South Indian cinema is popular for its unique storytelling, soulful music, and heart-touching romantic dramas. Its back-to-back hits, from Pushpa, Hi Nanna to Sita Ramam, have collected huge amounts at the box office. South Indian movies are categorized into several languages, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. There are unforgettable, heartwarming South love story movies in all these languages that are a must-watch.
The South Indian romance movies have a gripping storyline with flawless direction and screenplay. Even Bollywood movies these days are getting influenced by the South love story movies, and the remakes are also getting immense love from the audience. What we look for in romantic movies are drama, emotions, and of course, romance. From love tragedies and promising, cute romantic comedies, South Indian cinema produces some of the best romantic genre films. In this article, we are going to share some of the best South Indian romantic movies for you.
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Whether you are looking for a heart-wrenching romantic drama or a rom-com, we have curated South love story movies so that you get it all. Here is a list of 21 South Indian romantic movies that you must watch.
Telugu South Love Story movie list
1. Hi Nanna (2023) – Telugu
This is one of the best South Indian romantic movies where the story revolves around a responsible father (Viraj) and his six-year-old daughter (Mahi) whose lives take a surprising turn when the woman he loves gets married to someone else. Hi Nanna is a touching South Indian love story that has been beautifully written. The characters are genuine and the actors who played them delivered a flawless performance.
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IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Writer-Director: Shouryuv
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Cast: Nani, Mrunal Thakur, Kiara Khanna, Angad Bedi
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Where to Watch: Netflix
Running Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
2. Most Eligible Bachelor (2021) – Telugu
If you enjoy a good rom-com like we do, then you should definitely watch Most Eligible Bachelor. The story revolves around a Harsha who happens to be an NRI, his mother tries to set him up for marriage by encouraging him to meet 20 potential matches.
However, he falls for a stand-up comedian, Vibha. Vibha, being a very straightforward girl, challenges Harsha to test his love for her and learn about his perspective towards marriage.
IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
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Writer-Director: Bommarillu Bhaskar
Cast: Akhil Akkineni, Pooja Hegde
Where to Watch: Netflix
Running Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
3. Sita Ramam (2022) – Telugu
Sita Ramam is a very popular South Indian romantic movie in the South Indian love story movie list featuring Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur. The plot revolves around an orphaned soldier and how his life changes after he receives a letter from a woman named Sita.
He goes on a mission to find her and they fall in love with each other when he finds her. But, after returning to his base, when he sends a letter to Sita, it does not reach her. The storytelling of this movie will make your heart skip a beat. You will also get this South movie Hindi dubbed on OTT platforms.
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Director: Hanu Raghavapudi
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Writer: Hanu Raghavapudi, Raj Kumar Kandamudi
Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Mrunal Thakur
Where to Watch: Prime Video, JioHotstar
Running Time: 2 hours 43 minutes
4. Fidaa (2017) – Telugu
Fidaa is one of the most soulful South Indian romantic films that will leave a smile on your face. The story revolves around Bhanumathi aka Bhanu who falls in love with Varun who she meets at her sister’s wedding.
As the story goes on, Bhanu and Varun’s relationship hits a rough patch. Despite the misunderstandings and the opposite nature of the two, they make it work and get married to each other. This is a sweet story that will make you believe in the magic of love!
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Directed By: Sekhar Kammula
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Written By: Charu Gupta, Sekhar Kammula, Chaithanya Pingali
Cast: Sai Pallavi, Sarah Uriarte Berry, Varun Tej, Harshvardhan Rane
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Running Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
5. Tholi Prema (2018) – Telugu
This Telugu romantic movie is about a young extrovert man who wants to enjoy his life to the fullest. He falls in love with an introvert Varsha. When they get into a relationship, they go through a lot of misunderstandings and decide to separate.
As the story proceeds, the pair meet and reconcile after 6 years. Tholi Prema, meaning ‘first love’, and the gripping storytelling of this movie will make you believe in that.
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Director-Writer: Venky Atluri
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Cast: Varun Teja, Raashi Khanna, Naresh, Suhasini Maniratnam
Where to Watch: SunNXT
Running Time: 2 hours 17 minutes
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6. Majili (2019) – Telugu
Majili is a unique South love story movie about a man named Poorna who becomes an alcoholic after getting his heart broken by his childhood love. Poorna ends up as an alcoholic, failed cricketer who marries his neighbor, Shravani, to despise his childhood love, Anshu. Despite being married, Poorna finds it difficult to move on.
After spending miserable years as a married couple, when Poorna and Shravani ultimately make it work, you will be left with tears of joy. It is one of the best love story movie South.
