India, Oct. 24 -- The depiction of Karwachauth in Indian cinema has undergone a dramatic transformation. It has shifted from the grand, idealised romance of the late '90s and early 2000s where the festival served as a cinematic peak of devotion and longing to contemporary narratives. In recent years, the cinematic portrayal of Karwachauth has undergone a metamorphosis, shedding the hyper-glossy, festive veneer in favour of raw, grounded storytelling. Rewriting romance

In the 1995 classic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Simran (Kajol) pretends to faint in front of her fiance, Kuljeet, so Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) can secretly help her break her fast with a sip of water on the terrace. The scene became an iconic moment in Indian pop culture, roman...