Forgotten love stories of Bollywood: When real-life romances didn’t get a happy ending

In the early 2000s, Abhishek Bachchan and Karisma Kapoor were considered a perfect match, both hailing from illustrious film families. They were even officially engaged in 2002, but the wedding was called off without much public explanation. Rumors of career focus and personal differences circulated, but neither ever spoke openly about the split. Eventually, both found happiness elsewhere—Abhishek with Aishwarya Rai, and Karisma with her longtime boyfriend Sanjay Kapur.

Back in the 1990s, Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon were one of Bollywood’s most talked-about couples. Their on-screen chemistry spilled over into real life, and they were even engaged at one point. However, their relationship ended abruptly before marriage. Raveena later revealed that trust issues and personal differences led to the breakup, making it one of the most surprising splits of the era. Both moved on professionally and personally, but fans still reminisce about what could have been.

Lara Dutta and Kelly Dorji were an underrated Bollywood couple who dated during Lara’s early career days. Kelly, a Bhutanese model and actor, and Lara, Miss Universe 2000, were seen as a low-key yet stylish pair. However, the relationship didn’t last, and Lara later married tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi. Kelly moved away from mainstream Bollywood, making their romance one of the quieter, forgotten love stories.

Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja met on the sets of the sci-fi film Love Story 2050. Rumors of their relationship sparked media attention, but the couple kept things mostly private. The movie’s failure at the box office and subsequent career shifts saw their romance quietly fizzle out. Priyanka later married Nick Jonas, while Harman stepped away from the limelight. Their relationship is a footnote in Bollywood’s history of fleeting romances.

Salman Khan and former Miss India Sangeeta Bijlani were deeply in love and even planned to get married in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Their relationship was serious enough that wedding invitations were reportedly printed. But the wedding never happened, and the couple parted ways. Despite the breakup, they have maintained a cordial relationship over the years, with Sangeeta often spotted at Salman’s family gatherings. Their love story remains one of Bollywood’s iconic “almost” romances.