Bajrangi Bhaijaan to Jab We Met: Tear-jerker Bollywood movies where strangers turn family
As Salman Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan completes a decade of its release, here are other emotional Bollywood stories where strangers turned family
Bajrangi Bhaijaan has completed 10 years of its release today i.e. on July 17, 2025. The Kabir Khan directorial touched hearts across borders and connected both India and Pakistan through the music, storytelling and, more importantly, the ending. A staunch Hindu man Pawan (Salman Khan), who refuses to house a lost mute girl from Pakistan named Munni (Harshaali Malhotra), later fights goons to save her from becoming a human slave and helps her cross the border. The ending, where she accepts Pawan as her Mama (uncle) is especially a tear-jerker. The scene left a major impact on many. Bollywood has many such tales where strangers turn into a family.
Bollywood tear-jerker films where strangers turn into family
Vivah (ShemarooMe via OTTplay Premium)
One of the most obvious choices on the list would be Shahid Kapoor-Amrita Rao's Vivah. After getting married in an arranged wedding setup, these strangers share awkward moments but turn into a real family by the end of the movie. Prem (Shahid Kapoor) sees Poonam (Amrita Rao) at her worst, but decides to not only marry her but also pay for her surgery, all before she becomes his permanent family member. This scene left many emotional.
Jab We Met (LionsgatePlay via OTTplay Premium)
A bubbly Geet (Kareena Kapoor Khan) meets a saddu Aditya (Shahid Kapoor). He is stressed out in life while she enjoys every moment of it. They meet as strangers, but soon, Aditya finds himself growing close to Geet. By the end of the movie, just as he thinks she has found love elsewhere, Geet comes running back to Aditya and chooses him to be her family. The moment is etched onto every Bollywood lover's mind for how iconic it really is.
Bareilly Ki Barfi (Zee5 via OTTplay Premium)
Bitti (Kriti Sanon) keeps trying to find her Mr. Perfect aka writer Chirag Dubey (Ayushmann Khurrana). Hiding in plain sight, he feels that he has lost her to Pritam Vidrohi (Rajkummar Rao) but just then, something unexpected happens. This twist is a wholesome moment from the sweet world of Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's Bareilly Ki Barfi.
Jab Harry Met Sejal (Netflix)
{{/usCountry}}Bitti (Kriti Sanon) keeps trying to find her Mr. Perfect aka writer Chirag Dubey (Ayushmann Khurrana). Hiding in plain sight, he feels that he has lost her to Pritam Vidrohi (Rajkummar Rao) but just then, something unexpected happens. This twist is a wholesome moment from the sweet world of Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's Bareilly Ki Barfi.
Jab Harry Met Sejal (Netflix)
{{/usCountry}}Harry (Shah Rukh Khan) is a runaway tour guide in Europe who misses his family back in Punjab but never accepts it, even to himself. This is till he meets a confident but naive Sejal (Anushka Sharma). The two set off on a journey to find her ring after she pressurizes him to do so. On their journey together, Harry and Sejal end up realizing it is one another that they were seeking all along. Risking it all, Harry flies back to India and realizes Sejal was always the missing piece he was searching for, and his life finally feels complete. Sejal helps him reconnect with his family, while also becoming a part of it.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (Netflix)
{{/usCountry}}Harry (Shah Rukh Khan) is a runaway tour guide in Europe who misses his family back in Punjab but never accepts it, even to himself. This is till he meets a confident but naive Sejal (Anushka Sharma). The two set off on a journey to find her ring after she pressurizes him to do so. On their journey together, Harry and Sejal end up realizing it is one another that they were seeking all along. Risking it all, Harry flies back to India and realizes Sejal was always the missing piece he was searching for, and his life finally feels complete. Sejal helps him reconnect with his family, while also becoming a part of it.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (Netflix)
{{/usCountry}}An extroverted Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor) convinces his introverted classmate Naina (Deepika Padukone) to take a trip to Manali with his friends. This is a decision she would remember for life, since the trip changes her as a person. The shy Naina now finds new friends, while the flirtatious Bunny understands what he truly wants to pursue in life. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, helmed by Ayan Mukerji, is truly about strangers turning into a new family.
