| Dilwale | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Rohit Shetty |
| Produced by | Gauri Khan Rohit Shetty |
| Written by |
|
| Starring | Shah Rukh Khan Kajol Varun Dhawan Kriti Sanon |
| Music by | |
| Cinematography | Dudley |
| Edited by | Bunty Nagi |
Production companies | Red Chillies Entertainment Rohit Shetty Productions |
| Distributed by | Red Chillies Entertainment |
| |
| 155 minutes[1] | |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹165crore[2] |
| Box office | est.₹408.97crore[a] |
Dilwale (transl. The big hearted) is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language romanticaction comedy film, directed by Rohit Shetty, written by Yunus Sajawal and Sajid-Farhad, and produced by Gauri Khan and Rohit Shetty, under the banners of Red Chillies Entertainment and Rohit Shetty Productions, respectively.[3][4] The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon, with Johnny Lever and Varun Sharma in supporting roles.The film released on 18 December 2015. This marks the last film appearance of Vinod Khanna who died on April 27, 2017, shortly after completing the film.[5][6][7][8]
Dilwale has grossed ₹408.15 crore (US$59 million) worldwide,[a] becoming the second highest-grossing film starring Shah Rukh Khan after Chennai Express, also directed by Shetty. Dilwale is also the highest-grossing film starring Shah Rukh Khan in overseas markets. The song 'Gerua' also performed well in the charts.[9] While the film's domestic box office performance in India was below expectations,[10] it was an overseas success, the sixth-highest-grossing Indian film overseas.[11]
One day in Goa, a boy named Veer Bakshi (Varun Dhawan) meets a passer-by Ishita (Kriti Sanon), a beautiful and educated young girl and befriends her by helping her, injuring his own car in the process. For penance, his older brother, Raj Bakshi (Shah Rukh Khan), makes him fix it during which Veer sleeps and awakes to find that the car’s sound system has been stolen.
The men of a local gang leader, King (Boman Irani), try to sell drugs at a crab shack. Veer beats them up after they threaten Ishita. They then come back later to exact revenge on Veer, but Raj breaks up the fight. Raj visits him in hospital and learns King's hideout. He goes there, incapacitates the gang members, and burns their drug stash. Raj tells King’s men that his original name is Kaali. The next day, King stops by Raj’s shop to present a deal where Raj will fix all of King’s cars in exchange for protection.
In Bulgaria 2000, Raj accidentally runs over a woman named Meera Malik (Kajol) while a car chase. When he gets out to help her, the rival gang catches up with him, and he has to leave. Next day, Raj reveals that he and Veer are the sons of a businessman, Randhir Bakshi (Vinod Khanna). The next day, after a car crash, Raj is confronted by Meera, who is actually the daughter of the rival gang’s leader, Dev Malik (Kabir Bedi). Meera reveals that she betrayed Raj on Malik's advice though sparing his life. Later, Raj saves Meera from dying, promising to kill if he sees her again. She forgives him and declares her love. They make plans to tell their parents about their relationship.
The film flashes back to Goa, where Veer discovers that his friend, Sidhu (Varun Sharma), poisoned his coffee and stole the sound system. Veer is upset, but Sidhu explains it is for his girlfriend, Jenny (Chetna Pande). They agree to help each other secure girlfriends. As a consequence, Veer reveals his feelings to Ishita. Upon finding out about their relationship, Raj wants to meet Ishita’s family. When Raj visits there, he discovers that Ishita is Malik's younger daughter and Meera's younger sister.
After talks, Malik agrees to meet Randhir, but secretly, Malik plans to kill Randhir. The meeting breaks into a shootout, during which Malik and Randhir shoot each other. Meera finds Raj with the gun, for which she shoots him; however, he survives the gunshot. Both Meera and Raj decide to move far away from Bulgaria and start a new life.
Now in Goa, Veer and Ishita come up with several plots to bring Meera and Raj together. Mani (Johnny Lever) steals King’s car and brings it to the shop, where Veer discovers drugs and burns them. King comes to Meera’s house one night, but Raj (as Kaali) shows up and stops them from causing her any harm. King asks Meera about Kaali which she refuses sparing Raj's life. Meera issues an ultimatum that in order to marry Ishita, Veer must move in with Meera. It is revealed to Veer by Meera that Raj was Randhir's adopted son and is not Veer's older brother. Raghav (Nawab Shah), Malik's right hand, tells Meera that Raj did not kill Malik, but that Randhir had shot Malik in return to his. Upon learning this, Meera apologises and allows Veer that he can take Ishita his home.
At Sidhu and Jenny's wedding, King shows up to his stolen car. King starts to cause a disturbance, but Raj beats him up. King then tries to shoot Raj, but accidentally shoots Meera who tried to save Raj. Later, Meera survives and King gets beaten to death. In the end, Raj and Meera reunite in hospital.
