What If The Summer I Turned Pretty Was A Bollywood Movie? It Would Be Kapoor & Sons With An Indian Twist

What If Series: Imagine if Jenny Han’s bestselling novel The Summer I Turned Pretty was turned into a Bollywood film. The coming-of-age drama, filled with love triangles, family emotions, and youthful nostalgia, already feels like something that could easily fit into the Hindi film industry. And if we really think about it, Bollywood already gave us its own version years ago, 'Kapoor & Sons'. With a few Indian twists, the two stories start to look surprisingly similar.

For those who haven’t read or watched The Summer I Turned Pretty, the story revolves around Belly, a teenage girl who spends her summers at the beach house of family friends. Over the years, she finds herself caught between two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah, while also discovering her own identity. It’s tender, emotional, and full of messy, heartfelt relationships.

Now shift this setup to an Indian backdrop. Picture a hill station in Himachal or the beaches of Goa instead of the American seaside. Instead of Belly, you could have a spirited Indian girl, perhaps played by someone like Alia Bhatt or Janhvi Kapoor, navigating her first brush with love and heartbreak. The two brothers could be brought to life by actors like Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ishaan Khatter, both capable of capturing charm and angst in equal measure.

Here’s where Kapoor & Sons steps in. While not exactly the same, Shakun Batra’s 2016 hit also explored the theme of a girl finding herself in the middle of two brothers, played by Fawad Khan and Sidharth Malhotra, with Alia Bhatt as the heart of the love triangle. Add to that the layer of complicated family dynamics, secrets, and emotions, and you already have a storyline that echoes the essence of Han’s novel.

But Bollywood wouldn’t stop there. An Indianised The Summer I Turned Pretty would surely add a musical spin. Imagine soulful Arijit Singh ballads for Conrad’s brooding moments, peppy dance tracks for Jeremiah’s lively side, and a heart-tugging family song for those classic Kapoor-style dinners gone wrong. Instead of a soft summer romance, the story would expand into a family saga mixing comedy, drama, and heartbreak, exactly what Kapoor & Sons did so well.

ALSO READ: The Summer I Turned Pretty S3 Finale Episode: Belly, Conrad And Jeremiah Get Their Happily-Ever After, But Did It Live Up To The Hype?

In the end, both The Summer I Turned Pretty and Kapoor & Sons remind us that growing up isn’t just about falling in love, but also about understanding family, choices, and the bittersweetness of growing older. If Bollywood ever adapted Jenny Han’s novel, it wouldn’t feel new but it would simply feel like coming home to an Indian version we already love.