Strangely, the most influential films are sometimes the ones that show the most age as time passes. How can you watch “Godzilla” or “Yojimbo” without thinking about the countless, often inferior, films they inspired? “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” the smash hit 1995 Hindi romcom that immediately revolutionized Indian cinema, faces those same disadvantages when being watched by a viewer today. So many subsequent Bollywood productions have borrowed from its sensibilities, and even paid direct homage to specific scenes, that elements seen as fresh in the 90s could be looked at as predictable now. It's hard to imagine a time when filmmakers were hesitant to feature Non-Resident Indians in major roles, and it's even more mind-boggling to think of Shah Rukh Khan as anything less than the global icon he's been for three decades. Yet when it was released, “DDLJ” pushed the envelope and helped to establish a new era in the Indian film industry, turning its two leads into lifelong stars in the process. Impressively, this highly imitated, unabashedly predictable film still retains its ability to thrill and excite nearly thirty years later.
The story plays with a tried-and-true formula: a young woman in London named Simran (Kajol) dreams of love, but her conservative father (Amrish Puri) has arranged for her to be married to the son of a close friend in India. Before going to meet her future husband, she convinces her father to let her explore Europe for a month with a group of friends. There, she meets a young, carefree young man named Raj (Khan). He's immature and self-absorbed and silly—the opposite of her dream man. However, when they're forced to spend more time together than they anticipated, they discover that there's more between them than they initially thought. These feelings of romance are complicated by Simran's upcoming wedding in India, but Raj makes a plan to change their destiny.
The narrative hits the beats you expect, but director Aditya Chopra's powerful direction infuses each scene with a vitality that makes you forget you've seen this story before. At the time, the diasporic themes, forward-thinking fashion, and foreign vistas were seen as ways to modernize the Bollywood blockbuster; now, the sumptuous filmmaking and extravagant musical numbers feel like throwbacks to an era of classic spectacle.
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“DDLJ” is a capital-M Movie in the best possible sense. It's no wonder that it's the longest-running film in India; it's the kind of crowd-pleaser that should be seen in a theater where the outsized excitement and romance can be fully appreciated. While the story looks ahead to Y2K, Chopra and DP Manmohan Singh have the instincts of 20th-century masters. They harken back to past classics without veering into pastiche, and there's an unpretentiousness to their style that's refreshing. The lush primary colors pop off the screen but always feel realistic, resulting in a familiar world that's just a little bit sweeter than real life (now that mid-90s fashion has circled around to being “in” again, SRK's trendy flannel/t-shirt combos alone are worth a 2023 watch). Dolly shots and bold pans heighten the drama while never calling undue attention to themselves. Everything is in service of the story.
The same can be said of Khan and Kajol's performances. Khan uses his weapons-grade charisma to inhabit a character who is both a goofy everyman and a larger-than-life hero, and Kajol plays off of him perfectly. They're convincing as awkward, confused young people in love, but this doesn't stop them from leaning into their powerful chemistry to create moments that feel almost mythic.
The supporting cast is just as strong. Amrish Puri was known for his villainous portrayals, and his intimidating glare made him a perfect fit for Simran's strict father, but his ability to humanize and soften an oppressive patriarch is the most impressive element of his performance. He's technically the antagonist, but Puri plays him first and foremost as a loving, nuanced person. The same can be said of Farida Jalal, who does breathtaking work as a mother, who, while advising her daughter to compromise independence in the name of tradition, has never let go of the regret she feels for having made the very same sacrifices when she was young.
“Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” is an expertly crafted piece of escapism that transcends any simple classification through the sheer craftsmanship on display. It's an epic musical and riotous romantic comedy as well as a down-to-Earth examination of generational divides and the diasporic experience. Furthermore, it paved the way for later films, especially commercial releases, to explore these themes. Countless productions followed in Chopra's footsteps, and Khan and Kajol would return to the same well many times, but the original deserves to be seen.