In January 2015, Rohit Shetty announced a project with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead which would be their second collaboration after the 2013 film Chennai Express. Shetty stated that he would start filming in March 2015.[12][13] Shetty paired actress Kajol with Khan, making it the seventh time they were cast opposite each other. He also signed actor Varun Dhawan who was reportedly playing Khan's brother while actress Kriti Sanon was signed opposite him.[14]
Principal photography began on 20 March 2015 with Dhawan in Goa.[15][16] Khan and Kajol first joined the crew for filming in Bulgaria from June 2015.[17] Later that month, the first song from the film was shot on Dhawan and Kriti Sanon, in Bulgaria.[18] The schedule there was wrapped up by late July.[19] In August 2015, a romantic song featuring the lead pair was shot in Iceland.[20] The entire team then left for Hyderabad in early September to shoot what was touted to be the final schedule of filming.[21] However, the work in Hyderabad was completed by late October, and filming officially came to an end with a brief schedule in Goa, the same location where it was started.[22] In December, after the promotions had commenced, another song was shot in haste. It featured all four lead actors and had to be played simultaneously with the end-credits.[23]
Dilwale was released in the United Arab Emirates a day before its worldwide release on 18 December 2015. The film was released in around 3100 screens in India.[24]
The satellite rights of the film were sold to Sony Pictures Networks as part of a deal worth ₹220 crore (US$32 million), along with the next two or three Red Chillies Entertainment productions. The valuation of Dilwale alone was approximately ₹60 crore (US$8.7 million).[25]
On 14 December 2015, in the United Kingdom, the film received a 12A classification from the British Board of Film Classification for 'moderate violence'. The film's UK distributor chose to remove thirteen seconds in order to obtain this rating (the excised material being scenes involving stronger violence than possible for a 12A rating). An uncut 15-rated version is available.[1]
Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama gave the film 4/5 stars, saying, 'On the whole, Dilwale is akin to a mouthwatering meal that satiates the craving of those who relish masalathons, besides being an absolute treat for SRK-Kajol fans. An unadulterated crowd-pleaser, Dilwale delivers what you expect from a Rohit Shetty film: King-sized entertainment. Go for it!'.[26]Komal Nahta in his review of the film said, 'Dilwale is a masala entertainer from the start till the end.'[27] Rachit Gupta from Filmfare gave it 4/5 stars and added, 'Dilwale is the quintessential popcorn flick. It’s colorful, bright and entertaining. It smartly keeps its play on the SRK-Kajol chemistry (watch out for the brilliant ending). It has fantastic music. Decent laughs too. Definitely worth a dekho.'[28] Sarita A Tanwar of DNA gave the film 3/5 stars, saying 'Dilwale is flawed, but it's right for those who believe that love does conquer it all, actually.'[29]
Ananya Bhattacharya of India Today also rated the film 3/5 and concluded, 'Dilwale is immensely enjoyable despite an oh-my-god-this-is-so-predictable story. Keep your brains out of the picture, and you have an out-and-out entertainer which fits perfectly in the mould of a guilty pleasure. Go indulge!'[30] Shubha Shetty-Saha of Mid Day gave the film 3 stars as well and said, 'Watch this for the chemistry between SRK and Kajol which refuses to simmer down even after all these years.'[31] Meena Iyer from The Times of India gave the film 3/5 stars, criticizing the plot, and stated, 'Dilwale leans heavily on Shah Rukh's mega-stardom, Varun's effervescence, breathtaking locales (Iceland and Bulgaria), orchestrated car chases and over-the-top situations, which have you chuckling.'[32]
NDTV felt that the film's plot 'went in circles' and that while Kajol was great, the film overall failed to appeal.[33]The Economic Times gave the film 2.5/5 stars and felt that it 'lacked soul and freshness' and stated that it would only appeal to fans of Khan and Kajol.[34]Rajeev Masand of IBN Live gave the film 2 out of 5 and said, 'The real problem with Dilwale is the sheer artificiality of the enterprise. From the rainbow-hued sets and the touched-up landscapes in the Gerua song, to many moments of comedic and emotional payoff, so much of it just feels fake.'[35]Namrata Joshi of The Hindu commented, 'With Dilwale, Rohit Shetty goes hopelessly wrong despite much that he had at his disposal, including a power-packed cast and producer'. Joshi also felt that the attempt to repackage Khan and Kajol had backfired.[36] Rohit Vats of Hindustan Times gave the film a 1.5/5 rating and called the plot 'highly predictable'.[37]
Dilwale made around ₹150 crore (US$22 million) worldwide in its opening weekend, the third highest of the year.[38] The film went on to gross ₹408.15 crore (US$59 million) worldwide.[a]
The film, releasing alongside Bajirao Mastani, opened number one at the box office, and collected ₹21 crore (US$3.0 million) nett in India on its opening day, the third highest of the year after Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and Bajrangi Bhaijaan.[41] The film showed little drop on its second day, and earned nearly ₹20 crore (US$2.9 million) nett.[42] On its first Sunday, Dilwale took in approximately ₹23 crore (US$3.3 million) nett, bringing the three-day nett to an estimated ₹64 crore (US$9.3 million).[43]Dilwale had a first week of ₹97 crore (US$14 million) nett in the domestic market.[44]
The film earned around ₹21 crore (US$3.0 million) nett in its second weekend.[45] It grossed little over ₹31 crore (US$4.5 million) nett in week two, taking its business to ₹127 crore (US$18 million) nett.[46] The film made around ₹11 crore (US$1.6 million) nett more in the third week.[47] Its final domestic gross was ₹214.15 crore (US$31 million),[39] including a nett of ₹148.72 crore (US$22 million).[48]
Khan expressed disappointment with the film's domestic performance in India.[10] Kajol was also reportedly disappointed, with reports claiming that she regretted turning down the lead role in a Sujoy Ghosh film in favour of Dilwale.[49][50]
