Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)

It's like this: Dilwale is no Battleship Potemkin, as my Indian friend who hates Bollywood pointed out to me when I said I preferred to analyse DDLJ than BP for our Analyzing Film exam but, then again, Dilwale is not trying to be.

The reason why the movie is great and one of the best I've seen is because it's silly and simple, yes, but also tremendous fun! The songs and dances are truly amazing and, unlike some people believe, the characterisation has depth. I should know because I had to discuss the different distinctive traits that make up all the characters in DDLJ in my exam and people would be surprised at just how layered and complex they are, if they took the time to pay attention (if you don't believe me, read the BFI book on the movie).

Also, the picture has no pretentiousness: unlike Devdas, which was so melodramatic I'm surprised the whole cast didn't die from the agony of having to act in such an overrated and over the top Romeo and Juliet ripoff (people scream all the time especially Aishwarya Rai who is the most hysterical of them all), DDLJ succeeds exactly because it's happy just giving us a magical young love story, which we could all relate to anyway but which is made even better because of the 1st rate performances given by everyone involved.

Kudos to Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol (my two favourite Bollywood actors), for creating such an intense, believable yet innocent and pure chemistry that made their love scenes just so sweet, beautiful and really heart-felt to watch.

I'm not saying that just because we are capable of enjoying this movie, we aren't capable of enjoying something more intellectual and political like Battleship Potemkin.

But it's nice to watch a movie once in a while that is not depressing nor always giving us extreme scenes of violence and sex with which Hollywood seems to be obsessed with.

Nowadays movies just seem to feature people who think life is not worth living, are always suicidal and spend their time doing sex and drugs. Maybe these sort of characters should be pitied or something but, frankly, they're beginning to bore me. I've seen enough movies featuring these sort of personages to last me a lifetime. Give me a character who's happy with life and not afraid to have fun anytime!

Much like the celebrated Singin' In The Rain, DDLJ is fun, leaves you feeling elated, has funny dialogue and you can feel the love that everybody involved felt about the production, which increases the quality of the picture!

Fmovies: Aditya Chopra's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a superb example of the genius of Hindi commercial cinema. If you see it, you'll get that it's not very different as a love story. It is even ordinary. But it becomes special for many reasons. First and foremost, for its fresh, naive spirit. Secondly, the many paradoxes it contains: it is powerful yet subtle, larger-than-life yet simple, funny yet sad, magical yet realistic, and so on. Thirdly, it is one of the first films portraying Indians who live outside their country (in this case, London). It also shows the yearning of the first-generation NRIs who live far away from their homeland and for many reasons find it difficult to come back. Yet, the film remains mainly a poignant, melancholic romance.

Raj and Simran, the characters played by Shahrukh Khan and Kajol represent the last generation of youngsters who were innocent and naive. They were much more simple, respectful and full of life. Such people almost no longer exist nowadays. The film relates their love story in a rather mesmerising way. Every scene is important. There are many great moments in the film. Raj and Simran's entire acquaintance and interaction in the first half is charming. Their separation at the end of the first half, when both make each other understand of their true feelings without explicitly admitting it, is moving. The traditional wedding preparations in the second half are well-made; the values they show, Raj's attempts to conquer Simran's father, and the couple's deepening relationship are interesting. The only thing I regretted was the typical fight scene towards the end.

Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, who undoubtedly form a great film couple, are both excellent in their roles. They act from the heart, and ably bring their characters to life. Shahrukh Khan is incredible as Raj, a modern guy who understands the value of family and marriage, and yet he has the look of a careless fool who does not take anything seriously. Khan acts with great ease, wit and humour, and his inner fear of losing his beloved is always understood. Kajol as the dreamy and poetic yet intransigent and smart Simran is exceptional, and she looks very hot throughout. Amrish Puri and Farida Jalal as Simran's parents provide great support. Amrish Puri is particularly impressive as the strict but soft-hearted father, and Jalal is touching as the woman who has lived life according to terms and does not want the same to happen to her daughter. Anupam Kher is funny and entertaining as Raj's father.

