Rating-*****/*****Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (English: The Brave Hearted Will Take Away the Bride), also known as DDLJ, is a 1995 Indian romantic comedy musical film. It was written and directed by debutante director Aditya Chopra, produced by his father Yash Chopra, and stars Shahrukh Khan and Kajol. The film tells the story of a young couple 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 boy that her father has chosen for her. It was filmed in India, London, and Switzerland.
Earning over INR106 crore (US$16 million) in India and INR16 crore (US$2.4 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.[5] During the 1996 awards season, the film won 10 Filmfare Awards, the most ever for a single film at that time, as well as the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was ranked by Indiatimes Movies among the "25 Must See Bollywood Films". It was one of two Hindi films in the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" list along with Mother India. It was also placed twelfth on the British Film Institute's list of the top Indian films of all time. The film was declared an all-time blockbuster and it remains as the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema. As of 2013, it is still playing at the Maratha Mandir theatre in Mumbai, completing 900 weeks on 11 January 2013.[6]
Contents [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
3.1 Development
3.2 Themes
4 Reception
5 Legacy
6 Soundtrack
7 Awards
7.1 Filmfare Awards
7.2 National Film Awards
7.3 Star Screen Awards
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links
Plot[edit]
The story is of two NRIs (Non Resident Indians) living in London, named Raj Malhotra (Shahrukh Khan) and Simran Singh (Kajol). Raj and Simran both value their Indian roots but the two 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 surprisingly 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 comes to his senses and 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.
Cast[edit]
♦ Shahrukh Khan as Raj Malhotra, an NRI living in London
♦ Kajol as Simran Singh, an NRI living in London
♦ Anupam Kher as Dharamvir Malhotra, Raj's father
♦ Amrish Puri as Chaudhary Baldev Singh, Simran's father
♦ Farida Jalal as Lajwanti "Lajjo" Singh, Simran's mother
♦ Pooja Ruparel as Rajeshwari "Chutki" Singh, Simran's sister
♦ Satish Shah as Ajit Singh, Baldev's friend in India
♦ Parmeet Sethi as Kuljeet Singh, Ajit's son
♦ Mandira Bedi as Preeti Singh, Ajit's daughter
♦ Achala Sachdev as Simran's grandmother
♦ Himani Shivpuri as Kammo Kaur, Simran's aunt
♦ Anaita Shroff Adajania as Sheena, Simran's friend
♦ Karan Johar as Rocky, Raj's friend
♦ Arjun Sablok as Robby, Raj's friend
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
Yash Chopra decided to launch his son Aditya, who had been working with him as an assistant director and producer, as a director with Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. Aditya had total editorial control and made the film according to his own tastes and sensibilities. Yash did not see major portions until it was nearly complete.[7]
The film was among the first to be produced with the large and rich South Asian diaspora in the West as its target.[8] Some films that later followed this trend include Pardes (1997), Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), Kal Ho Na Ho (2003), and Salaam Namaste (2005); the diaspora market is seen as a safer financial investment than the desi market.[9] Director Aditya Chopra originally wanted to cast Tom Cruise for the role of Raj, as he wanted it to be an Indo-American affair, but was dissuaded by his father/producer Yash, who did not want a foreign star.[10] They decided to go with a theme of non-resident Indians (NRIs). Chopra then asked Saif Ali Khan to play the lead role. But he declined, prompting Chopra to approach Shahrukh Khan for the same,[11] who initially was not really interested because of the romantic nature of the film. Chopra eventually convinced him to do it, and Khan has since then expressed his gratitude to Chopra for making him a star.[12] Chopra then cast Kajol to star opposite Shahrukh Khan. The two actors had previous worked together in Baazigar (1993) and Karan Arjun (1995).
The first sequence filmed was of Kajol for the "Ho Gaya" song.[13] Filming of the European trip scenes was done mainly in Switzerland, including Saanen for the train station and bridge scenes,[14][15] Montbovon for the churches, and Gstaad for a song sequence.[16] Numerous scenes were shot in England and India.
Saroj Khan was the choreographer. After several disputes with Chopra, she was replaced by Farah Khan near the end of the shoot. Farah choreographed "Ruk Ja O Dil Deewane." Manish Malhotra was in charge of costume design, with help from Karan Johar. Sharmishta Roy was the art director.[17] The film's title was suggested by one of the actors Kirron Kher, and was taken from the song "Le Jayenge Le Jayenge" from the 1974 film Chor Machaye Shor. The character of Raj sings small parts of this song throughout, and it recurs at the end. DDLJ is believed to be the only film with a "Title suggested by" credit.[17]
After filming was complete, Chopra decided to make a Hollywood-style documentary of the filmmaking process, which had never been done before in India. Karan Johar and Chopra's brother Uday were put in charge. On 18 October, The Making of DDLJ was aired on Doordarshan, two days before the film's premiere.[17]
DDLJ was the second Bollywood production and the first Yash Raj Film to be mixed in Dolby sound. It released in India with Dolby SR and a very limited release with Dolby Digital 5.1 which was brand new in India at the time.
