22 sexy Bollywood movie moments—but not the way you’re thinking

What comes to mind when someone says “sexy Bollywood movie moments”? Is it the scene where Tanushree Dutta and Emraan Hashmi kiss hungrily on the stairs in Aashiq Banaya Aapne (2005)? Or the scene from Murder 2 (2011) in which Emraan Hashmi enters the changing room where Jacqueline Fernandez is getting dressed and tenderly caresses her back? Or the all-time racy song ‘Bheegey Hont Tere’ from Murder (2004) featuring a montage of intense lovemaking between Emraan Hashmi and Mallika Sherawat? What’s common between these scenes is that they 1) all star Emraan Hashmi (of course they do) and 2) gave our parents a motive to murder us if we were ever caught watching them.

The sad truth is India, ironically the land of Kama Sutra, does not have a great track record when it comes to portrayals of sex on-screen. In the past, before Made in Heaven and Lust Stories, “the deed” was depicted through either chaste symbolisms like flowers bending towards each other or waves crashing, or sleazy scenes that pandered to the male gaze. Channels were switched. Throats were cleared uncomfortably. But for all its shortcomings in showing tasteful coitus on-screen, Bollywood excels at the “in-between.” That liminal stage between characters desiring each other and giving into their wildest fantasies; the longing, the teasing, the chemistry of it all. From dancing in the rain with your best friend/the object of all your desires (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai) to melting into the arms of your lover in a field of blooming tulips (Silsila), we’ve compiled a selection of 22 sexy Bollywood movie moments for your viewing pleasure.

The embrace from Jab We Met (2007)

Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met is a classic rom-com, delivering iconic lines (Main apni favourite hoon!) and songs that have become wedding party staples. The sizzling chemistry between Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor goes from strangers to one-sided enemies to lovers, fuelled by Geet’s manic pixie dream girl energy and Aditya’s firm gentleness. The moment we’re most taken by is Geet’s impassioned urge for Aditya to embrace her in direct view of her husband-to-be. The hug lasts three seconds, muffled by Geet’s soft breaths in Aditya’s ear. The moment is further sweetened by cutting back and forth between the happy couple embracing and Geet’s fiancé, Anshuman, living his worst cuckold nightmare.

The night of forbidden love from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)

Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, or the “affair film” as I call it, features a sex scene between SRK’s Dev and Rani Mukerjee’s Maya. Falling in love despite having partners themselves, their affair led to many secret meetings, the most memorable being a scene where Dev and Maya nuzzle each other in the name of foreplay. Turns out anything can be sexy if you put Shah Rukh Khan in a room with a fire in the background and beads of water across his chest.

Breathing in deep with Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)

Zoya Akhtar’s 2011 release did two things: 1) Altered everyone’s dream Goa trip to a road trip across Europe. 2) Set fire to the screen by pairing Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif as lovers. Hrithik plays hot-shot corporate finance bro Arjun, who begrudgingly sets aside his work calls to be in the moment; Katrina plays Laila, the scuba diving instructor with a zeal for life and endless quips up her sleeve. Their interactions quickly become charged with tension as Arjun’s aquaphobia puts them at close quarters. One scene shows them sharing an oxygen nozzle with Laila urging Arjun to breathe calmly underwater as he fights for his life. With sunlight filtering through the deep ocean, panicked eye contact and lots of encouragement, Arjun gets over his fear and eventually gets the girl, too.

Basking in tulip fields in Silsila (1981)

I sincerely believe anyone who acted opposite Rekha fell deeply and irrevocably in love with her—especially in Silsila as Chandini. She represents pure beauty, singing alongside Amitabh Bachchan’s Amit in ‘Dekha Ek Khwab’. There is a beautiful contrast of the rich tulip fields and bright colours where they lay encased in each other’s warmth and beam to the cool undertones of the forest. Watching it makes me feel like I’m intruding, with the camera zooming in from afar as they share private moments. Silsila is what happens when two beautiful people can’t keep their hands off each other, and all it does is leave me wanting more.

Sneaking kisses onstage in Rockstar (2011)

Right person, wrong time is the recurring theme throughout the running time of Rockstar, an odyssey through JJ’s (Ranbir Kapoor) stardom and his subsequent love affair with Heer (Nargis Fakhri). Their friendship had always toed the line, alluding to something more, before Heer married and moved to Prague. Against all odds, JJ makes it to Prague for a music festival and reaches out to a shocked Heer. What ensues is two people giving in to fate: Heer gets a job at the venue JJ is working at, and the two begin an affair. A.R. Rahman’s soundtrack reaches a crescendo with the song Aur Ho, in which the couple exchanges longing stares in courtyards and kisses furiously backstage.

