DDLJ at 20: Gulf News readers share their favourite memories

Thinking about it now, I admit it was a rather reckless move. Because that little stunt we pulled, scaling the walls of the our boarding school to go watch a movie, would have surely got us expelled had we been caught. But hey, it wasn’t just any movie. It was the most talked about Bollywood film ever.

As Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (The Braveheart will Take Away the Bride), popularlarly referred to as DDLJ, the romantic film starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, celebrates its 20th anniversary on October 20, we asked tabloid! readers to tell us their favourite memories of the first time they saw the movie.

I did the same

“Just like DDLJ, our parents also initially resisted our union. But just like how Raj convinced Simran’s parents, I did the same. We were in a relationship for seven years and it took us another four years to convince our parents that we were made for each other. It wasn’t as quick or easy as Raj and Simran’s love story, but our parents finally relented. For all our hardwork, we gifted ourselves a honeymoon in Switzerland. Inspired by the movie, we even went to the Mount Titlis and played around in the snow. This year we went back again to the same spots shown in the movie and played the iconic song Tujhe Dekho To Yain Jaana Sanam in the background as I still have the songs in my iPhone.” - Viksit Khanna, 34, and Misha Agarwal, 32

Excited to see a Shah Rukh Khan film 

“I was 10 years old when I went to see the film with my parents at Strand cinemas in Bur Dubai, which does not exist anymore. I remember it was a 9 o’clock show and how I excited I was to go see a Shah Rukh Khan film. I’d watch it many times after that. But the last time I saw it, I remember thinking how long the movie was and why they just kept stretching the story and wondered why I loved it so much before.” - Asma Merchant, 30, events organiser living in Sharjah.

The entire family watched it

“I was 14 years old when I first saw DDLJ after I bought a pirated VHS tape for Rs30 in my hometown of Lahore, Pakistan. Those days most Bollywood movies that came into Pakistan were pirated. The entire family, my parents, my cousin, my aunt, uncle and grandfather, gathered around the TV in our living room to watch it. I remember being amazed by the European locations and how relatable the story was. I have now seen DDLJ more than 100 times and still love it each time. The music is just as good and fresh as when I first heard it.” - Amna Ahmad, 34, housewife living in Dubai.

Watched it in Ajman

“I went with my family to see DDLJ for the first time at the Royal Ajman Cinema in Ajman. I was just seven then and it didn’t really strike a chord with me besides the fact that it was a Shah Rukh Khan film. Years later, I would come to love it and have seen it many times.

I think it’s the simplicity and the unadulterated romance of DDLJ that people love so much. It’s a pure love story. There’s no vulgarity, no pretentions and no conditions. In a world where everything is so complicated, this is the perfect escape.” - Parvathy Premkrishnan-Manakkal, 27, human resources officer living in Sharjah. 

First movie date

“I took my girlfriend on our first date to see DDLJ at the Excelsior cinema in Mumbai. I was still in college and was so broke I couldn’t afford popcorn or soft drinks. But we enjoyed the film and because it was so long, it was total value for money. My girlfriend Albina and I got married nine years later and we now live in Dubai with our son, Ayaan. We have a DVD of DDLJ and every time we watch it, we relive the memories of our first day.” - Shoaib Ansari, 40, office administrator living in Dubai. 

Watched it at least 15 times

“I must have watched this movie at least 15 times and every time it comes on TV (it was showing on one of the channels last week). It’s a clean family entertainment movie, which we can watch with our parents and kids – that’s a rare feat considering movies today. It’s positive points are the innocence of its characters, and the fact that the characters retain their traditions even though they are away from India. The chemistry between Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol was one of the best back then. Add to that the scenic backdrop of Switzerland, the mustard fields of Punjab and the music to suit every mood and you get the perfect combination. Some of the dialogues are catchy too – the unforgettable ones are “Raj, naam toh suna hoga” (Raj, you must have heard of that name) or “Bade bade deshon mein aisi chhoti chhoti baatein hoti rehti hain” (In big cities, small things like this keep happening), which Barack Obama quoted during his visit to India early this year.” - Anjana Bhatia, 44, IT professional living in Dubai.

All time favourite movie

“DDLJ is my all time favourite movie. I cannot count the number of times I have watched this movie. I love it obviously because it starred my all time favourite pair, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, but also because there was such an innocence about the movie. I could relate to it having very orthodox parents who never let me leave the confines of Deira where I grew up, let alone take a Europe trip with my friends, meeting a boy and falling in love. So I completely understood Kajol’s predicament and lived my life vicariously through her life on screen.” - Simy Mathew, 41, customer service head, living in Dubai. 

Tell us your story

Where were you when Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge released in 1995? Comment below and tell us your story.