Dilwale had the highest opening of 2015 abroad and the second highest ever, with a weekend gross of around $8.5 million. The film also set an all-time record opening in the Gulf.[51] In Pakistan, the film earned ₹6.5 crore (US$940,000) in its first three days.[52] The film collected ₹9.13 crore in Pakistan in three weeks.[48] The film went on to earn over $13 million overseas in the first week, again the highest of the year.[53]
Dilwale grossed another $3.75 million in the second weekend, for an overall $16.75 million in ten days.[54] After two weeks, the film's earnings abroad were more than $20.5 million.[55] The film had grossed around $23.3 million outside India as of 12 January 2016 to become the highest-grossing film starring Shah Rukh Khan in overseas markets.[56]
Dilwale had expanded its business abroad to higher than $25 million following release in new markets like Germany, Netherlands and Indonesia.[57][58][59] The film went on to earn approximately $26.6 million (INR 175.65 crore)[60] by February 2016.[61] The film's final overseas gross was US$30.2 million[11] (₹194crore),[40] the highest ever for a Shah Rukh Khan film, and making it the sixth highest-grossing Indian film overseas.[11]
| Award | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61st Filmfare Awards | Best Actor | Shah Rukh Khan | Nominated |
| Best Actress | Kajol | Nominated | |
| Best Music Director | Pritam | Nominated | |
| Best Lyricist | Amitabh Bhattacharya – 'Gerua' | Nominated | |
| Best Male Playback Singer | Arijit Singh – 'Gerua' | Nominated | |
| 8th Mirchi Music Awards | Song of The Year | 'Gerua' | Won |
| Male Vocalist of The Year | Arijit Singh – 'Gerua' | Nominated | |
| Music Composer of The Year | Pritam – 'Gerua' | Won | |
| Upcoming Male Vocalist of The Year | Amit Mishra – 'Manma Emotion Jaage' | Nominated | |
| Best Song Engineer (Recording & Mixing) | Ashwin Kulkarni, Kaushik Das, Nikhil Paul George, Julian Mascarenhas, Emon Goswami, Milena Dobreva & Eric Pillai – 'Gerua' | Nominated |
| Dilwale | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 4 December 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2015 | |||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 30:02 | |||
| Language | Hindi | |||
| Label | Sony Music India | |||
| Pritam chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Bollywood Hungama | [62] |
| India West | [63] |
| The Times of India | [64] |
| Bollywood Life | [65] |
The songs featured in the film as are composed by Pritam and lyrics are written by Amitabh Bhattacharya.Amar Mohile has composed the film score.
'A track titled 'Gerua' was released on 18 November 2015 as the first single prior to the soundtrack album's release. The second single to be released was 'Manma Emotion Jaage' which was released on 26 November 2015.[66][67] The second single to be released was 'Manma Emotion Jaage'.[68] The album features seven tracks and was released on 4 December 2015 by Sony Music India.[69]Sony Music India acquired the music rights of the film for a record ₹19 crore (US$2.7 million).[25]
The song 'Gerua' also had different versions. An Arabic version called 'Telagena' was released on 11 December 2015[70] while a Malay version entitled 'Warna Cinta' featuring vocals from Aliff Aziz and Kilafairy was released later on 18 December 2015.[71]
| Track listing | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
| 1. | 'Gerua' | Arijit Singh, Antara Mitra | 05:45 |
| 2. | 'Manma Emotion Jaage' | Amit Mishra, Anushka Manchanda, Antara Mitra | 03:29 |
| 3. | 'Janam Janam' | Arijit Singh, Antara Mitra | 03:58 |
| 4. | 'Tukur Tukur' | Arijit Singh, Kanika Kapoor, Neha Kakkar, Nakash Aziz, Siddharth Mahadevan | 04:33 |
| 5. | 'Daayre' | Arijit Singh | 04:50 |
| 6. | 'Premika' | Benny Dayal, Kanika Kapoor, Jonita Gandhi | 03:45 |
| 7. | 'Theme of Dilwale (DJ Chetas)' | Arijit Singh | 03:42 |
| Total length: | 30:02 | ||
'Janam Janam' (English: Forever Forever) is a Hindi song from the soundtrack of the 2015 Indian film Dilwale. The song is written by Amitabh Bhattacharya, composed by Pritam and sung by Arijit Singh. The music video of the song is picturised upon Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. It was officially released sometime in 2016. Actor Shah Rukh Khan told a reporter, 'Janam Janam' is his favourite song from the Dilwale movie.[72]
Urban Asian wrote that 'Arijit Singh killed this one with his vocals'[73] while Koimoi noted that Janam Janam was both soulful and heartwarming. The song received extensive coverage as the iconic on-screen Bollywood pair Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol were seen after a long time acting and dancing together in the music video.[74][75][76]
India Today in its review wrote 'Janam Janam is a soulful romantic number. The song takes you back to the black-and-white era and brings back the memories of the popular song Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua from 1955 film Shree 420. Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol have paid tribute to Raj Kapoor & Nargis by recreating the iconic scene from the film where the two are standing under an umbrella on a rainy night.' [77]
Indian Express in its coverage of the song wiener wrote 'Singer Arijit Singh will take away your breath with his impactful voice, he has put his heart out in this heartwarming love track.'[78]
url= value (help). Retrieved 17 June 2017.| Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Aditya Chopra |
| Produced by | Yash Chopra |
| Screenplay by | Aditya Chopra |
| Story by | Aditya Chopra |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Jatin–Lalit |
| Cinematography | Manmohan Singh |
| Edited by | Keshav Naidu |
| |
| 189 minutes[1] | |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹40 million[2][3] |
| Box office | est.₹1.03 billion[2][4] |
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (English: The Big-Hearted Will Take Away the Bride), also known by the initialismDDLJ, is an Indian romance film, directed by Aditya Chopra (in his directorial debut), produced by his father Yash Chopra, and written by Javed Siddiqui with Aditya Chopra. Released on 20 October 1995, the film stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. The plot revolves around Raj and Simran, two young non-resident Indians, who fall in love during a vacation through Europe with their friends. Raj tries to win over Simran's family so the couple can marry, but Simran's father has long since promised her hand to his friend's son. The film was shot in India, London and Switzerland, from September 1994 to August 1995.
