COCKTAIL 2 released this week and has done so so business till date though it will not feature among the top ten Rom Com films of all time. However, in terms of cost, its probably the second biggest rom com ever after TU JHOOTHI MAIN MAKKAAR. The genre is one which came to the fore in the last thirty years as before that there were hardly any rom com films made.

Basically comedy films and rom coms gained traction at roughly the same time because in the 50's 60's 70's and 80's, there were not many comedy or rom com films as North, East and Central India was very unkind to these genres most of the time. It is actually hard to divide which is Rom Com and which is a love story for a film but if a film has drama which is stronger than the comedy and forms much of the film then that goes towards a love story. Drama on the lighter side means Rom Com.

The biggest Rom Com till date is TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS and it is so far ahead of the rest that it makes you doubt that is this film actually a Rom com but a Love Story. It is not for sure as comedy dominates through the film. This film got 1.5 crore footfalls while no other Rom com has even picked up 1 crore. The footfalls of COCKTAIL (2012) are under 90 lakhs.

There is sure to be something different with TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS compared to the other Rom Com films and it could be characterization, relatability or authenticity whereas most Rom coms tend to go the filmy/urban route which limits the business. If big films are still to be made in the genre, then this film is the one at as it stands above all by a margin. Otherwise the genre probably has to be made at a lower cost with possibly smaller casts.

The top ten Rom Com films of all time by footfalls are as follows. There could be some missings from the earlier years but that will not matter much in the context of business today. 

1. Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015)

2. Cocktail (2012)

3. Chotti Si Baat (1975)

4. Tere Mere Sapne (1996)

5. Dostana (2008)

6. Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994)

7. Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011)

8. Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar (2023)

9. De De Pyaar De (2019)

10. Lukka Chuppi (2019)