Prince charming is passé: Why female friendships feel more fulfilling than romantic relationships

Prince charming is passé: Why female friendships feel more fulfilling than romantic relationships

When I was younger, my all-time favourite film was Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na because I always imagined myself as Aditi. Like every girl who grew up on Imran Khan's rom-coms, I dreamt of having a friend like Jai in college, someone who would eventually turn into my Prince Charming. Not just Bollywood rom-coms, even age-old fairytales have taught us the same thing - a prince charming would arrive in shining armour to sweep us off our feet. We were never taught the importance of the seven dwarfs from Snow White as our minds were conditioned to wait only for the prince.


But growing up made one thing painfully clear that reality is far from those rom-coms and fairytales.

During college, I never found my Jai, but I did find my Shaleen. Shaleen, who stayed through every heartbreak, every bad day, and every emotional breakdown, regardless of whether what was happening her own life (whether she had a boyfriend or not). Unlike Jai, who slowly drifted away once Meghna entered the picture, she remained constant through every version of me.

In my early years, I craved romance. But after every failed date, every exhausting situationship, and every disappointing ending, I slowly stopped searching for Jai. Adulting taught me something else instead - that female friendships are far more intimate, comforting and fulfilling than the overhyped idea of romantic love itself. As Instagram likes to say, she is forever my “tu de diya awaaz main aa jaungi” person.


The growing prioritisation of female friendships over romantic relationships reflects a larger shift in modern dating culture. From situationships and breadcrumbing to ghosting, today’s dating culture often leaves people feeling emotionally drained rather than fulfilled. As a result, many youngsters are becoming increasingly disillusioned with romance.


Women, especially, are growing tired of emotionally unavailable partners and one-sided emotional labour. Instead, they are turning towards their girl pals that offer emotional security, consistency and genuine understanding. Unlike romantic relationships, which are often burdened by expectations and uncertainty, these friendships feel comforting and emotionally fulfilling.

Perhaps that is also why modern dating is slowly moving away from traditional boyfriend-girlfriend relationships and inching towards more casual arrangements and friends-with-benefits dynamics. Many young people no longer want the pressure of unmet emotional expectations from romance. Instead, they seek companionship without emotional dependency, while their deeper emotional needs are fulfilled through platonic friendships.

Social media and the entertainment industry are playing a major role in romanticising female friendships today. The Devil Wears Prada, for instance, subtly showcases female solidarity through the evolving relationship between Andy Sachs and Emily Charlton. Their journey from workplace rivalry to mutual respect reflects how female connections can grow beyond competition and professional politics.


Instagram reels and online fan culture is now shifting the focus from the traditional hero-heroine romance to the warmth, comfort, and emotional intimacy found in platonic friendships. From Aditi and Naina’s friendship in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani to Rani and Vijayalakshmi’s bond in Queen, Gen Z is increasingly celebrating female friendships as much as and sometimes even more than romantic storylines.

From Oscar Wilde describing friendship in The Picture of Dorian Gray as, “Friendship is far more tragic than love. It lasts longer,” to Khaled Hosseini portraying Mariam’s enduring presence in Laila’s heart in A Thousand Splendid Suns with the words, “Mariam is never very far. Mariam is in her own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns,” literature has long captured the depth and permanence of platonic love. These stories remind us just how painful and life-altering friendships can be when they fall apart.


It may be sad not to have a Jai singing Kabhi Kabhi Aditi in my life, but it would be far sadder to not have a Shaleen beside me, playing her guitar and explaining my side of the story at the airport. Because somewhere between failed romances and growing up, many of us realised that the people who truly stay are often not our Prince Charmings, but the women who hold our hands through every version of ourselves.