Earning ₹1.06 billion (valued at about US$32,766,000 in 1995)[a] in India and ₹160 million (valued at about US$4,946,000 in 1995)[a] overseas, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge became the highest grossing Bollywood film of the year, and one of the most successful Indian films in history. It won 10 Filmfare Awards, the most for a single film at that time, and won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Its soundtrack album became one of the most popular of the 1990s.
Many critics praised the film, which connected with different segments of society by simultaneously promoting strong family values and the following of one's own heart. Its success led other film makers to target the non-resident Indian audience, which was deemed more lucrative for them. It spawned many imitations of its story and style, and homages to specific scenes. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was one of only three Hindi films in the reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and was placed twelfth on the British Film Institute's list of top Indian films of all time. It is the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema. As of 2018, over 20 years after its first release, it is still being shown at the Maratha Mandir theatre in Mumbai.[6]
Raj Malhotra (Shah Rukh Khan) and Simran Singh (Kajol) are non-resident Indians living in London. Simran was raised by her strict and conservative father, Baldev Singh (Amrish Puri), while Raj's father Dharamvir Malhotra (Anupam Kher) is very liberal. Simran always dreams of meeting her ideal man; her mother Lajjo (Farida Jalal) warns her against this, saying dreams are good, but one should not blindly believe they come true. One day, Baldev receives a letter from his friend Ajit (Satish Shah), who lives in Punjab, India. 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, as she does not want to marry someone whom she has never met.
One evening, Raj enters Baldev's shop after closing time to buy beer. Baldev refuses, but Raj grabs a case of beer, throws money on the counter, and runs away. An infuriated Baldev calls Raj a disgrace to India. Meanwhile, Raj's father agrees to his request to go on a train trip across Europe with his friends, and Simran's friends have invited her to go on the same trip. Simran asks her father to let her see the world before her marriage, and he reluctantly agrees.
On the trip, Raj and Simran meet. Raj constantly flirts with Simran, much to her irritation. The two miss their train to Zurich and are separated from their friends, but start to travel together and become friends. Raj falls in love with Simran on the journey, and when they part ways in London, Simran realises she is in love with him as well. At home, Simran tells her mother about the boy she met on her trip; Baldev overhears the conversation and becomes enraged with his daughter. He says the family will move to India the next day. Meanwhile, Raj tells his father about Simran and that she will soon get married. When Raj says he believes Simran loves him too, his father encourages him to go after her.
In India, Baldev is reunited with his relatives and his friend Ajit. A miserable Simran and her younger sister Chutki (Pooja Ruparel) take an instant dislike to Simran's fiancé Kuljeet because of his arrogance. Simran pines for Raj, but her mother tells her to forget him because she knows Baldev will never accept their relationship. The next morning, Raj arrives outside of the house where Simran is staying and the two reunite. She begs him to elope with her, but Raj refuses and says he will only marry her with her father's consent. Raj befriends Kuljeet and is quickly accepted by both families. Later, his father arrives in India and also becomes friends with Simran's and Kuljeet's families. Eventually, Lajjo and Chutki discover that Raj is the boy Simran fell in love with in Europe. Lajjo also tells Raj and Simran to run away, but he still refuses. Baldev recognises Raj from the beer incident but eventually accepts him. However, after he discovers a photograph of Raj and Simran together in Europe, he slaps and humiliates Raj and tells him to leave.
As Raj and his father wait at the railway station, Kuljeet, who is angry to learn of Raj's love for Simran, arrives with his friends and attack them. Eventually, Baldev and Ajit arrive and stop the fight, and Raj boards the departing train with his father. Simran then 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, realising nobody loves his daughter more than Raj does, lets her go, and she runs and catches the train as it departs.
