Bollywood's longest running film - 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' - completes 19 years of its release today. On account of its 19th anniversary, we discuss how DDLJ not only taught us to fall in love but also fight for it.
Ask a crowd of Bollywood buffs and two out of three people would tag Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge as the most iconic romantic film made in Bollywood. From picturesque locales to a candid love story, DDLJ had everything - love, compassion and candy floss! At a time when films were considered successful on the basis of their golden jubilee, silver jubilees or 100-day run at the box office, DDLJ had set a new record of running for the maximum number of days. No wonder, Mumbai's Maratha Mandir still holds matinee shows of the film.
Different from the usual love sagas that the audience was subjected to at that point, DDLJ was a refreshing change. Apart from the performances, it was the feel and the vibe of the film which tugged at the heart. Defying the age old norms of film making in the '90s, Aditya Chopra had created a world of his own - one that had love, passionate longing to be together and yet paying ode to traditional Indian family values.
The movie not only turned out to be one of India's biggest blockbusters, but also helped change the way we perceive love. Deep within, everyone wished they were Raj or Simran and dreamt of meeting their counterpart, in the same trademark DDLJ manner. The story about two diametrically opposite characters falling in love and making it work against all odds with their obstinate determination, DDLJ endeared itself to the audience.
Dilwale did not just teach us to love. It rather instilled within us the vigour to fight for love, of never giving up on it. The film did not just give birth to two superstars in the form of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, but also made the characters they played - Raj and Simran - iconic for decades here onwards.
From the trend of dancing in the Swiss Alps wearing a chiffon sari to SRK's trademark spreading-his-arms move, and charming his woman with his dimpled flamboyance, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge still holds nostalgic value. Somewhere deep down in our hearts, there resides a Raj or a Simran waiting to sing across mustard fields and run behind the train, chasing our love. No matter how many films try reinventing romance with newer concepts and stories, DDLJ will still hold a special place.
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