Dancing in the rain in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)

Nothing is sexier than dancing in the rain and slowly realising you’re in love with your childhood best friend. Under a moonlit gazebo, Shah Rukh’s Rahul and Kajol’s Anjali dance despite the radio silence. Of course, Rahul is nuzzling Anjali’s neck, tracing her face with a finger, all while drenched in a skin-tight black shirt. There is much to think about here: Anjali is engaged, Rahul’s wife is dead and his kid is also named Anjali. Nothing salacious happens. The song ends with Anjali running into the forest out of guilt when she spots the engagement band on her hand given to her by Salman Khan’s Aman. Can’t say we’d have done the same thing in her place, but you do you, girl.

Kissing in Vegas in Anjaana Anjaani (2010)

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, or that’s what Akash (Ranbir Kapoor) and Kiara (Priyanka Chopra) say going into their night in Sin City. Hanging on to life by a thread, threatened by bankruptcy and a breakup, both find solace in each other by distracting themselves from suicide (2009 romantic comedies were so unhinged). Enter stage right: Kiara, soaked from the rain, stumbling into Akash’s Vegas motel room. She accuses him of being jealous at seeing her enjoy herself, the two finally confront their feelings and kiss passionately. The fact that the room is pitch black, save for a light from the window, creates this chiaroscuro playing with the shadows on their faces. The next morning sees them intertwined together in bed, which, judging by how long overdue the kiss was, made perfect sense.

Dupattas unfurling in Sarfarosh (1999)

Every action-heavy Bollywood movie must feature a sensual romantic number in the middle of the film to balance it out. Still, not every action film could pull off Jo Haal Dil Ka like Aamir Khan and Sonali Bendre did. Ajay (Aamir Khan) and Seema (Sonali Bendre) reunite amid a dense arms trafficking plot. During a celebration with a bunch of kids in party caps running around, Ajay twirls Seema and things suddenly get tense. The scene cuts to a dream sequence set in the mountains where dew clings to their skin between caresses and three costume changes. Seema has her dupatta coiled around her arms like a snake, which slowly unfurls throughout the fantasy as she gives herself over to Ajay.

Exchanging phone numbers in Ram Leela (2013)

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh possess the kind of chemistry that could burn through a screen and set the viewer and their house on fire. In this scene, Padukone’s Leela is straddling her star-crossed lover Ram as they exchange phone numbers between kisses. “Dil kiya to phone karoongi, dil kiya to aaongi milne,” she says cheekily, but also with the emotion of a woman in love. A Romeo and Juliet retelling of epic proportions had to make it to the list, and Ram-Leela enraptured us the second they made eye contact.

Fan yourself in the heat with Rangeela (1995)

Starring opposite Jackie Shroff in Rangeela, Urmila Matondkar’s performance in ‘Hai Rama’ made us feel all kinds of ways and none of them pure. Rangeela is a meta film—the plot is about making a movie inside a movie. The viewers suddenly become voyeurs as we witness Matondkar’s Mili dancing seductively against Jackie’s Raj Kamal. Try not to stare as Raj caresses her neck and chases after her in dry, arid heat. We’re surrounded by rocks and dunes, salt and flecks of sand on their clothes as their passion rises. Years later, this sequence remains one of Shroff’s most sensual performances.

Prolonged eye contact in Dhoom 2 (2006)

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Sunehri chose violence when she walked onto the set of Dhoom 2 to shoot ‘Crazy Kiya Re’ in exclusively latex clothes. While Sunehri and Hrithik Roshan’s Aryan make non-stop eye contact throughout the sequence, they tease the promise of sexier times to come—and their après-Russian Roulette kiss is proof. It also begs the question: if the thieves are so bad, why are they so sexy? And on that same note—in what universe would we ever root for the cops in Dhoom 2?

Sliding on bangles in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (2001)

Shah Rukh’s Rahul and Kajol’s Anjali share another sexy moment, this time amidst the kerfuffle of a funfair around them. Rahul is helping Anjali try on some bangles, gripping her wrist until they finally slide down. They’ve been playing this game for a while—Rahul openly flirting with Anjali and Anjali naively thinking that the son of a billionaire is only talking to her because has his eyes set on her sweet shop. When he pulls her close to him after the bangles are secured around her wrist, he whispers, “Aapki halwai ki dukaan toh mein hadap ke rahoonga”, which segues into ‘Suraj Hua Maddham’. And I don’t need to tell you how this song changed cinema history.

Embracing in water in Dil Se (1998)

The sexy, heartbreaking Dil Se captivated audiences in 1998 and shot Preity Zinta to stardom. ‘Jiya Jale’, the iconic track featuring her character Preeti and SRK’s Amarkant, pulsates with their palpable chemistry. They can’t keep their hands off each other. Preeti is a nymph in the backwaters while Amar chases her. They’re both slick and shiny, except Preeti is beaming with happiness at imagining this dream sequence during her engagement to Amarkant while he is gazing longingly at Manisha Koirala’s Meghna, who is the true object of his affection. It’s tragic but sexy.

