Exploring romantic films Saiyaara and My Oxford Year, Yashika Begwani reflects on soulful storytelling, the AI era, and why human emotion, connection, and lived experience still make content unforgettable.

In an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, Love in the Time of AI – Mass-Produced or Flawed and Lived by Yashika Begwani explores the timeless appeal of human storytelling. Juxtaposing romantic dramas Saiyaara and My Oxford Year, the piece reflects on how deeply personal writing, emotional connection, and lived experiences resonate across generations. With references to literary dialogue, soulful music, and heartwarming cinema, Begwani celebrates the irreplaceable charm of flawed, authentic stories over algorithm-generated content. As physical book sales rise and human creativity prevails, this thought-provoking essay champions poetry, honesty, and the enduring magic of heartfelt expression in a digital world.

A Tale of Two Romances Across Continents

“So, Ana, why did you choose Oxford?”

“I have a library fetish. I love the smell of old books.”

An interesting conversation between characters from My Oxford Year, the recent Netflix romantic drama where Ana and Jamie, played by Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest, bond over poetry, books, and the written word. Their chemistry builds not just through glances and stolen moments, but through conversations — real, vulnerable, and soaked in literature.

I watched My Oxford Year right after Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara, produced by Yash Raj Films. At first glance, the two films may seem worlds apart; poetry & love across the English countryside vs. songs and love amidst Indian stage concerts. But to me, they felt oddly similar including the uncannily similar posters. Both have that classic meet-cute, characters from different worlds, a deeply romantic backdrop, and most of all, a shared love for writing, poetry, and lyrics.

In My Oxford Year, Ana and Jamie complete each other’s thoughts while quoting Sylvia Plath & Keats. In Saiyaara, Krish Kapoor and Vaani Batra (played with sincerity by debutants Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda) talk about Music and Lyrics (pun intended) that remind you of ‘pehli baarish... bachpan ke din... ya phir pehla pyaar’. As Vaani says, it’s about “dil ko choo jaane wale gaane.”

The kind that stays.

Echoes of a Romantic Generation

I belong to a generation that grew up watching love unfold through such heart-warming songs, grand gestures, soul-stirring music and warm and relatable (sometimes even swoon-worthy) dialogue. We were raised on a cinematic diet of Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Veer Zaara, Notting Hill, and You’ve Got Mail. Incidentally, all bearing traces of writing – a playwright in Dil Toh Pagal Hai, a deeply moving letter and ode to a loved one and a country in Veer Zaara, a couple reading to one another on the iconic benches of London in Notting Hill, and another couple writing deeply moving e-mails to each other in You’ve Got Mail.

So maybe, to those of us who were shaped by that golden era of romance (across cultures), films like Saiyaara and My Oxford Year may not pierce the soul quite the same way.

Yet, they work.

They work because each generation needs its own stories, its own rhythm, its own formula for love — yet the basics, almost always remain the same.

Like writing. Like honest emotions. Like words and even worlds that feel lived in.

I learn that Saiyaara has broken some box-office records and happens to become one of the highest grossing romantic films in over two decades; a nice little piece of news from a production house that has literally built a cult of The Romantics through their filmography. And a part of me is cheerful and hopeful that they’ve worked for audiences and generations.

Heartfelt vs. Factory-Made: A Creative Crossroads

Which brings me to a question that’s been swirling in my head — in the time of AI, does good writing still prevail?

A recent debate stirred up the creative community when a production house decided to “test” an AI-generated ending for a popular film, Raanjhanaa, and re-release it. It’s eerie how, exactly at the same time, Microsoft rolled out updates on LinkedIn to flag content that feels AI-heavy or devoid of personal voice. YouTube and Google have started tightening their policies too and flagging mass-produced, soulless content dressed under the garb of automation.

It reminds me of what Vaani says to Krish — songs that touch the heart can’t be factory-made in cold, soulless studios.

They need warmth. They need a beat. They need a pulse that represents a moment in time. And I believe content is no different. In another world, I also learn that physical book sales have grown. The growth of the publishing industry especially across the UK has been phenomenal in recent years: according to a new report from the UK Publishing Association for the 2023 London Book Fair, sales increased by 4% between 2021 and 2022 (to £6.9 billion or $8.6 billion), the highest ever level in publishing. And I am absolutely certain that technology alone isn’t capable of this. No matter how sophisticated the tools become, there’s something unmistakable about words written by a human drenched in feeling, and soaked in experience.

That’s why the applause for films like Saiyaara or My Oxford Year feels reassuring. Much like the growth in physical book sales.

Because at their core, they still believe in the power of human connection, of poetry, of messy, beautiful emotions. A different generation, yet the audience still yearns for an honest story that touches the heart — maybe deep down we’re all looking for or better still rooting for a Raj and Simran-esque story soaked in experiences, in warmth, in honesty and in soul-stirring writing. And that kind of writing (as much as technology might aid) still comes from the heart and from lived experience.

And dear reader, if you’ve come this far, or have been reading on this platform across genres, smiling, nodding, or even negating and debating or disagreeing, yet feeling something — then chances are, you’re still moved by words written not by an algorithm, but by someone who cares about what you feel.

The debate, then, is not about humans versus machines — it’s about soulful and flawed human storytelling versus mass-produced, near perfect content. It’s about voices that echo your truth versus content that fills your feed.

And while our worlds will continue to collide with AI and deep tech with tools that will help us work faster, smarter, more efficiently — much like Ana, and much like Krish and Vaani, for a breath of fresh air, I think we’ll always choose the old-school charm of handwritten letters, love songs, well-worn books, and good ole’ cinema.

I rest my case as I dream of another magical world I’m about to step into.

How about you?