Credits adapted from British Film Institute.[7]
Aditya Chopra assisted his father, director and producer Yash Chopra, during the making of Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991) and Darr (1993).[8] During this time, Aditya wrote several of his own scripts, including one he assumed would be his first film, but eventually became his second, Mohabbatein (2000).[9] For three years, he worked on the story that would become Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge before approaching his father to direct it. Yash did not want to, and tried to persuade Aditya to do it himself.[10] As they were discussing ideas for the script, Aditya conceived the notion that Raj would seek permission for marriage from Simran's stern father, rather than eloping with her. He then became excited about the possibility of directing the film himself. After his mother, the playback singer Pamela Chopra, agreed that the idea was sound, he decided to make this his directorial debut.[11] Aditya wanted to make a wholesome film that people could watch repeatedly. He wanted to diverge from the typical plot line of the time, in which lovers run away when their parents object, and show that if their love was strong enough, the parents would eventually understand.[10]
In May 1994, Aditya read the first draft of the script to several members of the Yash Raj Films production team assigned to work with him, including a cinematographer, an art director and a dialogue writer. They were not impressed, but Aditya held fast to his ideas.[12] He was given total editorial control by his father, the producer, and made the film according to his own tastes and sensibilities.[13] Aditya struggled with both the dialogue writer Javed Siddiqui and the song lyricist Anand Bakshi to develop words that were 'young-sounding'.[14] There were personal clashes over writing credits on the final script. Pamela's friend Honey Irani believed she deserved a writing credit that she did not receive, and Siddiqui believed Aditya did not deserve partial credit for the dialogue. After Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, neither of them ever worked with Yash Raj Films again.[15] After approving the script, Yash was consulted about the songs, but mostly left the creative process to his son, and has firmly denied that he was a ghost director on the project.[13] He did not shoot a single frame, and did not even view some portions of the film until it was nearly completed.[16]
Aditya originally wanted the film to be about a relationship between an Indian and an American. He wanted Tom Cruise for the role of Raj but was dissuaded by Yash, who did not want to use a foreign star.[17] They decided their characters would be non-resident Indians (NRIs). Aditya approached Shah Rukh Khan to play the role of Raj. Shah Rukh was initially not interested because of the romantic nature of the role, having had success playing villainous roles.[12] Aditya then asked Saif Ali Khan to play the lead role because he was having problems persuading Shah Rukh to do it.[18] Saif declined for unknown reasons,[19] as did Aamir Khan,[20] causing Aditya to continue pursuing Shah Rukh.[18][b] Aditya and Shah Rukh had four meetings over several weeks; he finally persuaded Shah Rukh by telling him he could never be a superstar unless he became 'every woman's dream man, and every mother's dream son'.[12] Since then, Shah Rukh has expressed his gratitude to Aditya for helping to make him a star with this film.[9] Shah Rukh said that fellow actor Salman Khan also encouraged him to do the role, saying that he thought the film would be very successful.[22] Shah Rukh has also noted the similarities in the film's script to his own relationship with Gauri Khan before their marriage.[23]
Kajol was the first choice to play Simran, to which she quickly agreed; she was a good friend of Aditya.[24] She and Shah Rukh had previously worked together in the successful films Baazigar (1993) and Karan Arjun (1995).[25] Kajol said her character was very difficult for her to relate to, whereas Shah Rukh said Raj's personality was very similar to his own.[26] Aditya chose the name Raj for the character, and the mandolin that he played, based on his admiration for the actor Raj Kapoor.[27] After a successful screen test, Parmeet Sethi was chosen over Armaan Kohli for the role of Kuljeet Singh.[28] In addition to his assistant director Sameer Sharma, Aditya asked for two additional assistants, his brother Uday Chopra and his cousin Karan Johar. Johar also played a small role in the film as Raj's friend.[29] Sharmishta Roy was the film's art director[30] and Manish Malhotra was its costume designer. While Malhotra had many new ideas, Aditya wanted to keep the clothing style simple; he did not want it to distract from the story.[31] Despite this, Malhotra was responsible for the idea of Simran wearing a green dress in the song 'Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna', an unusual colour for a Punjabi bride.[28]
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was filmed in several 5-, 10- and 20-day schedules between September1994 and August1995.[32] The first sequence filmed was for the song 'Ho Gaya Hai Tujhko' with Kajol and Shah Rukh in Switzerland.[33] The European journey scenes and songs were mainly filmed in Saanen, Montbovon and Gstaad, Switzerland.[34][35][36] Other scenes were shot in England, at locations including Trafalgar Square, King's Cross railway station and Angel Underground station.[37][38][39] Film's cinematographer Manmohan Singh, a regular collaborator with Chopra, shot the song 'Tujhe Dekha To', including the iconic mustard fields scenes with Shah Rukh and Kajol in the mustard fields in Gurgaon on the outskirts of the National Capital Region Delhi.[28][40]The cast faced difficulties while filming the final scene, which shows Simran running to catch the train on which Raj is travelling. The smoldering heat made it difficult to shoot and each time there was a retake, the train took 20 minutes to return.[41]
