HAAN MAINE BHI PYAR KIYA LEAD STARS: Abhishek Bachchan, Karisma Kapoor, Akshay Kumar PLOT: A contemporary couple's romance, it is about a man who takes responsibility for his actions in a relationship.

Love means never having to say you're sorry. The immortal line from Love Story will be reworked this Valentine's Day. Because in director Dharmesh Darshan's Haan Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya Hai (HMBPKH), 2002's first major romantic film, Abhishek Bachchan woos, wins and loses Karisma Kapoor. And then discovers that "sorry" can still set love right. "It's a path-breaking role," says Darshan, "because the man takes responsibility for his actions in a relationship. HMBPKH is a contemporary couple's romance."

CHORI CHORI LEAD STARS: Ajay Devgan, Rani Mukherjee PLOT: A romantic comedy, it is the story of two unlike people who are thrust into a romantic adventure.

Romance hasn't had a good run in Bollywood lately. Last year, the limelight was hogged by rabble-rousing patriotism (Gadar-Ek Prem Katha), cricket matches (Lagaan), male bonding (Dil Chahta Hai) and the ubiquitous family drama (Kabhi Khushi, Kabhie Gham). This year, pundits predict, holds little promise. "None of the big-name directors have releases this year," says Film Information's Komal Nahta, "there will be no Subhash Ghai, Rakesh Roshan, Yash Chopra, Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar or Sooraj Barjatya film." With the biggies in hiatus, a few good men-some known, some debutants-are hoping to keep Bollywood's romantic torch aloft.

TUMKO NA BHOOL PAYENGE LEAD STARS: Salman Khan, Sushmita Sen, Diya Mirza PLOT: A departure from teeny-bopper love stories, it's about a man who is in love but not for the first time.

With the big names in Bollywood in hiatus this year, others-including debutants-are hoping to keep romance alive.

Darshan's film has generated great buzz. His last film, Dhadkan, a triangle, did reasonably well and HMBPKH also has three players-Bachchan, Kapoor and Akshay Kumar. Besides the requisite amour ingredients-foreign locations, foot-tapping music, Manish Malhotra's clothes-HMBPKH also has the media buzzing about Bachchan and Kapoor's off-screen romance. Bachchan won't comment-"that's my private life," he says-but Darshan is waxing eloquent about the couple's chemistry. And Bollywood is hopeful that Darshan, whose last project with Kapoor, Raja Hindustani, was a superhit, will repeat the magic.

Uk Special

PASSION REPLAY Seven all-time classic scenes from Hindi films that have pervaded our senses with their portrayal of amour, capturing love and passion in all its variegated shades MUGHAL-E-AZAM The love with which Anarkali (Madhubala) gazes at Salim (Dilip Kumar) on their first and last night together bespeaks a passion that transcends death. AWARA The passion between Rita (Nargis) and Raju (Raj Kapoor) peaks when provoked by her teasing, he pulls her to him-loving, angry at the same time. TERE GHAR KE SAAMNE Fresh-faced Nutan and sophisticated Dev Anand lyrically court each other at the foot of Qutub Minar. Alluring and coquettish. MERE MEHBOOB A burkha-clad Sadhana collides with Rajendra Kumar. As both stoop to retrieve their books, their hands accidentally touch ... A scene to sigh for. DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE Simran (Kajol) turns to look back at Raj (Shah Rukh Khan)-a gesture that takes their casual acquaintance into the realms of love. HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM The love, sacrifice of husband Ajay Devgan dawn on Aishwarya in the moment on the bridge when he lets her return to her lover. ARADHANA Rajesh Khanna's mesmerising gaze and Sharmila Tagore's beauty ooze passion to the heady lyrics of Roop tera mastana. —Dinesh Raheja

Coming close on the heels of HMBPKH is another lovefest: Pankaj Parashar's Tumko Na Bhool Payenge (TNBP). Of course, Parashar, best known for quirky films like Jalwa and Chaalbaaz, would never be content with a straight boy-meets-girl story. So in TNBP, Salman Khan meets Diya Mirza but then starts to get flashes of memory which suggest another life and another woman, Sushmita Sen. "It's not a teeny-bopper love story," says Parashar, "it's more mature."

