Bollywood Special News : Capturing Rain in Film

Of late, and with valid reasons, monsoon hardly triggers a happy memory. But that's real life.

In Hindi films, rains play a pivotal role. They flood the screen with romance, create havoc in unsuspecting lives and add a larger than life quality to mundane circumstances.

rediff.com takes a look at the many avatars on monsoon on screen.

Sensuality -- Bipasha Basu and Priyanka in Barsaat

The primary objective of rains is to showcase the heroine's curvaceous figure in a transparent, white sari.

The new, improved, modern nari opts for a white shirt.

Bips and Piggy Chops are wet visions in white for Suneel Darshan's appropriately titled, Barsaat.

Chemistry -- Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in Dhoom 2

Never underestimate the power of pitter patter! The winning combination of rains and romance rarely fails.

The Dhoom 2 couple allow forces of nature to come together in order to get up close and personal.

Passion -- Aamir Khan and Kajol in Fanaa

When it rains, it pours. Taking advantage of this, our hero and heroine break into a sizzling song.

The merry-making usually winds up in love making and pre-marital pregnancy.

Kajol's comeback film used this ploy to forward its story.

Heartache- Rani Mukerji in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna

No pain. No rain. Every time a character on screen gets their heart broken, it invariably results in heavy rainfall. No matter what time of the year it is.

Rani Mukerji washes away her tears, Bollywood ishtyle in Karan Johar's weepy quadrangle.

Thrill -- Manoj Bajpai in Kaun

In this cat and dog weather, filmmakers spot the perfect opportunity to weave a horror, thriller or whodunit.

Manoj Bajpai seeks shelter from the storm in Ram Gopal Varma's nifty murder mystery, Kaun.

Celebration - Shefali Shah and Vasundhara Das in Monsoon Wedding

There's nothing like a happily ever after or victory accompanied by a cloudburst. Showers of blessing? Oh yeah.

The entire cast of Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding, more than justify the title, with their spontaneous jig in the rain.

Intensity- Sanjay Dutt in Musafir

Dry action has its moments. But the impact is doubled when the hero gets down and dirty in the mucky water.

Sanjay Dutt makes a stylish entry through a rainstorm, in this desi rip-off of U-Turn.

Freedom- Abhishek Bachchan in Guru

Pure, free and compelling, rains are a picture of realisation, redemption and revolution.

Bachchan Jr soaks up this powerful feeling of unrestraint with a striking pose for Mani Ratnam's Guru.

Umbrellas-Saif Ali Khan and Preity in Kal Ho Naa Ho

Sharing is caring, especially during monsoon.

This one's no Raj Kapoor and Nargis. But Saif and Preity look rather perky under that one pink umbrella in NYC sprinkles.

Backdrop -- Ajay Devgan in Raincoat

And then there are films, where rain play one of the principal characters.

From heavy downpour to sublime drizzling, rains, along with co-stars Ajay Devgan and Aishwarya Rai deliver an intimate performance in Rituparno Ghosh's ode to The Gift of Magi.