1. Rishi Kapoor-Dimple Kapadia In Bobby: He was the bade ghar ka eklauta beta . She was his nanny’s granddaughter, and we all know the rest. Buoyed by the best music score (by Laxmikant Pyarelal) ever in a teen romance of Bollywood, Bobby’s Rishi and Dimply Jodi created the kind of craze never seen before. Socho kabhi aisa ho toh kya ho…haan, socho socho.
2. Kamal Haasan-Rati Agnihotri in Ek Duuje Ke Liye: Playing out a tragic Tamil-Punjabi love story to its doomed finale this was one of the most exhilarating romances to have been conceived for consumption. Director K Balachander remade his own Tamil blockbuster. And the Hindi version, again bolstered by a chartbuster score (again, by Laxmikant-Pyarelal) the film made instant stars of its lead pair, though Kamal Haasan couldn’t eventually attain the heights in Hindi that he had achieved in Tamil.
3. Sanjay Dutt-Tina Munim in Rocky: Sanjay Dutt and his brother-in-law Kumar Gaurav both made their debut at about the same time. Gaurav’s Love Story was a blockbuster. Rocky did average business. But it was Sanjay Dutt and Tina Munim from Rocky who catapulted to fame. Dutt continues to have a screen presence to this day. The songs of Rocky (composed by R D Burman) specially Kya yehi pyar hai play on. In fact, this is the title of this week’s new release featuring television start Karanvir Vora in the lead.
4. Ranbir Kapoor-Sonam Kapoor in Saawariya: Though this exquisite excursion into experimentation failed, the lead pair under the sensitive supervision of Sanjay Leela Bhansali soared like a dream. Ranbir was an instant star, taking the nation into a collective swoon as he danced in towel to Jab se tere naina. Sonam made a slower but steady impact.
5. Meezan-Sharmin Segal in Malaal: The latest epistle to that feeling called love is a tender and strong love story built around the life in. Though not directed by Sanjay Bhansali it bears his stamp in every frame. The young debutants Meezan and Sharmin Segal are refreshingly free of the vain self-obsession that we see in today’s newcomers. They have a bright future ahead.