Since ages, the idea of love has been embedded into our
brain as a commitment to another person for the entire lifetime, until death
parts them. Love is never leaving your partner’s side, in good and bad times,
always supporting each other, contributing to their smiles, being with them on
their hard days, taking care of them when they are sick and understanding them
always. While this concept is true, it limits the concept of love to only
humans.

But like humans, idea of love should also evolve.

Love is nothing but an emotion — compassion you feel for
anything, being understood by anyone, anything that makes you smile and gets
you a peaceful good night’s sleep.

Cinema has taken the onus on itself to remind people of the
evolution of the idea of love. On Valentine’s Day, it is necessary to wipe the
mist of old perception off our glasses and look at love with a whole new point
of view.

Here are five films that stand testimony to the fact that
love is nothing but a mere emotion:

1.      
Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009)

Based on a true story, ‘Hachi: A Dog’s
Tale’ is the story of an Akita puppy who finds a new master, Parker Wilson,
played by Richard Gere, after losing his address tag. The two form an
unbreakable bond over time, where Hachi accompanies the professor everyday to
the railway station for work, and waits for him to return so they can get back
home together. One day, the professor doesn’t come, having suffered a stroke.
Unable to accept his death, Hachi visits the railway station everyday in hopes
of finding his human companion again. 

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2.      
The Lunchbox (2013)

A mix-up by the food “dabbawala” causes a
meal prepared by Ila, played by Nimrat Kaur, for her husband, to a widower,
Saajan, played by Irrfan Khan. When the lunchbox reaches back home empty, Ila
is surprised thinking her husband liked the food. However, when he couldn’t
make sense out of it, Ila figured out the mistake. She thanked Saajan for
appreciating the meal and sent him her husband’s favourite dish the following
day. Their love for food brought them closer as they discussed the right taste,
the right recipes of dishes like ‘keema’ and ‘kadhi’ as well as life, finding
solace in each other’s letters.

3.      
Her (2013)

Theodore Twombly, played by Joaquin
Phoenix, is an introvert writer who pens personal letters for other people.
Soon after his marriage ends, he is fascinated with a new artificial
intelligence system which reportedly develops into an intuitive entity. Suited
to fulfil his every need, Twombly is initially taken aback by Samantha, the
artificial voice. He eventually falls in love with her as he is constantly
surprised by their emotional compatibility.

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4.      
Wake up Sid (2009)

Sid (Ranbir Kapoor) is a carefree boy,
living life spending his parent’s hard-earned money extravagantly. Aisha
(Konkana Sen Sharma) is an aspiring writer from Bengal who shifted recently to
Mumbai and is completely new to the city. Their paths cross one night at a
party and they befriend each other. After Sid fails to graduate, he moves out
after a spat with his family and lives with Aisha temporarily. The two give
each other advice on how to steer through life and fight through the struggles. His first pay-cheque and her first published article are proof that
the two helped each other find the right path in life.

5.      
Midnight in Paris (2011)

Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris’ is a
cinematic journey or time travel of sorts to the golden era of art of
literature. Gil (Owen Wilson) is a struggling screenwriter from Hollywood who
comes to Paris with his fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams). What he loves more is
the inspiration that Paris has in store for him. Wandering alone in the streets
of Paris on night, he is taken back to 1920s Paris where he meets legends of
art and literature like Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein,
Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. He finds himself lost in their world and he
sits and talks with his heroes every night. Nostalgia changes Gil and his life
in ways unimaginable.