The film's soundtrack is outstanding and is clearly one of the main reasons this film works so well and is unforgettable today. The music is very well identified with the film and its story. Just try to imagine you would be given to watch the movie with the songs edited out. You wouldn't want to, right? That's because every song is a gem and is as important as every other scene. Every song comes in the right place and is sung and pictured exceptionally well. The one closest to my heart is "Ho Gaya Hai Tujhko", for its beautiful melody and very melancholic feel, which is aided by its blend of fantasy and reality on-screen. It is performed to perfection by Lata Mangeshkar and Udit Narayan. DDLJ is a film that should not be missed by anyone. It is one of the great gifts of Yash Chopra and his banner. It is a milestone of Indian cinema for its ability to inject fresh and magical energies into a banal love story, and for making it classically memorable.

Going to the theatre to watch this movie was supposed to be my 'punishment' (for doing what, I can't remember), but let me tell you, this was the best punishment of my life.

This movie was fantastic! I found it groundbreaking in that it solidly addressed the doublestandards and idiocy that tend to pervade in the minds of a lot of Indian parents. It was definitely an anti-arranged marriage film, which was a plus.

I still watch this movie from time to time, and I have to tell you I thoroughly enjoy it, every time. The songs are great, the actors are great, and the dialogue is pleasing.

A timeless classic, that will probably never be repeated.

10/10

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge fmovies. I'm sooo in love with this movie. Its way better than Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or any other Hindi film or ANY film in general that I've ever seen! It's that good! I just want to recommend this to everyone ESPECIALLY if your a Shah Ruhk Khan/Kajol fan, they are awesome together. The whole supporting cast does a great job too- Put together with the beautiful direction of Aditya Chopra they turn a simple storyline of uncliched love into a heartfelt movie you can watch over and over again. Oh, and did I mention the songs rock too!

I usually go for Bollywood films for the music-dance numbers. While this flick has a few good ones, I was mostly pleased with the plot. I liked the second half the best. I was very disappointed to learn from IMDb that this is the second of only two films done by Pooja Rupanel. She brought a lot of life and spark to a minor role - the female lead's younger sister. She should have done more films. Like any really good comedy, the story had its serious aspects - just enough to make the plot interesting. The stand=by Bollywood love triangle plot can be used as many times as one wishes as long as one has good actors, terrific musical numbers, and a few novel plot twists.

This was the top Bollywood film of the 90s and after seeing it I really can't think of one that was better. There are some that are just as good but I can't recall seeing one that's better. The story's pretty routine: boy meets girl in Europe, they fall in love, girl is engaged to some other idiot, and the rest writes itself... Sound familiar? Well it wasn't back in '95 (or even if it was it wasn't done as well) and Aditya Chopra's treatment of the story was a big reason for it's success. In every other movie the couple first wants to kill each other before falling in love. But in this movie it's slightly different and more plausible. Shahrukh doesn't want to kill Kahol - I mean Kajol - and she doesn't really hate him either, she just (like the rest of us) is annoyed by the guy. Their situations aren't that far-fetched and their Europe storyline is played out quite realistically (of course the piano scene is an exception). This was the beginning of the "Shahrukh plays Shahrukh era" and, for what it's worth, he hasn't made a better movie or given a better performance since. Sure there are places where he overacts but there are just as many places where he's able to hit all his cues. His comic timing was never better and there was still some sincerity in his eyes, a reminder of the fact that he was still an actor, which has since been replaced by the cockiness of a megastar. This is the movie that shot him to superstardom and put him alongside Aamir and Salman. Kajol is just as good (if not better), and I think after their next movie they'll win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. The supporting cast is fine although no one really stands out. There are many moments in the film, most notably in the script, where you might feel a sense of deja vu. But keep in mind that this was the original, it's everything else that's a rehash. Bollywood headed straight for the sewer after this movie with almost all films, many of them starring Shahrukh, copying the same formula. Even at its 3 hour length the movie never drags till after the two-hour mark. I also want to comment on the film's Art Direction because it warrants a mention. Whether it's in Europe, England, or India, the movie has a very natural look to it. Unlike today's big films like Dil To Pagal Hai, or K3G, this movie looks good without trying to look good and I think that's a quality that's been lost on today's films. Too much attention is spent on the look at the expense of the story (if there is one!). The soundtrack of course is a classic, truly one of the all-time bests, with almost every song being a hit. The film won an unprecedented number of awards while breaking many records. There was a feeling that Aditya would follow in his father Yash's footsteps but regrettably the pressure got to him. He followed this up with the dreadful Mohabbatein which was slammed by audiences and critics alike. But so what. His first film was good, and with the current state of Bollywood movies - Devdas anyone? - you really can't get better than this.