Themes[edit]
Yash Raj Films was previously known for using foreign (non-Indian) locations for item numbers in their films. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge started the trend for films designed to appeal to the Indian diaspora, which have foreign locations as integral parts of the story. The characters are themselves diaspora, and tend to be able to move around with ease between India and the West.[9] This film repeats the usual conservative agenda of family, courtship and marriage, but it proposes that Indian family values are portable assets that can be upheld regardless of country of residence.[18] In fact, Raj (who was brought up in London) is the "good guy" of the story, whereas Kuljeet (raised in India) is seen as the "bad guy". This is a reversal from typical Indian films, which usually portray Indians as being morally superior to Westerners.[19]
The story also aims to capture the struggle between traditional family values and the modern value of individualism.[20] Though Raj and Simran want to be together regardless of her father's plans for her, Raj tries to win over the father rather than simply eloping. In this and other Indian stories, family values are ultimately considered more important than the romantic plot. Individual desires have to take a back seat to moral values and rules of conduct.[21] The film implies that "Indianness" can be defined by the importance of family life: whether at home or abroad, it is the Indian family system that is recognized as the social institution that most defines being Indian.[8]
Also there are themes of the purity/sanctity of women being related to the purity/sanctity of the nation. In the scene after Raj and Simran spend the night together and Simran is concerned that something happened, Raj tells her: "You think I am beyond values, but I am a Hindustani, and I know what a Hindustani girl’s izzat [honour] is worth. Trust me, nothing happened last night." This speaks to the Indian diaspora and their need to try and sustain their value system.[8]
Reception[edit]
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge opened to full houses and good reviews all over the world.[22] It was a hit among both Indians and NRIs,[23] and became the first Hindi film blockbuster to feature NRIs as main characters.[24] Earning over INR106 crore (US$16 million) in India and INR16 crore (US$2.4 million) overseas, the film became the biggest Bollywood hit of the year,[4][25] and second highest grossing of the 1990s behind Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, becoming the second Bollywood film to gross over INR100 crore worldwide.[26] It eventually became one of the biggest Bollywood hits of all time.[27] Adjusted for inflation, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is believed to be among the top five highest grossing Hindi films. Its adjusted gross is approximately INR293 crore (US$45 million).[28]
Tom Vick reviewed the film for Allmovie and said, "An immensely likeable movie, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge performs the rarely achieved feat of stretching a predictable plot over three hours and making every minute enjoyable."[29] When DDLJ toured the United States in 2004 as part of the Cinema India showcase, "The Changing Face of Indian Cinema",[30] Charles Taylor reviewed the film for Salon.com and said: "It's a flawed, contradictory movie—aggressive and tender, stiff and graceful, clichéd and fresh, sophisticated and naive, traditional and modern. It's also, I think, a classic."[31] Avinash Ramchandani of Planet Bollywood gave the film a 9/10 rating and stated, "Comedy and story, this movie has both, following in the Yash Raj lineage of delivering memorable films." He remarked, "Aditya Chopra has balanced his film well and delivered a memorable film that will probably be watched for years to come.[32]
Anupama Chopra included the film in her list of "The 20 Best Hindi Films Ever Made", writing, "Perhaps the innocence of Raj and Simran’s romance in which they can spend the night together without sex because Raj, the bratish NRI understands the importance of an Indian woman’s honor. Perhaps it’s the way in which the film artfully reaffirms the patriarchal status quo and works for all constituencies—the NRI and the local viewer. Or perhaps it’s the magic of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol who created a template for modern love, which was hip and cool but resolutely Indian."[33] She also calls the film a milestone that shaped Hindi cinema through the 1990s.[12] In 2004, Meor Shariman of The Malay Mail called the film a "must watch" for Bollywood fans, and also for those seeking an introduction to Bollywood.[34]
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was ranked amongst Indiatimes Movies list of the 25 Must See Bollywood Films.[35] It was one of the two Hindi films in the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list (the other being Mother India from 1957).[36] It was placed twelfth on the British Film Institute's list of top Indian films of all time.[37] It is one of the films on Box Office India's list of "Biggest Blockbusters Ever in Hindi Cinema".[38] The film did very well on the awards season of its release. It won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, and swept the Filmfare Awards with 10 wins, a record number at the time.[39]
Legacy[edit]
