Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

Aditya Chopra’s 1995 romantic drama, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, follows the journey of Raj and Simran, who fall in love on a trip to Europe but must fight societal expectations as Simran is betrothed to marry someone else in an arranged marriage. It is one of the most commercially successful and longest-running films in Indian cinema history, shown consistently for over 25 years in Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir theatre.

Anupama Chopra’s study of the film explores is cult status, analysing its mise-en- scène, soundtrack, and star-making performances by Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. She argues that it is a paradoxical film which at once affirms the power of love to transcend societal norms and expectations, while also upholding old-fashioned values of pre-marital chastity and family authority, affirming the idea that Westernisation need not affect an essential Indian identity.

In her foreword to this new edition, published to coincide with the film’s 30th anniversary, Monika Mehta reflects on the film’s perennial success, considering its position as cultural phenomenon that continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.

Anupama Chopra is an author, journalist, film critic and director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She is the founder and editor of the digital platform Film Companion. She is author of several books on Indian cinema including Sholay: The Making of a Classic (2000), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (BFI Film Classics, 2002), King of Bollywood (2007), In Conversation with the Stars (2019), and The Front Row: Conversations on Cinema (2015). She has been a film critic for NDTV, India Today, and The Hindustan Times.