Taste of Slow-burn

We all love. Sometimes, we see love as something that needs to be chased, earned or trapped. Yes, it works for some people and they do enjoy the chase.

But there is another kind of love. A love that neither rushes nor does it demand control. It builds quietly and grows naturally and slowly. It might not always go as we plan but it always follows a greater and better one.  This is the love of the slow burn.

As I mentioned above, some think love needs to be rushed. They are often driven by fast results and successes. Friendships are judged by fast replies and reactions on social media and waiting seems to be a failure in their world. As we only see the results but not the years behind the scenes on social media, everything looks so instant and we think we have to catch up to lives we don’t fully see.

Social media is not the only cause of this behavior as it existed long before the digital era. However, they have amplified it, spreading faster and wider than ever before as it feeds the fear of being left behind and missing out.

Now, let’s look at the other side. In slow burn love, almost nothing happens quickly. It does not arrive with sparks. Often, at the very beginning there is no love at all. What really exists at the beginning is two people capable of loving and at least one person who believes that love can grow slowly.

The acts of the two for each other are the growth hormone of slow burn. Not the words, fancy dates or friends. The best thing about these actions is not to earn or chase the other one’s love but simply to make him or her happy and comfortable. As these actions don’t expect anything but the other one’s comfort in return, they are sustained throughout their lives without getting bored or burnt out. The slow-burn love thrives when the couple is on their own meaning there are no advices nor applause for them.

The most beautiful thing about slow-burn love is, you can feel the wholesomeness of love from the very first day you meet the other. There are no milestones or goals as all you do and want is to love the other, in other words, care for the other and make sacrifices for her or him. You don’t have to wait until you get the “yes”.

The very first slow burn movie I watched was the famous Hindi movie, “Rab ne Bana di Jodi (2008) – A match made in the heavens” but I didn’t know this was called slow-burn. The only thing I knew about the movie is, I absolutely loved it that I watched it more than fifty times.

I can guarantee you that, you can feel the wholesomeness about the slow-burn romance throughout the movie. How deeply Surindar Shani (Shah Rukh Khan) cares for his love Tani (Anushka Sharma) and what sacrifices he can make just to make her happy.

Surprisingly, many slow-burn romance movies are somehow connected to marriages of convenience. I think this supports the fact that the slow burn thrives when the atmosphere is challenging and the couple is on their own.

Also, the slow-burn romance movies will tell you that the love you deserve is not always where you think it is. It can be in the most unexpected people that you meet at most unexpected times.

If you are more into Hollywood than the Bollywood, here are some of my favorite movies for your slow-burn romance thirst.

A Walk in the Clouds (1995) is one of the best slow burns you can watch in Hollywood.

This is a perfect movie which implicitly compares the rushed love and the romance. Paul Sutton (Keanu Reeves) is a wedded soldier who is returning from war to start a new life with his wife. Victoria Aragon (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón) is a student who is pregnant out of wedlock. As Angelica cannot face her father in her condition, Paul steps to help her selflessly and the story is about their slowly growing love. Both Angelica and Paul suffer from the love which they don’t deserve but finally find it in the most unexpected way.

Also, this movie has a great cinematography and shows you some great cultures and traditions that you never knew existed especially the grape crushing tradition of Mexico.

A Walk in the Clouds is another proof that most of the slow burn movies revolves around a marriage of convenience.

There are many slow-burn movies in my bucket and yes, I cannot describe to you each and every one but here are my top picks and if you ever get a chance to watch them, take it because you will never regret it.

The Magic of Ordinary Days (2005), Love Comes Softly (2003) and How to Fall in Love (2012) will fill your hearts with wholesome love and your eyes with tears.

If you are more into Rom-Coms, I have got you covered. The Wedding Date (2005), 13 Going on 30 (2004) and Flipped (2010) are for you.

The movies will help you realize that love is not something that you should have to plan, prepare for or chase. It will come softly and remain forever if you truly care for the other.

I hope you enjoyed my article and don’t forget to share your slow-burn story too. Until we meet with a new article, Goodbye!

Thank you!