1995 / produced by Yash Chopra / directed by Aditya Chopra /
starring Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, & Anupam Kher /
music by Jatin Lali / lyrics by Anand Bakshi
To paraphrase the Bard, some films are born
great, some have greatness thrust upon them, and then there's "Dilwale
Dulhaniya Le Jayenge," which fits both categories. Released to box-office
acclaim in 1995, the film has run for over eight years in at least one Mumbai
cinema hall, earning it a mythic status amidst the slew of 1990s bubblegum
romances. Yet before it spawned an entire film genre (and reams of
academic commentary) addressing the Indian diaspora's nostalgia for homeland,
DDLJ was just another masala film. And treating it as such, the viewer
discovers a simple story with a few scattered flaws that fabulous acting and a
witty script elevate to a modern romantic masterpiece.
'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' was among
the first Indian films to be produced with the large and rich South Asian diaspora
in the West as its target audience. The film introduced the Non-Resident Indian
into modern Hindi cinema, making overseas desis and scenic foreign locations
the heart and soul of storytelling.
The trans-continental romance filmed in the UK,
Switzerland and India and remains the longest-running film in the history of
Indian cinema, completing 900 weeks at the Maratha Mandir theatre in Mumbai. Earning
over 106 crore (US$18 million}) in India
and 16 crore (US$2.7 million}) overseas,
the film was declared an "All-time Blockbuster" and became the
biggest Bollywood hit of the year, as well as one of the biggest Bollywood hits
ever.
The film tells the story of a young couple (Raj
and Simran) who fall in love on a European vacation, and relates how the boy
tries to win over the girl's parents so that she can marry him rather than the
groom that her father has chosen for her.
Raj Malhotra (Shahrukh Khan) and Simran Singh
(Kajol) are two NRIs (Non Resident Indians) living in London. Although both
value their Indian roots, they have experienced different parenting styles.
Simran has been raised by her conservative father Baldev (Amrish Puri) while
Raj's father (Anupam Kher) is more liberal.
Simran has always dreamt of a boy she describes
as Prince Charming, believing he is the one for her. Her mother Lajjo (Farida
Jalal) warns her against this, saying these dreams will never come true. Her
father Baldev soon receives a letter from his friend Ajit (Satish Shah) who
lives in Punjab. Ajit wants to keep a promise he and Baldev made to each other
20 years ago — to have Simran marry his son Kuljeet (Parmeet Sethi). Simran is
disappointed by this news — she does not want to marry somebody whom she has
never met before. Meanwhile, Raj has failed his degree which however makes his
father proud of him. Raj asks his father if he can go on a Eurail trip with his
friends around Europe. His father agrees. Later, Raj enters Baldev's shop and
steals some beer which infuriates him, making him call Raj a disgrace to
Indians. Simran is also invited by her friends to go on the Eurail trip. Simran
tells her father that she thinks she should be allowed to go because it will be
her last chance to see the world before she marries a complete stranger. Baldev
lets her go but tells her not to betray his trust.
On the Eurail, Raj and Simran meet. Raj
constantly flirts with Simran, much to her irritation. Then, the two miss their
train to Zurich and are separated from their friends. They start to travel with
one another to catch back up and become friends in the process. Raj falls in
love with Simran on the journey and when they both part ways back in London,
Simran also realises that she is in love with him, too. Simran tells her mother
about Raj — Baldev overhears the conversation and becomes furious with Simran.
He says that the family will leave for India the next day for good. Meanwhile,
Raj tells his father about Simran and that she is getting married soon. When
Raj says he believes Simran loves him too, his father encourages him to go
after her. Raj arrives at her house in London, only to find that she has
already left for India. She left a souvenir they had bought together on their
trip on her front porch however, which encourages Raj to keep chasing her.
In India, Baldev is delighted to be reunited with
his friend Ajit as well as all his relatives. Simran and her younger sister,
Chutki, meet Kuljeet, Simran's fiance, and instantly dislike him due to his
arrogance. Simran still cannot forget Raj and is miserable about having to
marry Kuljeet. Her mother tells her to forget Raj because she knows that Baldev
will never accept it. Baldev vows that Simran will regret it if she does not
forget Raj. The next morning, Simran hears a familiar sound and runs out to the
fields to find Raj there. She begs him to take her and run away because she
knows her father will never let them be together. Raj refuses and says he will
only marry Simran with her father's consent. Raj befriends Kuljeet and gets
quickly accepted by his and Simran's family, all with the exception of Baldev
who is still angry about Raj stealing from his shop. Soon Raj's father arrives
in India and also becomes good friends with everyone. Raj and Simran hatch a
number of plans in order to avoid her wedding to Kuljeet. Firstly, they make it
look as though Simran cut her finger so she does not have to wear an engagement
ring. Secondly, Simran pretends to faint during her Karva Chauth fast so that
Raj can be the first one to feed her, not Kuljeet. Eventually Lajjo and Chutki
realise that Raj is the one Simran fell in love with in Europe. Lajjo tells Raj
and Simran to run away, but Raj still refuses. Baldev and Raj become good
friends until Baldev discovers a photograph of Raj and Simran in Europe and
realises that Raj is the boy Simran had told them about. He openly insults Raj
and tells him to leave the house and never come back.
Raj arrives at the station. Kuljeet and his
friends arrive and start to attack Raj. Raj's father soon comes to his defence
and is also attacked. Eventually Baldev and Ajit arrive at the station and stop
Raj, who then boards the departing train with his father. Simran soon arrives
with her mother and sister. She tries to join Raj on the train but Baldev stops
her. Simran begs him to let her go, saying she cannot live without Raj. Baldev finally
realises that nobody can love his daughter more than Raj does. He lets her go
to join Raj, which she does happily, while the train takes off.
When it released on July 25, 1995, DDLJ
received rave reviews from critics worldwide and became the second highest
grossing film of Bollywood in 1990s after Salman Khan's 'Hum Aapke Hai
Koun'.It was also the second film to surpass the 100 crore mark worldwide.
In 1996, DDLJ won 10 Filmfare Awards including four major awards in the Best Movie,
Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress categories.It also won National Film
Awards for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
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