Swinging from vines in Main Hoon Na (2004)

If Ram had never fumbled the lyrics to a romantic song and asked Sushmita Sen’s Miss Chadini to let her hair down, would we have gotten this unhinged, heated song? This was a lot of people’s sexual awakening: Chandini swinging from vines and flicking her hair in the water while Ram teases her. The tropical jungle sequence has long lived rent-free in my head since.

Canoodling on a canoe in The Great Gambler (1979)

In between lyrical Italian adlibs, ‘Do Lafzon Ki Hai’ is a necessary break to alleviate the tension of the otherwise action-packed The Great Gambler. Amitabh Bachchan’s Jai woos Zeenat Aman’s Shabnam in a romantic boat ride in Venice. Note how soft Shabnam is in contrast to Jai’s bold brashness. Yet, they lull across the river in peaceful silence, admiring each other in a foreign country. As the stern of the boat rocks them slowly, they fall into a deep embrace with the sizzling chemistry between them finally spent.

Holding hands through curtains in Chupke Chupke (1975)

As the name suggests, a love story goes hush-hush in Chupke Chupke featuring Dharmendra’s Parimal and Sharmila Tagore’s Sulekha. When the two decide to fool Sulekha's brother-in-law with Parimal pretending to be her driver, it makes for many moments of comedy as well as secret tenderness. ‘Ab Ke Sajan Kaawan Mein’ features a coy Sulekha singing in the living room while inching towards a large curtain on the other side of which is a sneaky Parimal. The two secretly hold hands, and Parimal even bites her little finger in jest. The intimacy they cling to is sexy, and despite the innocence in their touch, the heat of the moment is exciting nonetheless.

Falling in love in the snow in Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012)

Engaged to another, Meera (Katrina Kaif) prays to not fall in love with Samar (Shah Rukh Khan), who waltzes into her life at her engagement party. A night of debauchery in London featuring street dancing, snow and a flash mob is all it takes to swerve her affection. That, and Samar’s undeniable charm. The two are teasing, dancing like their life depends on it while stealing forbidden glances and touch. As snow falls, one thing is sure—Meera can never return to who she was.

Kissing under a jacket in Aashiqui 2 (2013)

When this film came out, the poster featuring Aditya Roy Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor sheltering from the rain under a leather jacket was plastered everywhere and seared into my brain. But perhaps more sensual than that is the couple writing and performing a song together. Chahun Main Ya Naa plays on this concept with Aarohi and Rahul getting closer as they write bars and sing tunes. Hunched over to share a mic, eyes darting back and forth, it’s no surprise they’re destined to be lovers.

Nuzzling necks in Veer-Zara (2004)

A forbidden India-Pakistan love story between Shah Rukh’s Veer and Preity Zinta’s Zara set the stage for one of Bollywood’s most enduring romances back in 2004. ‘Main Yahaan Hoon’ is Zara imagining him everywhere, all around her, unable to focus on the man she is actually about to marry. In one scene, Veer gently slides her blouse off her shoulder and nuzzles her neck, making it almost impossible for Zara to think about anyone else for the remainder of the film. Same, girl.

20. Blowing stray eyelashes in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)

Perhaps the sexiest thing two people can do is tease each other to the point of falling in love. There is something so effortless about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s Nandini and Salman Khan’s Sameer falling in love throughout Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. For one moment, in ‘Aankohn Ki Gustakhiyan’, Sameer playfully tugs on her braid, and then, in another, they lock eyes while in each other’s arms. One moment, Nandini is crossing her eyes humorously; the next, she’s blowing a stray eyelash as a wish dedicated to him.

Roleplaying during dance practice in Dil Dhadakne Do (2015)

Free-spirited Farah Ali (Anushka Sharma) finally meets her match in Kabir Mehra (Ranveer Singh) on a cruise ship where he is a guest and she is a dancer. A comment on the YouTube music video for ‘Pehil Baar’ boldly states that their chemistry is on par with Shahrukh and Kajol’s. While that is up for debate, Farah and Kabir are delightfully in sync, dancing closer and closer while fooling around, which ends in a face-fanning scene featuring Ranveer Singh role-playing as a captain to sneak into the crew quarters, where he is rewarded with a messy makeout session.

Poetry over a fire in Kabhi Kabhi (1976)

Young Amitabh Bachchan in a soft peach turtleneck kissing Rakhee on the forehead in a dense forest feels deeply personal to me. His character, Amit, a college poet, romances Rakhee’s Pooja. Picture this: a frosty day, Amit laying in Pooja’s lap against the crackle of a fire. It’s a scene fit for a poetic film punctuated by gentle sways in the wind and their undying love.

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