Love is one of the most beautiful feelings in the world. It often begins quietly – with two people meeting, sharing laughs, spending time together, and slowly becoming a big part of each other’s lives. There’s a unique comfort in being seen, understood, and cared for. Every love story begins with hope – hope that it will last forever.
But not all stories end the way they begin. Sometimes people grow apart, life changes, and promises are broken. What once felt like joy turns into pain. And strangely, those are the stories we remember the most – the ones that hurt.
Tragic love stories have always had a strong place in Indian culture – whether it’s through films, songs, or ancient folk tales. Think of Mughal-E-Azam, Devdas, Heer-Ranjha, Tere Naam, Fanaa, Kal Ho Na Ho, Rockstar, Sanam Teri Kasam, Aashiqui 2 or the more recent Saiyaara. All these stories have something in common: deep love, heartbreak, and separation. Even though they leave us sad, we find ourselves returning to them again and again. But why do we love heartbreak so much?
Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara is a perfect example. The film has become more than just a box office hit – it’s a cultural moment today. With its soulful music, raw emotions, and gripping performances by Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, Saiyaara has struck a deep chord, especially with Gen Z.
Social media is flooded with emotional fan edits, crying selfies, and endless conversations about the ending. Hashtags like #SaiyaaraFeels and #DevdasReborn are trending daily. For many, this film feels like a reflection of their own heartbreak, their own story. It has become the heartbreak anthem of the year.
Counselling psychologist Dixeeta Garg, based in Guwahati, explains this emotional pull. “Heartbreak makes us feel something real. It touches parts of us that happy endings sometimes don’t. When love is lost or incomplete, it forces us to reflect on the people we’ve loved, what we’ve lost, and what we wish we could change. It’s painful but strangely beautiful,” she says.
According to Garg, Saiyaara connects so deeply because it reflects the emotional confusion of today’s youth. “Even though we live in a world of dating apps and short-term flings, deep down, we all crave someone who would choose us, fight for us, love us without conditions. Gen Z might appear detached, but emotionally they are the most overwhelmed.”
Actor Kamal Lochan Deka agrees. He says that in a world where most real-life relationships struggle to survive, movies offer emotional comfort. “People are impatient. They don’t give enough time to relationships. And when they break down, we turn to stories like Saiyaara to feel something relatable, something deeper. When we see lovers fighting for each other on screen, it makes us feel hopeful – like someone would do that for us too,” he says.
He adds, “Pain is always relatable. It’s universal. And sometimes, it’s beautiful.” Deka, who loves A Star is Born and Raanjhanaa, believes that the beauty of love often lies in the pain it leaves behind.
Actress Yasashree Bhuyan, too, praises Saiyaara for its portrayal of modern love and heartbreak. “Tragic love stories hit hard because they’re real. We live in an era where everything looks perfect on social media, but in reality, relationships are falling apart. Breakups have increased over the last decade. Happy endings give closure, but heartbreak stays with us longer.”
Bhuyan believes that relationships thrive on emotional availability, support, and respect – qualities that are often missing in today’s fast-paced world. A romantic at heart, she names Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani as her favourite.
Science also explains this strange attraction to sadness. Sad songs and emotional films activate parts of the brain that make us feel comforted and understood. Our brains release chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin, helping us process emotions and feel less alone. That’s why we turn to emotional content when we’re heartbroken – because it helps us heal.
Lyricist-turned-director Sasanka Samir puts it simply: “Heartbreak and pain are universal. Everyone connects with it. That’s why stories of unrequited love or emotional wounds always hit home. We all carry pain and stories and songs bring it back in a beautiful way.”
Psychologist Garg adds a deeper psychological layer to this. Many people, she says, carry unhealed emotional wounds into new relationships – fears of abandonment, mistrust, or repeated patterns of self-sabotage. “We call this repetition compulsion. It’s a state where we unconsciously try to ‘fix’ our past by recreating it. But no new partner can heal old trauma,” she says.
Healing, she explains, has to come from within. Therapy, mindfulness, and honest self-reflection are key to moving forward. “Technology has changed how we date, but not how we love. At the core, we still need honesty, empathy, and undivided presence,” she says.
So what is the beauty in heartbreak? It reminds us that we once loved with all our heart. That even if it didn’t last, it was real. Those memories, however painful, tell us we felt something true.
And sometimes, that’s enough to make even heartbreak beautiful.