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Directed – Writer: Shiva Nirvana
Cast: Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, Atul Kulkarni, Divyansha Kaushik
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Where to Watch: Prime Video
Running Time: 2 hours 34 minutes
7. Orange (2010) – Telugu
If you are one of those who find it difficult to believe in love, you need to watch this movie. The story revolves around Ram who is a graffiti artist settled in Australia. He breaks up with his girlfriend because he does not believe in ‘forever’. Later, he sees a lovely girl, Khusi, and thinks that she’s the one for him. Will he be able to talk to her? It seems that god has other plans for him.
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IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Writer-Director: Bhaskar
Cast: Ram Charan and Genelia D’Souza
Running Time: 2 hours 36 minutes
Where to Watch: YouTube
8. Dear Comrade (2019) – Telugu
Dear Comrade stars Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, it is one of their best performances. The story is about Bobby, a rebellious man with anger issues falling in love with a state-level cricketer, Lily. However, his character poses a hindrance in his path to being united with Lily.
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
Writer-Director: Bharat Kamma
Cast: Vijay Deverakonda, Rashmika Mandanna, Shruti Ramachandran, Raj Arjun
Where to Watch: Prime Video/Disney+Hotstar/ Sony Liv
Running Time: 3 hours 9 minutes
9. Chalo (2018) – Telugu
The plot of this movie revolves around Hari, an angry young man who gets into fights occasionally. Later, his father decides to send him to his ancestral village. There he unintentionally fights to help some people but eventually this act of his backfires. Amidst all this, he falls for a girl named Karthika who belongs to a different caste.
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Writer-Director: Venky Kudumula
Cast: Naga Shaurya, Rashmika Mandanna
Where to Watch: SunNXT
Running Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
10. World Famous Lover (2020) – Telugu
World Famous Lover revolves around an aspiring writer named Gautham who is in a live-in relationship with his girlfriend Yamini. But Yamini decides to leave her because of his nonchalant and careless attitude.
Gautham eventually ends up in jail where he tells his cellmate about the four stories he wrote inspired by Yamini. Is it too late for Gautham to realize his mistakes and value Yamini? You can watch this South love story movie on OTT platforms.
IMDb Rating: 5/10
Writer-Director: Kranthi Madhav
Cast: Vijay Devakonda, Aishwarya Rajesh, Izabelle Leite, Raashii Khanna, and Catherine Tresa.
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Running Time: 2 hours 28 minutes
11. Geetha Govindam (2018) – Telugu
It is a love story involving Govind, Geetha, and Ram. Love, at first sight, happens to Govind when he sees her while traveling in a bus. Later, he realizes that Geetha is his brother-in-law’s younger sister. The story gets interesting after they get to know that they are relatives.
At first, Govind chases Geetha who ends up confessing her love for Ram. This South Hindi movie is fun, drama, and emotional. If you are a Vijay Rashmika fan, then you must watch this.
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Directed by: Parasuram
Cast: Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna
Where to Watch: Disney+Hotstar
Running Time: 2 hours 28 minutes
12. A Aa (2016) – Telugu
If you are looking for unconventional love stories, then A Aa is a must-watch. The story revolves around Anana and Anasuya who first meet on a train. Anasuya’s mother, Mahalakshmi is a rich businesswoman.
Anasuya’s life changes when her father sends her to a village to visit her aunt. There she meets Anana who accompanies her during the journey. Anasuya later finds out that Anana is her cousin and belongs to a poor family. When she falls in love with her cousin, things get difficult.
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Directed by: Trivikram Srinivas
Cast: Nithiin, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Anupama Parameswaran
Where to Watch: Zee5
Running Time: 2 hours 33 minutes
13. RX 100 (2018) – Telugu
RX 100 is a story involving passionate love and heartbreak. The plot revolves around Shiva who falls for the daughter of a local politician, Indu. They both like each other and get into a relationship. But things take a different turn when Indu reveals that her father has other plans. When her father’s plans are revealed, tension and heartbreak follow.
IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Directed by: Ajay Bhupathi
Cast: Kartikeya Gummakonda, Payal Rajput, Ramki
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Running Time: 2 hours
14. Uppena (2021) – Telugu
Uppena is the love story of the oppressed and rebels. The story revolves around the difficult love story of a fisherman, Aasi and Bebamma. She is the daughter of the village head. When the Zamindar father finds out about his daughter’s love interest, she wants to get rid of her as she disgraces the family’s reputation. The duo then decides to elope together and fight against the odds to secure their love.
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
Directed by: Buchi Babu Sana
Cast: Panja Vaisshnav Tej, Krithi Shetty, Vijay Sethupathi
Where to Watch: Netflix, YouTube
Running Time: 2 hours 27 minutes
Malayalam South Romantic movies list
15. Hridayam (2022) – Malayalam
If you are looking for a relatable coming-of-age college drama, then you should watch this film with a cute love story. The South love story movie will make you reminisce about your college days. Hridayam follows the beautiful journey of having college crushes to eventually finding your true partner.
