By Kavita Mistry 
The post-liberalisation new-age romance
I was 17 when I watched Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ), in the first week of its release, at a cinema hall in Coimbatore. I was swept away by the swooning, fairytale romance. Over the years, I have revisited the film on several occasions and it remains an all-time favourite, a comforting romance.
DDLJ was new-age for its time. It was a musical, much like the other popular romances that preceded it from the late 1980s to the mid 90s, including Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Maine Pyar Kiya, and Hum Aapke Hain Kaun.
India opened its doors to economic liberalisation in 1991 but international travel was still an expensive dream. DDLJ tapped into middle class aspirations for travel through the romance unfolding on Eurail, across London, Paris and Switzerland.
A still from the film
Raj and Simran’s romance was shaped by the polar opposite outlooks of their respective fathers. The film opens with Amrish Puri, the patriarch, longing to revisit his motherland. He has made the cold, grey London his second home for livelihood but his heart beats for India and its warmth.
Contrast that with Raj’s father, played by Anupam Kher, who also migrated to London for economic reasons but has a liberal outlook towards his son. While Amrish Puri expects his wife and daughters to adhere to a conservative Indian ethos, Kher does not want his son to forgo the Eurail trip for the sake of taking up family business. Kher says warmly that he has slogged all his life so that his son can lead a comparatively happy-go-lucky life that he could only dream of.
Simran has to wait till her father says yes. Raj goes in search of Simran since his father nudges him and gives him the courage to go seek his girl.
Portraying Raj and Simran, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol gave romance a younger spin compared to the actors of the 1970s and 1980s. The societal angst of the earlier decades, when Amitabh Bachchan prevailed as the ‘angry young man’, was giving way to newer, more carefree storylines. The younger actors – led by Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan – were boys wearing their affable nature on their sleeve and unafraid to showcase their vulnerabilities on screen. SRK’s portrayal of a young man who will wait patiently and do all it takes to win over his girl’s family made him all the more endearing.
Thirty years later, the romance between Raj and Simran feels like a throwback to simpler times. Especially when compared to the alpha male protagonists that dominate the screens today, often tangled in messy, grey romances.
Sangeetha Devi Dundoo
Loving Shah Rukh Khan comes easy
I can’t say when it began — may be somewhere between ‘Palat’ and ‘Bade bade deshon mein’. It was Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge that marked the beginning of my never-ending romance with Shah Rukh Khan. Three decades later, nothing has changed. Every time this eloquent star appears on screen with his dimpled smile, my heart flutters.
A still from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge
| Photo Credit:
MAIL PIC
Loving Shah Rukh Khan comes easy. In romantic scenes from the film, his soft glances speak volumes. He is never macho, but sensitive, and head-over-heels for the women he professes love for. As Raj, he stands in the middle of a field of yellow mustard flowers with outstretched arms and a welcoming smile, asking a woman to love him. The charm of holding hands, running through mustard fields, and dancing in the rain to the strumming of the guitar, never looked better. He fasts alongside Simran, peels carrots in DDLJ, and disregards gender roles unabashedly.
When he gazes into Simran’s eyes and earnestly sings Tujhe dekha to yeh jana sanam, pyar hota hai deewana sanam… it feelslike he is singing to me, and maybe to every woman in the audience. By the time the end credits rolled, I had fallen in love with Shah Rukh Khan, eternally. His charm, golden smile, expressive eyes, heartfelt dialogues, respect for women both on and off-screen, made him my ultimate dream man. To me, SRK meant love, and an inspiration for success.
The film also gifted an iconic fashion statement in Shah Rukh Khan’s brown leather jacket. It became an emotion. Years later, when my partner showed up in a shiny blue leather jacket and proposed with that same gentle smile in his eyes, I said yes. Love came full circle — my DDLJ moment.
K Jeshi
Raj, Simran, and chemotherapy
My heart was pounding. I was thirsty. Tears streamed down my cheeks. My stomach churned. Shah Rukh Khan was on screen in his iconic black leather jacket with a mandolin in hand. My symptoms weren’t related to what I watched on screen — a young Raj serenading Simran in the bucolic valleys of Switzerland. But in some strange way, it became the reason — even though briefly — to get respite from the side effects of chemotherapy.
A painting of Indian actors Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir theatre since its debut
| Photo Credit:
INDRANIL MUKHERJEE
After its release in 1995, I may have watched Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge around eight times — whether it was on Doordarshan back in the day, on cable tv, or more recently on OTT platforms. I enjoyed it each time. But in 2022, the movie held a different meaning for me. Diagnosed with breast cancer, as I was going through chemotherapy, I had good days, bad days, and disastrous days. When nausea made it difficult to even drink water, and strange side effects hampered my day to day activities, I found ways to take my mind off these inconveniences.
I found solace in DDLJ. There was something comforting, reassuring, therapeutic, even, about it. I don’t know if it was Shah Rukh Khan (that man can charm anyone in any situation), or the peppy songs, or the beautiful locations, or the comfort of familiarity… of knowing that the main characters will end up together albeit in the most dramatic way and all will be well… Whatever it is, Aditya Chopra had done something right because this blockbuster made me feel calm, stopped my mind from racing and lulled me into a sense of security.
For someone like me who loves travelling and had to put all travel plans on hold through the course of the treatment, this movie was truly a source of escapism. So, I owe the entire team of DDLJ a big thank you and as I watch it on its 30th anniversary I feel an increased sense of fondness for all the characters, including Kuljit and Baldev Singh!
Priyadarshini Paitandy