Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)

Director:

Aditya Chopra

Writers:

Aditya Chopra (screenplay)
Javed Siddiqui (dialogue)

Release Date:

20 October 1995 (India)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Musical | Romance

Plot:

A young man and woman - both of Indian descent but born and raised in Britain - fall in love during a trip to Switzerland. However, the girl's traditional father takes her back to India to fulfill a betrothal promise.

Plot Keywords:

Love | India | Nri | Wedding | Trip

Awards:

11 wins

Cast

Shah Rukh Khan	...	Raj Malhotra
Kajol	...	Simran Singh
Amrish Puri	...	Chaudhry Baldev Singh
Farida Jalal	...	Lajwanti
Anupam Kher	...	Dharamvir Malhotra
Satish Shah	...	Ajit Singh
Achala Sachdev	...	Simran's Grandmother
Himani Shivpuri	...	Simran's Aunt
Pooja Ruparel	...	Rajeshwari / Chutki
Damyanti Puri
Lalit Tiwari	...	Simran's Uncle
Hemlata Deepak	...	Simran's friend
Mohit Kumar
Mansoor Merchant
Govind Khatri
Rajesh Bhatija
Shanker Iyer
Baby Nupur
Baby Raashi
Anaita Shroff	...	Sheena, Simran's friend
Arjun Sablok	...	Roby, Raj's friend
Karan Johar	...	Rocky, Raj's friend
Pallavi		(as Pallavi Vyas)
Anita Shroff
Tulika
Parmeet Sethi	...	Kuljeet
Mandira Bedi	...	Preeti Singh

Directed by
Aditya Chopra

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Aditya Chopra		screenplay
Javed Siddiqui		dialogue

Produced by
Pamela Chopra	....	associate producer
Uday Chopra	....	associate producer
Yash Chopra	....	producer

Original Music by
Jatin Pandit		(as Jatin)
Lalit Pandit		(as Lalit)

Cinematography by
Manmohan Singh

Film Editing by
Keshav Naidu

Art Direction by
Sharmishta Roy

Makeup Department
Ravi Indulkar	....	makeup artist
Pandhari Juker	....	key makeup artist
Farida Khan	....	hair stylist
Vinod Rathod	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Uday Chopra	....	first assistant director: second unit
Ahmed Siddiqui	....	first assistant director
Raj Rahi	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Mohammed Kasam Sayyad	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Arunkumar Bose	....	re-recordist

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Shashikant Shellar	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Samir Raut	....	editor: making-of

Music Department
Abhijeet	....	playback singer
Asha Bhosle	....	playback singer
Pamela Chopra	....	playback singer
Manpreet Kaur	....	playback singer
Lata Mangeshkar	....	playback singer
Udit Narayan	....	playback singer
Kumar Sanu	....	playback singer
Ajay Trivedi	....	playback singer

Other crew
Raju Kaygee	....	chief technician
Farah Khan	....	choreographer
Saroj Khan	....	choreographer
Sanjay Shivalkar	....	production executive

Production Companies

• Yash Raj Films

Distributors

• Yash Raj Films (1995) (India) (theatrical)
• Bodega Films (2006) (France) (DVD)
• Yash Raj Films (worldwide) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Saregama  original soundtrack album released by

Also Known As:

"D.D.L.J." - India (Hindi title) (informal short title)
"Lovers Will Walk Off with the Bride" - UK (informal English title)
"The Big-Hearted Will Win the Bride" - USA (informal English title)
"The Brave Heart Will Take the Bride" - USA (informal literal title)
"Aki bátor, azé a menyasszony" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" - France
"Dilwale dulhania le jayenge - Wer zuerst kommt, kriegt die Braut" - Germany (DVD box title)
"Wer zuerst kommt, kriegt die Braut" - Germany (TV title)

Runtime:

189 min | Japan:183 min | USA:181 min

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi | Urdu | English | Punjabi

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

USA:Not Rated | Germany:6 | India:U | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Angel Underground Station, Islington, London, England, UK

Company:

Yash Raj Films

Trivia:

The first theatrical film role of the TV serial star of "Shanti" (1994), Mandira Bedi, now also a noted cricket announcer.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: During the climax, the railway station where Raj and Kuljit have a fight is shown to be 'Apta' (as seen on the signboard). Apta is a small station near Mumbai and is more than 1700 km away from Punjab where the plot is based.

Quotes:

Raj Malhotra:Do you love me?
Simran Singh:More than anyone else.
Raj Malhotra:Do you trust me?
Simran Singh:More than I trust myself.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hum Tum (2004)

Soundtrack:

Mere Khwaabon Mein Jo Aaye

Like every movie of its kind, and yet like nothing I've ever seen

Dilwale made me glad to be a Westerner, just so I could experience the sheer rush in the glorious way this film simply throws its Indian sensibility in your face. It is one of the most completely, openly joyful films I have ever seen. In many ways a totally Western film, it is yet completely un-Western, and absolutely invigorating.

I found the (rather oddly looped in places) mix of Hindi and English dialog to be a lot of fun to follow (as incomplete as the subtitles sometimes seemed). The Indian/Western pop structure of the songs was entertaining and infectious. The choreography is simply amazing, and some of the most sheerly athletic I've seen. The Indian roots of the dance routines were at first almost unnerving--at once familiar yet bizarre, almost surreal (to my Western eyes). It was sheer fun making the cultural adjustment.

The plot is predictable, almost pedestrian--certainly not what you'd call "never done before," and yet I found myself completely absorbed in the story, and rooting for the main characters. This is in large part due to Shahrukh Khan's and Kajol's performances as Raj and Simran. He is totally endearing, and she is totally hot!, and their on screen chemistry is as cute & perky and smoldering & steamy as Fred and Ginger at their peak. It was, simply put, fun to watch them having so much fun.

Director Aditya Chopra was, I understand, only 24 when he made Dilwale, and the film was so successful its Indian first run lasted a world-record 11 years (and may still be going on, as far as I know). A heckuva testimony to Bollywood indeed. This movie has instantly become one of my favorite musicals, and I look forward to finding more films from Chopra, Khan, and Kajol. What a treat!