Saroj Khan was the choreographer throughout most of the production, but after several disputes between her and Aditya, she was replaced by Farah Khan near the end of the shoot. After the film's eventual success, Saroj apologised to Aditya for underestimating him, but she never worked with him again.[42] Farah choreographed the song 'Ruk Ja O Dil Deewane',[43] during which Aditya did not tell Kajol that Shah Rukh was going to drop her, as he wanted to capture her genuine reaction.[44] The film's title was suggested by actress Kirron Kher; it came from the song 'Le Jayenge Le Jayenge', in the film Chor Machaye Shor (1974).[21] The Raj character sings parts of this song during the story, and it recurs at the end. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is believed to be the only Bollywood film with a 'Title suggested by' credit.[45] The film has since become universally known by the acronym DDLJ.[46][47]
Towards the end of the principal photography, Shah Rukh had to split his time between this film and Trimurti (1995), spending half of his day on each film.[48] In early August1995, when filming on Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was not yet finished, a release date in October around the time of the Diwali festival was decided upon. Composers Jatin and Lalit Pandit were given only 10 days to complete the background score, and the first copies were printed on 30 September.[48] After filming was complete, Aditya decided to make a Hollywood-style documentary of the film-making process, which had not been done before in India. Karan Johar and Uday were put in charge because they had already been recording some of the process. On 18 October, two days before the film's release, the 30-minute special Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, The Making was broadcast on television by Doordarshan.[28][48]
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge 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.[49] To prove this, Raj, an NRI who was brought up in London, is portrayed as the story's 'good guy', whereas Kuljeet, raised in India, is portrayed as the villain. This is a reversal of the roles in typical Indian films, which usually portray Indians as being morally superior to Westerners.[50] Here, NRIs are validated as potential model Indian citizens.[51]
The story aims to capture the struggle between traditional family values and the modern value of individualism.[52] Although Raj and Simran want to be together regardless of her father's plans for her, Raj tries to win over his girlfriend's father rather than simply eloping with her. In this and other Indian stories, family values are ultimately considered more important than the romantic plot. Moral values and rules of conduct take precedence over individual desires.[53] 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 recognised as the social institution that most defines Indian identity.[54]
In Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, the purity/sanctity of women is being related to that 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,[55] and the man's responsibility to protect the Indian woman's sexual purity.[56] In The Routledge Encyclopedia of Films, Ranjani Mazumdar says the film has a running theme of unfulfilled desires, which is exemplified by Raj's father telling him to enjoy life because his own was a struggle, and Simran's mother telling her to run away with Raj because she was unable to live her own dreams.[57]
Scott Jordan Harris, writing for Roger Ebert's website, says the film's popularity lies in its ability to effectively convey two opposing themes appealing to different portions of society. He said, 'It argues that we should follow our hearts and chase happiness wherever it leads, regardless of the obstacles in our paths, while simultaneously suggesting we should respect the ways of our elders, particularly our parents, and do nothing that challenges their will'.[58] Rachel Dwyer said the film was important for presenting marriage as an understanding between parents and children. While fighting the old tradition of the arranged marriage, it still encouraged the importance of seeking parental consent, even for a love marriage.[59] According to Patricia Uberoi, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge reiterates the theme of Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994)[c] in a self-conscious manner while also linking it explicitly to the fact that the protagonists tend to remind themselves and each other of what it means to be an Indian.[60]
| Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 25 July 1995 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 38:46 |
| Label | HMV, Saregama(official) T-Series(unofficial)[61] |
| Producer | Jatin Lalit |
The Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge soundtrack features seven songs composed by Jatin Lalit, a duo consisting of the brothers Jatin and Lalit Pandit. Anand Bakshi wrote the lyrics and Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Kumar Sanu, Abhijeet Bhattacharya and Udit Narayan performed the vocals.[62] Jatin Lalit was considered for the job when singer Asha Bhosle contacted Yash Chopra after meeting the duo. It was their first collaboration with Yash Raj Films. They secured the job after singing 'Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna' for Yash. In return, they ensured she sang one song, 'Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main'. Pamela Chopra helped them select tunes and instruments to give some of the songs a Punjabi flavour.[63] Bhasker Gupta, writing for AllMusic, said the soundtrack was the best of Jatin Lalit's career, and that it 'marked the beginning of the fifth wave in Indian cinema ...'.[64]
The soundtrack became the best-selling Bollywood soundtrack of the year, with 12 million official units sold by HMV, although it is estimated the same number or more copies were pirated.[65] More than 1 million of those sales occurred prior to the film's release,[48] with Chopra earning an advance of ₹10 million for the music rights.[66]Gulshan Kumar sold an unofficial version of the soundtrack under his T-Series label. Combined sales of both the official HMV version and the unofficial T-Series version amounted to 20million copies.[61] The total number of estimated sales including pirated copies range from 25million[65] to over 100million.[67]
In 2005, the album was judged the top Hindi soundtrack of all time by voters on the BBC Asian Network website.[68] Anand Bakshi won his third Filmfare Best Lyricist award after 14 years,[69] having two nominations for this film.[70] The wedding song 'Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna' from the film became an all-time hit; it is played at weddings across the South Asian diaspora.[63][71] The following is the track listing.[62]