But teeny-boppers needn't be disappointed. At least a few of this year's romances are targeted specifically at them. Mehul Kumar is creating a "journey of love" in Kitne Door, Kitne Paas. The story, which has Fardeen Khan and debutante Amrita Arora (sister of sassy model, mtv veejay and actress Malaika) playing nris, travels from America to Rajasthan. For Kumar, romance is a departure-his most successful films have been crude but hard-hitting sagas like Krantiveer and Tirangaa. But he isn't nervous about straying from his forte. "I have 20 Gujarati films from which 12 were love stories," he says, "and I believe that finally if the film is good, it will run whether it is action or romance."

Milan Luthria is also new to romance. The director, who made his debut with the action saga, Kachche Dhaage, is putting the finishing touches on Chori Chori, a romantic comedy. Chori Chori is "the story of two dissimilar people pushed into a romantic adventure," says Luthria. Ajay Devgan, who wowed audiences as the silent lover in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, pairs up with Rani Mukherjee. The image change will hopefully deliver the hit that Devgan needs.

This year is also critical for Hrithik Roshan who returns to romance after action and family dramas. First to hit the screen will be director Vikram Bhatt's Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage. The film, which reunites Roshan with his Kaho Na Pyar Hai ... co-star, Amisha Patel, follows a romance for 15 days. The first half is at a Navratri festival when over nine nights an engineering student falls in love with a girl caged in by her family. At interval the lovers are parted. The second half looks at the six days that follow and how the lovers come together again.

The story, written by Vikram and Robin Bhatt, over 10 years ago, is strung together by a series of incidents. "There are no concrete issues," says Vikram, "but we see the angst of urban romance. It's deep." Vikram, like Parashar, insists that his romance isn't "chocolate". "That utopian kind of love doesn't happen. Sure, those movies work but I am more interested in love that happens through emotional vulnerability."

Hrithik's other film, Na Tum Jano, Na Hum (NTJNH), is about "how two people fall in love". The film, made by debutant director Arjun Sablok, pairs Hrithik with Esha Deol and has been shot in Jaipur, Pune, Mumbai and Canada. Sablok, who has earlier worked with Yash Chopra, says his film will have traces of the Chopra romance but it will be more than that. "I've tried to keep a balance between reality and fantasy," he says.

For Chopra addicts, there are two films from the house of Yashraj. Though both are by first-time directors, they will undoubtedly have the stamp of both Yash and Aditya. Kunal Kohli's Mujhse Dosti Karoge, rumoured to be inspired from The Truth About Cats and Dogs, pits Hrithik opposite Kareina Kapoor and Mukherjee. And Sanjay Gadhvi's Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, a remake of My Best Friend's Wedding, has seductress Bipasha Basu in a key role.

Other debutant directors starting with romances are Rohan Sippy and Shaad Ali. Rohan, the son of Ramesh Sippy, is making Kuch Na Kaho, with Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, while Shaad, the son of Muzzaffar Ali, is making Saathiya-a remake of Mani Ratnam's superhit Alaipayuthey-with newcomer Vivek Oberoi and Mukherjee. "It begins where film love stories end", says Shaad describing it as "an intimate slice-of-life romance".

But perhaps the biggest romance is Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas. Bhansali has been tight-lipped about it but the team itself promises a cinematic feast. The cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Rai and Madhuri Dixit. The crew: cinematographer Binod Pradhan, art director Nitin Desai, designers Abu-Sandeep and dance directors Saroj Khan and Birju Maharaj. Khan, the poster boy for romance through the last decade, says he has given Devdas, "a touch of madness" to update him. Meanwhile, pundits are furiously debating how today's teens will take to the dhoti-clad tragic hero.

Of course, the question is whether any of these films will advance Bollywood's romantic vocabulary. Last year, a few directors moved away from the preferred love lite formula to explore other shades of love. Films like Zubeidaa, Kasoor and Pyar Tune Kya Kiya featured obsessive women, murderous men and love stories which ended in death. But none worked enough at the box office to trigger a change. Bollywood's romantic formula still remains youth plus music plus location plus presentation.

But the formula seems to be running out of steam. Bollywood hasn't had a super hit romance since Kaho Na Pyar Hai ... in 2000. Perhaps the new names will change the picture. All eyes are pinned on Valentine's Day.