World Friendship Day: Stories from the big and small screen that showcase unusual friendships

A true friend is a beam of light in the dark and forges with us a soul connection when we least expect it. This World Friendship Day, discover many such inexplicable and unusual bonds between people who on the surface have nothing common with each other.

Time Please

What happens when a woman of privilege steps out of her bubble for the first time to deal with her mortality? She discovers hope, friendship and inspiration in a watchman who reaches out to her with warmth and empathy. Though the two come from completely different backgrounds, they find solace in each other and also the strength to deal with life's big questions.The heartwarming performances of Kitu Gidwani and Jitendra Joshi make this Zee Theatre teleplay a must watch. Directed by Homi Wadia and filmed by Swapna Waghmare Joshi, 'Time Please' also stars Meghna Erande, Sonal Minocha and Aman Uppal. Watch it on 28th July on Airtel Spotlight, Dish TV Rangmanch Active and D2H Rangmanch Active

Kota Factory

'Kota Factory' is not just an in-depth exploration of the faultlines of the Indian education system but also an insightful look at how students drawn from different milieus find comfort and friendship in each other. The trio of Vaibhav Pandey (Mayur More), Balmukund Meena (Ranjan Raj) and Uday Gupta (Alam Khan) have very little going for them in their struggle to clear the IIT entrance test but it is their camaraderie that sustains them through personal and academic challenges. Created by Saurabh Khanna, directed by Raghav Subbu and produced by Arunabh Kumar for The Viral Fever, the series also stars Jitendra Kumar, Ahsaas Channa, Revathi Pillai, Priyanshu Raj and Urvi Singh. The series premiered on TVFPlay and YouTube in 2019 and is available on Netflix from the second season onwards.

3 idiots

A middle class engineering student with a passion for photography. A youth weighed down by family responsibilities. And a fearless maverick who breaks rules and challenges academic conventions. When an engineering college brings these three very different individuals together, a lifelong friendship is formed. Farhan, Raju and Rancho experience the highs and lows of student life and even when they go their separate ways, their strong connection brings them back together. With humour, empathy and insight, the film shows us the importance of staying true to ourselves and our friends. The film stars Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani, Omi Vaidya, Mona Singh and Jaaved Jaaferi. Watch the Rajkumar Hirani directorial on Amazon Prime.

The Lunchbox

A switched lunchbox and a series of delicious meals begin to bring joy to a lonely and rather surly widower Sajan Fernandes in his office canteen. And then notes begin to arrive too, tucked between the delicacies. The sender is Ila, a young, neglected wife who begins to pour her heart out to him. This exchange of letters adds colour to their bleak lives and they develop an intimate friendship even though they have never met each other. Irrfan Khan, Nimrit Kaur play the protagonists in this deeply moving film written and directed by Ritesh Batra. It also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Lillete Dubey and Bharati Achrekar. Watch it on Prime Video.

Dear Zindagi

Director Gauri Shinde sheds light on childhood trauma and how it affects adult relationships in this enlightening film. Kaira (Alia Bhatt), an ambitious cinematographer, has a dysfunctional relationship with her parents but gets immense support from her circle of friends. Her two best friends Fatima (Ira Dubey) and Jackie (Yashaswini Dayama) tend to her emotional needs but the one to bring the biggest breakthrough in her emotional life is her therapist Dr. Jehangir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan). He makes her realise that she needs to befriend herself and make peace with her inner child to grow forward. And when Kaira leaves his office for the last time, she inwardly acknowledges that this was the most unexpected and yet life-changing friendship of her life. Watch it on Netflix.