‘Ja Simran … ja jeele apni zindagi’, ‘Palat…palat’, & ‘Bade bade deshon mein aaisi choti choti baatein … hoti rehti hai’…
With iconic lines and scenes like these, the Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol starrer ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ is not just a film but an EMOTION!
As the film celebrates its 25th anniversary, SRK, the King of Romance has taken a trip down the nostalgia lane, revealing something quite surprising! But first, let’s get in the mood. Grab your towel, put on ‘Mere Khwabon mein jo aaye’ on full volume and start dancing.
And we insist that you check out this totally cute cowbell emoji that Twitter India launched to honour the special milestone of the movie.
While celebrating the film’s silver jubilee anniversary, the Badshah of Bollywood revealed to Midday that he never felt he could pull off a romantic hero on screen!
“Raj was unlike anything I had done. Before DDLJ, there was Darr, Baazigar, Anjaam—films in which I had portrayed negative characters. Also, I always felt that I wasn’t cut out to play any romantic type of character. So, when I was presented with the opportunity by Adi and Yash ji of essaying the role, I was excited to work with him but had no idea how to go about it and also if I would be able to do it well.”
Elaborating further about the iconic Raj Malhotra character, he commented – “Actually, I always felt Adi’s love for me made him cast me. I found the character endearing and sweet in the right way – the over the topness is my contribution. It was one of those roles that I realized can do with me using a version of my real self so you might see some quirks, habits and mannerisms that were true to my off-screen persona, especially the sense of humour part.”
The King Khan added that he was very shy around women and did not know how he would pull off the romantic scenes in ‘DDLJ’.
“I was told by many people that I looked unconventional, very different from what the perception of a leading man was. I did feel, maybe, not being handsome enough or as they called it then ‘chocolaty’ would make me unsuitable for romantic roles. Also, I am very shy and awkward with ladies, and I did not know how I would say all the loving, romantic bits.”
He may have been skeptical about playing a romantic hero, but the scenes that made everyone’s heart skip a beat definitely left even the King Of Romance feeling all warm and fuzzy!
“I have to admit, for someone who does not like mushy, romantic films, the scenes with Kajol and I, did make me feel all fuzzy and warm. There, I said it!”
“I do not change the radio channel when a DDLJ song comes on. I can never get sick of them. They bring back memories of a film that shaped my path forward in an unforgettable way.”
Now, who can forget the epic train sequence ending?
“There could have been no other ending, but I did not think it would be as iconic as it eventually turned out to be,” he said.
Crediting DDLJ for giving him his superstardom, Shah Rukh Khan also wondered at the phenomenon that the film has become today.
“I think DDLJ helped me cement my place and brought me fame in a way that I didn’t think it would. There are so many reasons attributed to its success, but I don’t think any one specific thing can explain the phenomenon it has become. I think all the success is to be credited to the pure heart with which the film was made by Adi, Yashji, and the entire cast and crew—and my non-existent ‘good looks’.”
He concluded on a sweet note – “As for perception, I always felt that I can play more unconventional roles because of my looks, but DDLJ has belied that and I still struggle to make that one macho unconventional kick-ass character which suits me, or so I thought, but its been a struggle to not be considered romantic and sweet for the last 25 years — a struggle, I guess, I am happy to lose.“
Written and directed by Aditya Chopra, DDLJ made history back then and went on to become the longest-running Hindi film of all time! It bagged 10 Filmfare Awards (record-breaking at the time)