-seeking dreamer. Bollywood wants us to believe that opposites complete each other, but in reality, Bunny’s fear of commitment and obsession with chasing experiences would have driven Naina up the wall. Stable relationships require aligned priorities, not one person constantly compromising.

Some Bollywood films take the ‘opposites attract’ trope to an extreme by making it about cultural and ideological differences. Namastey London is a perfect example. Jasmeet (Jazz), a modern and independent woman raised in London falls in love with desi village boy Arjun after a patriotic speech at a party. At the end of the film, we see Jazz moves to his village in India, leaving her whole life in London. What?! If anything, Jazz and Arjun would create friction that no amount of Bollywood sentimentality can smooth over.

If I ever meet Geet, I’ll run as fast as possible

Yes, differences add spice to a relationship, but too much mirch masala causes acidity. Jab We Met made us believe that Aditya and Geet were perfect together – the quiet, brooding businessman and the loud, free-spirited girl. But as someone who relates to Aditya, I want to confess that people like Geet aren’t even my friends. And I think it’s safe to assume that the other way round is true too. That kind of contrast might make for great banter in a script but in real life? The over-enthusiastic personality gets exhausting, and the broody silence becomes unbearable.

And it’s not just me dismissing this famous Bollywood trope, science disagrees too. Research from the University of Kansas found that people are actually more likely to be attracted to those with similar values, backgrounds, and personality traits. There is plenty of research that proves that opposites do not attract. So why do Bollywood movies keep feeding us this idea that opposites attract in love?

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