In the list of Bollywood's top 10 romantic films of all time, you will always find the 1995 film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge ("The Brave Hearted Will Take Away the Bride").
Also known as DDLJ, this film continues to enthrall audiences with it's humor, romance, music, and powerful climax. This is also the longest-playing film in a movie theatre - the Maratha Mandir in Mumbai has been playing DDLJ since it's release on 20 October 1995 and has no plans to stop showing it anytime soon. It will complete a 1000 week run of the film on 18 December 2014.
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("In big big countries such small small things ... keep happening")
Besides being a beloved film of audiences around the world, the film has inspired a new generation of Indian actors.
In a CNN-IBN interview with Rajeev Masand, actor Ayushmann Khurrana - star of the 2012 comedy drama Vicky Donor - explained the impact of DDLJ in his life:
One film that really changed my life - life altering experience - was Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, hands down. ...I was 11 years old and during that time I had my first crush. It changed everything. After watching DDLJ, this crush of mine started noticing me more because I was one of the few guys at the time with dimples. And I used to mimic Shah Rukh at that time.
I was almost entering my teens during DDLJ and this was the film which was very progressive. It was one of the cooler films - the coolest films - in that era with a hero like Shah Rukh Khan. It has a lot to do with Shah Rukh's character in real life as well. He was direct, straightforward, intelligent, verbal, active. He represented the youth of the 90s. In fact, all the school kids of the 90s believed Shah Rukh is the cool guy.
("If she loves you then she will turn around and see you ... turn ... turn!")
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was the first film that made Punjabis look cool. Being a Punjabi I can completely relate to the film. In every shaadhi, every wedding, is like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. The character of Simran was such a typical Punjabi girl ...vulnerable, who stays abroad but still who is very rooted, very conservative at the same time. You just want that kind of girl in life.
Anupam Kher played Shah Rukh's father. ... I wanted a father like that ... a father [that] is cool and would allow you to go out with girls and also share some jokes. So that was the kind of father you wanted.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is my favorite film. It's an immortal film for Indian cinema.
("No fool can snatch you away from me by putting a ring on you ... you are mine, just mine")
The film also influenced Indian architect, actor, and film producer Ritesh Deshmukh, who starred in the 2014 film Ek Villain. In a separate CNN-IBN interview with Rajeev Masand he explained:
I think that, as a teenager, Dilwale Dulhania had the hugest impact on me. ... I saw [DDLJ] and I wanted to be Shah Rukh Khan in real life. I felt I should romance my girlfriend like that ... the idea of romance was so pure.
DDLJ, Shah Rukh Khan ... the kinds of films he did - Dil To Pagal Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai - all my favorite films and the kind of film that I love watching had so much of an impact on me that I know the first time when I started acting I told my director please make sure I don't do anything like Shah Rukh Khan. It was very easy to just try to say it the way he said it because of the kind of influence he had on my as a teenager.
... I remember from the scene of Shah Rukh saying palat, palat, palat ["turn, turn, turn"] to Kajol. The most romantic moment of the film for me was when Kajol at the railway station invites him for the wedding and he says he won't come. The best dialogue was in the climax when he says toh kya hua agar yeh awara tumhe deewano ki tarah pyar karta hai ["so what if this vagabond loves you like crazy"].
I think everyone who watched the film wanted to be in the film DDLJ. But DDLJs happen only once.
The following playlist features the official trailer of the film and the full CNN-IBN interviews about DDLJ with Ayushmann Khurrana and Ritesh Deshmukh.
If you liked this, check out our other Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge posts.