| No. | Title | Singers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 'Ghar Aaja Pardesi' | Manpreet Kaur, Pamela Chopra | 7:32 |
| 2. | 'Ho Gaya Hai Tujhko' | Lata Mangeshkar, Udit Narayan | 5:51 |
| 3. | 'Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna' | Lata Mangeshkar, Udit Narayan | 4:51 |
| 4. | 'Mere Khwabon Mein' | Lata Mangeshkar | 4:18 |
| 5. | 'Ruk Ja O Dil Deewane' | Udit Narayan | 5:14 |
| 6. | 'Tujhe Dekha To' | Lata Mangeshkar, Kumar Sanu | 5:05 |
| 7. | 'Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main' | Asha Bhosle, Abhijeet Bhattacharya | 5:55 |
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge opened on 20 October 1995 to sold-out shows worldwide.[72] Every show in every theatre in Mumbai—save one—was completely full for the first week.[73] The film was popular among both resident Indians and NRIs.[74] At San Francisco's 720-seat Naz theatre, 1,000 people arrived for the first showing, and the theatre staff were forced to run another show late that night. In the UK, the film ran for over a year,[75] and as of 2017, the Maratha Mandir cinema hall in Mumbai has been showing it for more than 22 years.[76]
The film earned ₹1.06 billion (valued at about US$32,766,000 in 1995)[a] in India and ₹160 million (valued at about US$4,946,000 in 1995)[a] overseas; it became the biggest Bollywood grosser of the year,[77] and the second highest-grossing film of the 1990s behind Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!. It was the second Indian film to gross over ₹1 billion worldwide,[78][79] and one of the biggest Bollywood earners of all time.[80] Adjusted for inflation, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is among the highest-grossing Hindi films ever;[81][82] its domestic net income (₹533 million at the time)[2] is approximately ₹4.613 billion ($71 million) when adjusted for inflation.[83] As of 2009, the film had generated over ₹60 million in revenues for the Maratha Mandir since its release.[84] In later years, that theatre ran one matinee show per day at reduced ticket prices, which averaged about 50% occupancy.[76]
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge received many favourable reviews.[72] An initial review by weekly magazine Screen said of Aditya Chopra, 'A young master arrives'.[73] Tom Vick, reviewing the film for Allmovie, 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.'[85] When the film toured the US in 2004 as part of the Cinema India showcase, 'The Changing Face of Indian Cinema',[86] Charles Taylor reviewed the film for Salon 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.'[87]
Writing for NDTV, Anupama Chopra said, '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.'[88] She also called the film a milestone that shaped Hindi cinema through the 1990s, and one of her personal favourites.[9] 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.[89]
Raja Sen gave a reflective review for Rediff.com in 2005, calling the film one of the best Hindi films made in the previous 20 years. He said 'Shah Rukh Khan gives a fabulous performance, redefining the Lover for the 1990s with great panache', and called Kajol a 'real-as-life actress bringing warmth and credulity' to her role. Sen called the film well balanced and said only the fight scene and some mother-daughter dialogue can wear after multiple viewings.[90] Omer M. Mozaffar, writing for Roger Ebert's website in 2012, likened the film to a Disney Princess story, saying, 'the young princess feeling trapped by the traditional patriarchy, seeking freedom through discovering the world, but finally finding it through silent, but inappropriate love. The Little Mermaid. Beauty (of the Beast). Jasmine (friends with Aladdin). Pocahontas. Aurora (Sleeping Beauty). And here, Simran.'[91] Scott Jordan Harris, also writing for Roger Ebert in 2014, called it 'one of the world's favorite films', and said it plays as a masterful soap opera, with one of the best screen couples ever seen.[58]Sogosurvey conducted an online survey in 2016 in which approximately 47% of the people who participated voted Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge as Bollywood's most evergreen love story.[92]
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was ranked among The Times of India's list of the '10 Bollywood movies you must see before you die'.[93] It was one of three Hindi films in the film reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, the others being Mother India (1957) and Deewaar (1975).[94] It was placed twelfth on the British Film Institute's list of top Indian films of all time.[95] It is one of the films on Box Office India's list of 'Biggest Blockbusters Ever in Hindi Cinema'.[96] The film won a National Film Award and 10 Filmfare Awards, setting the record at the time for the most Filmfare trophies.[97][d]
| Awards | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43rd National Film Awards | National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment | Yash Chopra Aditya Chopra | Won | [99] |
| 41st Filmfare Awards | Best Film | Yash Chopra | Won | [70][100] |
| Best Director | Aditya Chopra | |||
| Best Actor | Shah Rukh Khan | |||
| Best Actress | Kajol | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Farida Jalal | |||
| Best Performance in a Comic Role | Anupam Kher | |||
| Best Lyricist | Anand Bakshi ('Tujhe Dekha To') | |||
| Best Screenplay | Aditya Chopra | |||
| Best Dialogue | Aditya Chopra, Javed Siddiqui | |||
| Best Male Playback Singer | Udit Narayan ('Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna') | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Amrish Puri | Nominated | ||
| Best Music Director | Jatin Lalit | |||
| Best Male Playback Singer | Kumar Sanu ('Tujhe Dekha To') | |||
| Best Lyricist | Anand Bakshi ('Ho Gaya Hai Tujhko To Pyar Sajna') | |||
| Screen Awards | Best Film | Yash Chopra | Won | [101] |
| Best Director | Aditya Chopra | |||
| Best Actor | Shah Rukh Khan |
In 2001, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge overtook Sholay (1975), which had run for over five years at the Minerva theatre, as the longest-running film in Indian cinema history.[102] It has been showing at the Maratha Mandir theatre (which was famous for having shown Mughal-e-Azam (1960) for three years) since its original release in 1995.[103] There are often people in the audience who have seen the film 50 or more times, but still clap, cheer, mouth the dialogues and sing along with the songs,[9][47] raising comparisons with The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), the longest running film in America.[104]