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Writer-Director: Vineeth Sreenivasan
Cast: Pranav Mohanlal, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Darshana Rajendran
Where to Watch: Disney+Hotstar
Running Time: 2 hours 51 minutes
16. Premam (2015) – Malayalam
As the name of the movie suggests it is a South romantic movie as Premam means Love. The story revolves around George whose first love turns out to be a disappointment. A college lecturer, Malar, rekindles his love. His romantic journey goes through several phases, supporting him find his purpose.
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
Writer-Director: Alphonse Puthren
Cast: Nivin Pauly, Sai Pallavi, Anupama Parameswaran, Madonna Sebastian
Where to Watch: Disney+Hotstar
Running Time: 2 hours 36 minutes
Kannada South Love Story Movie list
17. Dia (2020) – Kannada
If you are looking for a tale with heartbreak, then Dia is the one for you. It is the story of Dia and her unfortunate relationship with love. It is an emotional film that makes you think, ‘Nothing is certain’.
Dia musters up the courage to confess her feelings to Rohith after three years. But after a terrible accident, she gets to know that he did not survive. Later, when she moves on and starts dating Adi, she finds out that Rohith is still alive.
IMDB Rating: 8/10
Writer-Director: K.S Ashok
Cast: Kushi, Dheekshith Shetty, Pruthvi Ambaar
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Running Time: 2 hours 16 minutes
18. Sapta Sagaradaache Ello: Side A (2023) – Kannada
This is another South love story film with a heartbreaking plot. This film showcases a painful story of what it means to truly love someone. It is a story of Manu and Priya who fall in love and hail from a middle-class background. When Manu lands in jail after certain circumstances, his relationship with Priya is put in danger.
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
Writer-Director: Hemanth Rao
Cast: Rakshit Shetty, Rukmini Vasanth, Chaitra J Achar
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Running Time: 2 hours 22 minutes
Tamil South Love Story Movie list
19. OK Kanmani (2015) – Tamil
Directed by Mani Ratnam, Ok Kanmani also known as O Kadhal Kanmani follows the story of Adi and Tara, who decide to live together as they do not believe in marriage. But things take a different turn when they fall in love with each other. This film has a south Hindi movie remake by the name OK Jaanu featuring Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapoor.
Also read: 10 Superhit Movies That South Indian Industry Copied From Bollywood
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Directed by: Mani Ratnam
Cast: Dalquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen
Where to Watch: Disney+Hotstar
Running Time: 2 hours 19 minutes
20. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010) – Tamil
Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa is a soft and subtle South romantic movie. AR Rahman’s soulful and catchy tunes, especially the song Hosanna made this film more popular.
The story revolves around a Hindu assistant director, Karthik, who falls in love with Jessie. Jessie belongs to a Christian traditional family. Things change when Karthik gets involved in a shoot in Goa. This South movie Hindi dubbed has a Hindi remake featuring Prateik Babbar, and Amy Jackson.
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
Writer-Director: Gautam Vasudev Menon
Cast: Silambarasan TR, Trisha, VTV Ganesh
Where to Watch: Youtube
Running Time: 2 hours 37 minutes
21. Thiruchitrambalam (2022) – Tamil
Looking for a good South romantic comedy movie? Thiruchitrambalam will be a perfect choice for you. The film is a romcom featuring Dhanush and Nithya Menen. This film has an emotional father-son sequence that will make one cry.
It is about a delivery guy, Pazham, who finds comfort in his best friend Shobana amid having bad relationship with his family and struggling to find the love of his life.
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Writer-Director: Mithran R. Jawahar
Cast: Dhanush, Nithya Menen, Prakash Raj, Raashi Khanna
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Running Time: 2 hours 13 minutes
Conclusion
South Indian cinema has romantic films that delve into different kinds of relationships from heartbreak to unrequited love, and redemption. Whether it’s the excitement of first love, the misunderstandings, or the pain of forgotten connections, each movie captures the raw essence of love. We hope you liked our list of South Indian love stories that are bound to touch your heart and leave you wanting more.
FAQs
1. Where can I find these South Indian love story movies to watch?
With each movie mentioned in the list, we have added information on where it can be streamed, including OTT platforms like Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+Hotstar, Zee5, and more.
2. Which South film has the highest IMDb rating on the list?
Sita Ramam has the highest IMDb rating, with 8.5/10.
3. Which South Indian romantic movie is the highest-grossing?
Movies like Geetha Govindam (2018), and OK Kanmani (2015) were huge box-office successes.
4. Where can I watch South Indian love story movies with English subtitles?
You can watch them on OTT platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Sun NXT, Disney+ Hotstar, and ZEE5, where most movies come with English subtitles.
Which one from our south love story movie list is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.