1000 weeks of ‘DDLJ’

Ten reasons why ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’
is not just a film!

By Ankita R. Kanabar

(This feature has been published in the December 13, 2014 issue of Super Cinema)

There are good films, there are bad films. And then, there’s something like ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ which not only entertains people, but makes a humungous impact on them. The romantic saga continues to linger on our minds, in a way that it’s more a part of the popular culture, and people remember instances from the film, every now and then while facing some real-life situations. Call it cinematic brilliance, or just a film brimming with simplicity that won hearts, but talk about Hindi cinema, and there’ll always be a mention of ‘DDLJ’. It makes the kids of the 90s nostalgic when they reminisce the moments from the film, while the music continues to be hummed by people. Not to forget, most girls go ‘awww’ at the mention of ‘DDLJ’ and Raj! Yes, it is an iconic film, but it also goes beyond just being a film! Here’s why…

1.      Bade Bade deshon mein aisi chhoti chhoti baatein hoti rehti hai

The film released in 1995, but since then how many times have we heard people say, ‘bade bade deshon mein aisi chhoti chhoti baatein hoti rehti hai’? Or perhaps, you yourself might have said it once or twice, just for fun’s sake! So much so, that this one has begun to sound cliché. But like they say, clichés are clichés for a reason – they worked. The dialogues of this film worked and how! 1000 weeks to its release and people still say things like, ‘Jaa Simran jee le apni zindagi’ while pulling someone’s leg, or some serious, true things like, ‘Sapne dekho..zarur dekho, bas unke poore hone ki shart mat rakho’. Evidently, these dialogues still fit into our lifestyle and vocabulary. Somehow all these drama-filled lines penned by Javed Siddiqui along with Aditya Chopra, still seem so fresh and ‘dumdaar!’

2.      The swaying yellow mustard field

The beautiful yellow field, a stunning-looking Kajol clad in white, Shah Rukh Khan with his arms wide open with the signature ‘DDLJ’ mandolin tune playing in the background. This particular sequence was such a high for cinema lovers. The moment in fact, is considered so iconic, that most actresses would love to emulate this ‘sarson ke khet’ sequence, just to get that quintessential Hindi cinema heroine feeling. During the release of ‘Highway’, Alia Bhatt was heard sharing, “I loved the shooting experience of ‘Highway’ in Punjab. I got to do things running in the fields like Kajol from ‘DDLJ’, but obviously I wasn’t looking as beautiful as she was!”

3.      The music

The fact that ‘Mehendi lagaa ke rakhna’ has continued to remain an all-time favourite, to be played at any wedding, or ‘Mere khwabon mein joh aaye’ seems relatable to every single girl, speaks volumes about the music of this classic. Anand Bakshi’s brilliant lyrics and Jatin-Lalit’s class-apart tunes added so much to the film. The hopelessly filmy girl that I am, I love to listen to ‘Najaane mere dilko kya ho gaya’ while travelling with breeze blowing on my face. Evidently the music played a huge role in making the film what it is, but what’s even more commendable is how the lyrics continue to make so much sense to the situations our life offers and the music touches your soul, years down the line.

4.      The train sequence

Every time you run for a train, you wish there was some guy (even if his name isn’t Raj) waiting at the door to hold your hand. Okay, yes, I’m being melodramatic, but every time you see a similar scene in a film, don’t you say, ‘Oh that’s so DDLJ’? So many movies have made no bones making the audience reminisce this moment. Take for instance; recently ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ had a similar situation between the lead actors Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.

5.      Palat!

Admit it! The fact that Shah Rukh Khan said, ‘Raj agar yeh tujhse pyaar karti hai…toh yeh palat kar zarur dekhegi…palat…palat…palat,” you actually do believe that it works for real.

6.      Hope for the hopeless romantic

For the die-hard romantics, ‘DDLJ’ is their comfort zone, it’s like their ray of hope, it’s a work of art that arouses various emotions. For most, it’s their favourite love story. Little wonder then, that many films have tried to bring in similar angles. The Varun Dhawan-Alia Bhatt starrer ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’ is said to have some resemblances to ‘DDLJ’ in the second half of the film. Also, it won’t be surprising, if a girl thinks she might meet a cute boy while she ventures on a trip with her girlfriends. Remember Minisha Lamba’s character in ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’? The tagline of ‘DDLJ’ – Come…fall in love, is a further testament to this. It makes one believe in love, or the belief that love triumphs, eventually!

7.      Feeding-the-pigeon sequence

Somehow, you might end up saying ‘aaoon’, recollecting ‘DDLJ’ if you ever go to feed pigeons. Yes, you might try to get that ‘aaoon’ like Amrish Puri.

8.      A handbook on how to make a Hindi film

Dialogue-writer and lyricist Mayur Puri who has worked on several films including the recently released ‘Happy New Year’, says, “It’s a handbook on how to make a Hindi film, or a Hindi love story and should have a mandatory viewing in all film schools,” and adds, “I recently watched the film again at Maratha Mandir and my elder son enjoyed it as much as I did when the film had released. It doesn’t look dated at all. It’s still so fresh. The greatest achievement of a film is when it makes different kinds of people laugh or cry at the same time, in a scene.”

9.      The bonding

The equation between the characters in ‘DDLJ’ so endearing, you want to have that for real. For instance, who doesn’t wish to have a father-son bonding that Anupam Kher and SRK portrayed? Or which girl wouldn’t want a mother like Lajjo played by Farida Jalal? Creating chemistry and conflict between characters that warms your heart, makes you feel for them and remember them for years…very few films have the ability to that, right?

10.  Cowbell

All of us wish to have a cowbell, from Switzerland every time we watch ‘DDLJ’, don’t we? It’s amazing how little things that films have, make a huge impact on people for real!