Cinema enthusiasts love happy endings in movies and take comfort in them. However, there are many Bollywood movies with sad endings that have managed to keep us extremely engaged in the story. These films take the viewer on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and even make one cry at times. Here is a list of movies with heartbreaking endings that are a must-watch.

7 Bollywood movies with sad endings that will leave you in tears:

1. Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela

• Running Time: 2 hours 35 mins
• IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
• Movie Genre: Romance/Drama
• Movie Star Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Supriya Pathak
• Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
• Writer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Siddharth-Garima
• Year of release: 2013
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: JioCinema

Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela is one of the sad-ending movies that Bollywood has made. It is the story of the star-crossed lovers Ram and Leela, whose families have been each other’s long-standing rivals. The climax, where they end up shooting each other, is one of the most tragic scenes in Indian cinema. Ranveer and Deepika’s chemistry in the film is a delight to watch. 

2. Lootera

• Running Time: 2 hours 16 mins
• IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
• Movie Genre: Romance/Drama
• Movie Star Cast: Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha, Barun Chanda, Vikrant Massey
• Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
• Writer: Bhavani Iyer, Anurag Kashyap
• Year of release: 2013
• Where to watch / OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video/Disney+ Hotstar/JioCinema

Next on our list of Bollywood movies with sad endings is Lootera. It revolves around Pakhi, whose heart is broken by Varun, who pretends to be an archaeologist. When they meet again, he gives hope to Pakhi, who is dying of tuberculosis. But unfortunately, they were not meant to stay together forever. 

3. Ishaqzaade

• Running Time: 2 hours 11 mins
• IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
• Movie Genre: Romance/Action
• Movie Star Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Gauahar Khan
• Director: Habib Faisal
• Writer: Habib Faisal, Aditya Chopra
• Year of release: 2012
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Ishaqzaade also lies on the list of sad-ending romantic Bollywood movies. It follows the journey of Zoya and Parma, who belong to different political families that hate each other. Their relationship starts with a lie, but when they give their love a second chance, their families stand as obstacles. They ultimately have to k*ll each other in order to not let hate win. 

4. Rockstar

• Running Time: 2 hours 37 mins
• IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
• Movie Genre: Romance/Musical/Drama
• Movie Star Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Aditi Rao Hydari, Kumud Mishra, Shammi Kapoor
• Director: Imtiaz Ali 
• Writer: Imtiaz Ali
• Year of release: 2011
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: JioCinema/ZEE5

Rockstar is about a college student, Janardhan, who wishes to get his heart broken to achieve success as a musician. As he falls in love with Heer, life takes him on a rollercoaster journey that ends with loss and him becoming a rock star. The film was highly appreciated by the audience, and the craze was evident even during its re-release in 2024. 

5. Fanaa

• Running Time: 2 hours 48 mins
• IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
• Movie Genre: Romance/Thriller
• Movie Star Cast: Aamir Khan, Kajol, Rishi Kapoor, Kirron Kher, Tabu
• Director: Kunal Kohli
• Writer: Kunal Kohli, Shibani Bathija
• Year of release: 2006
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Fanaa is another Bollywood movie with an unhappy ending. Zooni, a blind girl, falls in love with Rehan, a tourist guide, on her trip to Delhi. However, Rehan keeps his true identity hidden from her. Zooni ends up tragically killing her lover when he threatens the country. 

6. Rang De Basanti

• Running Time: 2 hours 39 mins
• IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
• Movie Genre: Crime/Drama
• Movie Star Cast: Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Sharman Joshi, Soha Ali Khan, Kunal Kapoor, R Madhavan, Atul Kulkarni, Waheeda Rehman, Alice Patten
• Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
• Writer: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Kamlesh Pandey, Rensil D’Silva, Prasoon Joshi
• Year of release: 2006
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix

Rang De Basanti, one of the most loved Hindi movies, is about a group of students who get selected to portray Indian freedom fighters in a documentary. As they find their sense of patriotism and desire to make a change, they rebel against the government. They do not have a happy ending but manage to make an impact on the citizens of India. 

7. Kal Ho Naa Ho

• Running Time: 3 hours 6 mins
• IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
• Movie Genre: Romance/Drama
• Movie Star Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan, Jaya Bachchan
• Director: Nikkhil Advani
• Writer: Karan Johar, Niranjan Iyengar
• Year of release: 2003
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix

Kal Ho Naa Ho is a classic Bollywood love story revolving around Naina, Aman, and Rohit. Aman is Naina’s new neighbor, who brings happiness into her life, while Rohit is her best friend, who is in love with her. While Naina and Rohit get their happy ending together, she loses Aman to a fatal disease, making it bittersweet.

Other films worth mentioning on the list of Bollywood movies with sad endings are Aashiqui 2, Devdas, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Sanam Teri Kasam, and more. Which one of the above films made you cry the most? Let us know in the comments section. 

ALSO READ: 7 Best motivational Bollywood movies for students to binge-watch