When a theatre strike in early 2011 threatened the film's uninterrupted run, the producer Yash Chopra contacted theatre owners to try and ensure the film would continue. He hoped the film would continue to run for at least 1,000 weeks,[105] which it achieved in December2014.[76] To commemorate the event, cast members including Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Anupam Kher, Farida Jalal, Mandira Bedi and Pooja Ruparel appeared on the television show Comedy Nights with Kapil.[106] Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and director Aditya Chopra also attended a live chat with fans and a black tie event at the theatre on 12 December.[107] The same day, they launched a coffee table book written by Aditya Chopra about the making of the film.[108] Also in December, Yash Raj Films announced the availability of a collection of commemorative, licensed merchandise from various suppliers to mark the event.[109] The Maratha Mandir's management ended the film's run after 1,009 weeks on 19 February2015 because of low attendance (the last show was viewed by 210 people).[110] However, after an outpouring of support from fans, and talks with the production company, they decided to reinstate the film.[111]
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge spawned many imitators of its story and style, especially throughout the 1990s.[112] According to the Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema, it and a handful of other films and young directors started a trend for 'designer' films. The authors said that these were 'a carefully packaged and branded product in which every little visual and physical detail ... is of utmost importance'.[113] In Bollywood's Top 20: Superstars of Indian Cinema, Namrata Joshi said Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge 'reinvented Bollywood romances so decisively that we can neatly divide them into two eras—before DDLJ and after DDLJ'.[114]
Yash Raj Films was previously known for using locations outside India for item numbers in its films.[115]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.[115] The characters are themselves diaspora and tend to be able to move with ease between India and the West.[116] Some later films that followed this trend include Pardes (1997), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Salaam Namaste (2005), Neal 'n' Nikki (2005) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006).[116][117]Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge became the first Hindi film blockbuster to feature NRIs as main characters.[118] It helped to establish the diaspora market as a vital source of revenue for the industry; that market was seen as a safer financial investment than the desi market.[116]
Several later films have paid homage to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. The Karan Johar-produced Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) was directly inspired by it.[46] The films Jab We Met (2007), Bodyguard (2011), Chalo Dilli (2011), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and Chennai Express (2013) include scenes similar to the climactic train sequence, wherein a woman is running to catch a moving train and is helped aboard by a man with his outstretched arm.[119][120] The British film Slumdog Millionaire (2008) contained a similar train scene, and its final dance sequence was partially shot at the same railway station as the Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge finale.[46]
Audiences appreciated the screen chemistry between Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol,[90] who later worked together in several successful films including Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), My Name Is Khan (2010), and Dilwale (2015), and are often referred to as Indian cinema's most loved on-screen couple.[25][121] Shah Rukh Khan credits this film with making him a star,[9] and says it 'changed the entire scene for romantic movies of the 90s'.[122] During an interview in 2002, he said 'Whatever I'll stand for as an actor, in the whole of my career, whenever it ends, it will start with and end at Dilwale'.[123] The actress Farida Jalal said the film gave her career a boost, saying she got many offers and 'could quote any price'.[124] It also helped the young careers of Pooja Ruparel, who received advertising offers, and of Sharmistha Roy.[21]
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.[8][125][126] It was reissued in paperback by Harper-Collins as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: The Making of a Blockbuster in 2004.[127] After an unexpectedly long delay, the film was released on DVD by Yash Raj Films in 2002.[128] The release included The Making and 300 Weeks Celebration documentaries, Success Story (highlights from the film's premiere), clips from the 41st Filmfare Awards ceremony and other interviews.[129]
In 2006, members of the film crew were honoured at a dinner event to celebrate the film's 500th week since release. It was hosted by the Consulate General of Switzerland in Mumbai and by Switzerland Tourism.[130] In 2010, Yash Raj Films signed an agreement with Indian and Swiss tour companies to provide a tour package called 'YRF Enchanted Journey', to allow visitors to Switzerland to view filming locations used for famous Yash Raj films including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.[35][36] In 2014, Yash Raj Films released Aditya Chopra Relives ... Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (As Told to Nasreen Munni Kabir), an attractive but expensive book about the making of the film.[131] In response to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi quoting the line 'May the force be with you' from the American film franchise Star Wars during a visit to the US, President Barack Obama decided to quote a line from a Hindi film during his visit to India in January2015. He chose a line from this film, 'Senorita, bade bade deshon mein ...' (Miss, in large countries ...), and added 'you know what I mean'.[132]
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Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, known the world over by the amiable acronym DDLJ
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge are 'must watch' for every Bollywood fan. In fact, viewers seeking an introduction to Bollywood should also check them out.– via Highbeam (subscription required)