Love stories in Bollywood have created a landscape of characters over the years, many of whom taught us what love was supposed to look like. However, with time and a more evolved sense of judgment, many of these romantic characters reveal deeper layers of problematic behaviour that feel far less romantic today. Since the month of love, February and the Valentine's Week are here, let's revisit some old Bollywood films and characters who were actually red flags, but we failed to see it then. This article looks at popular Bollywood characters who displayed less-than-romantic behaviour under the guise of passion, poetry and heartbreak.
Maddy from Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001)
What was first seen as a charming rebel character seems now to be problematised in Maddy's behaviour. R Madhavan's character's betrayal of his true nature and his stalking of Reena under the cover of love create a rather uncomfortable love story for modern sensibilities.
Rajiv from Ishq Vishk (2003)
Shahid Kapoor's character played with emotions and would change girls according to his convenience. His immaturity was yielded as ignorance due to his young age.
Geet from Jab We Met (2007)
Geet's impulsiveness and emotional dependence were highly romanticised in the film. While Kareena Kapoor's role was an iconic character, her impulsiveness and emotional unpredictability puts people in unfair positions in the film.
Raj from Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008)
Raj lived a carefree existence until consequences finally caught up with him. Emotional unbaseness summed up his relationships. Maturity came far too late to Ranbir Kapoor's character.
Tanu from Tanu Weds Manu (2011)
Kangana Ranaut as Tanu hugely lack of responsibility and her reckless behaviour repeatedly caused pain to people around her because of her unpredictability, which gradually entered into the realm of emotional depression too in the sequel.
Gautam Kapoor from Cocktail (2012)
Gautam was dishonest towards Veronica. He avoided responsibility and chose comfort over honesty. The pleasant personality and friendliness of Saif Ali Khan's character reduced the negative perceptions of his actions.
Rohan Nanda from Student of the Year (2012)
Varun Dhawan as Rohan flaunted his flirting skills in an open manner and liked the attention from other girls even when he was in a relationship with Shanaya. Though this character seems harmless, in reality, it shows his disrespect for commitment.
Rahul Jaykar Aashiqui 2 (2013)
Even though Rahul's addiction was depicted using the theme of tragic romance, his inability to put his addiction first caused great emotional pain to the people who loved him. Although, Aditya Roy Kapur's role's addiction was recognised as something that love cannot conquer alone, it was damage nonetheless.
Ayan from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016)
The worst trait of Ayan was his inability to deal with rejection. His inability to let go of Alizeh, owing to his sense of entitlement, made Ranbir Kapoor-played role's unrequited love a form of emotional pressure.
Murad from Gully Boy (2019)
Murad was cheating and at the same time seeking pardon without taking true accountability, opting to remain in a lie rather than in the truth. While Ranveer Singh's character's individual transformation is important, his romantic accountability is debatable.
Retrospectively, although some of these productions may have left their mark, it’s reassuring to think about how discussions around love, consent, boundaries and emotional responsibility have moved so far beyond these.
Also Read: Rose Day 2026 Special: When Dilip Kumar and Madhubala's love story began with a rose and letter
