"You'll write," he said.

Romance X's impact on Bollywood extends beyond its box office success. The film marked a shift towards more realistic storytelling, influencing a generation of filmmakers. Its legacy can be seen in movies like Barfi! (2012), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), and Fukrey (2013), which similarly explored themes of love, relationships, and self-discovery.

Kaulitz’s production is a masterclass in restraint. Sparse TR-909 kick drums sit beneath woozy, detuned synthesizers that wouldn’t sound out of place on a PlayStation 1 boot screen. Tracks like “Midnight VLAN” and “Cigarette & Answering Machine” layer Vasquez’s breathy, double-tracked vocals over samples of old Japanese city pop and answering machine beeps. The bass is warm, almost analogue—a reaction against the sterile, over-produced teen pop dominating the era.

The story follows Marie (), a young schoolteacher stuck in a cold, affectionless relationship with her boyfriend, Paul ( Sagamore Stévenin ). Paul claims to love her but refuses any physical intimacy.