In 2001, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge overtook Sholay (1975) as the longest-running film in Indian cinema.[40] In February 2009, the film set a record by completing 700 weeks of continuous play in a Mumbai theatre.[41] On 20 October 2012 the movie completed 17 years of non-stop running.[42] As of 2013, it is still playing at the Maratha Mandir theatre in Mumbai.[6][43] Producer Yash Chopra decided to organise a celebration in February 2011, when the film completed 800 weeks of running, and theatre owner Manoj Desai said he has no plans to discontinue the screening of the film.[22] There are often people in the audience that have seen the film 50 times or more, but still clap, cheer, mouth the dialogues, and sing along with the songs,[12] raising comparisons with Hollywood's longest running film The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). People keep coming back not just to see the film, but also to be a part of an experience.[44] In early 2011, a theatre strike threatened the film's uninterrupted showing streak. Producer Yash Chopra contacted theatre owners to try and ensure that the film would continue. He wants the film to go for at least 1000 weeks.[45]
Shahrukh Khan and Kajol in the famous train scene
Audiences appreciated the duo of Shahrukh Khan and Kajol so much that they went on to work together in several other successful films including Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), and My Name Is Khan (2010), and are often referred to as Indian cinema's most loved on-screen couple.[46] Khan himself credits this film with making him a star,[12] and says that the film "changed the entire scene for romantic movies of the 90s".[47] Some newer films have paid homage to classic scenes from the film. For example, Jab We Met (2007), Bodyguard (2011), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and Chennai Express (2013) included scenes very similar to the train scene in DDLJ, wherein a girl is running to catch a moving train and is helped aboard by a boy with his outstretched arm.[47][48][49] The Western-made film Slumdog Millionaire also contains a scene where a young girl and young boy replace the adults usually seen in the "train scene". Also unlike the original, the scene does not end happily; the boy pulls his hand away and the girl is left behind. The film's popularity has also led to numerous other references in contemporary films.[50]
The British Film Institute (BFI) commissioned a book about Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. It was the first Hindi film chosen for a series of studies on international films, called "BFI Modern Classics". The author was Anupama Chopra, and the book was released in 2002.[51] After an unexpectedly long delay, the film was released on DVD by Yash Raj Films on 7 January 2002. The release included the making-of documentary, and highlights from the film's premiere, and from the 1996 Filmfare Awards ceremony.[52]
In 2006, members of the film team were honoured at a dinner event on the occasion of the film's 500 week anniversary. It was hosted by the Consulate General of Switzerland in Mumbai and by Switzerland Tourism.[53] In 2010, Yash Raj Films signed an agreement with Indian and Swiss tour companies to provide a tour package called "YRF Enchanted Journey". It will allow people visiting Switzerland to view sites and filming locations from famous Yash Raj films including DDLJ.[54][55]
Soundtrack[edit]
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
Soundtrack album by Jatin Lalit
Released
25 July 1995
Genre Hindi Film Soundtrack
Length 38:32
Label
Sa Re Ga Ma
Producer Jatin Lalit
The soundtrack features 7 songs composed by Jatin Lalit, with lyrics by Anand Bakshi and voice rendered by Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Kumar Sanu, Abhijeet, and Udit Narayan. Anand Bakshi won his third Filmfare Best Lyricist award after 14 years. Bhasker Gupta wrote for All Music that the soundtrack was the best of Jatin Lalit's career, and calls it the beginning of the fifth wave in Indian cinema soundtracks.[56]
The soundtrack became the best selling Bollywood soundtrack of the year.[57] It was listed by Planet Bollywood as number 6 on their list of 100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks,[58] and in 2005 was judged the top Hindi soundtrack of all time by on-line voters on the BBC Asian Network.[59] The wedding song "Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna" from the film became an all-time hit, and is played in weddings across the South Asian diaspora to this day.[60][61]
No. Title Singers Length
1. "Ghar Aaja Pardesi" Manpreet Kaur, Pamela Chopra 7:29
2. "Mere Khwabon Mein" Lata Mangeshkar 4:17
3. "Ruk Ja O Dil Deewane" Udit Narayan 5:14
4. "Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main" Asha Bhosle, Abhijeet Bhattacharya 5:51
5. "Ho Gaya Hai Tujhko" Lata Mangeshkar, Udit Narayan 5:49
6. "Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna" Lata Mangeshkar, Udit Narayan 4:50
7. "Tujhe Dekha To" Lata Mangeshkar, Kumar Sanu 5:02
Awards[edit]
Filmfare Awards[edit]
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is tied for second place with Devdas (2002) for the most number of Filmfare awards going to a single film with ten. Only Black (2005) has more, with eleven. This was also the second film to win the four major awards (Best Movie, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress), after Guide in 1966.[39][62]
Wins
Filmfare Best Movie Award: Yash Chopra
Filmfare Best Director Award: Aditya Chopra
Filmfare Best Actor Award: Shahrukh Khan
Filmfare Best Actress Award: Kajol
Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award: Farida Jalal
Filmfare Best Comedian Award: Anupam Kher
Filmfare Best Lyricist Award: Anand Bakshi, "Tujhe Dekha To"
Filmfare Best Screenplay Award: Aditya Chopra
Filmfare Best Dialogue Award: Aditya Chopra, Javed Siddiqi
Filmfare Best Male Playback Award: Udit Narayan, "Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna"
Nominations
Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award: Amrish Puri
Filmfare Best Music Director Award: Jatin Lalit
Filmfare Best Male Playback Award: Kumar Sanu, "Tujhe Dekha To"
Filmfare Best Lyricist Award: Anand Bakshi, "Ho Gaya Hai Tujhko To Pyar Sajna" (nominated twice in this category)
National Film Awards[edit]
National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment[63]
Star Screen Awards[edit]
Star Screen Award for Best Film: Yash Chopra
Star Screen Award for Best Director: Aditya Chopra
Star Screen Award for Best Actor: Shahrukh Khan[64]