Twenty years later, here's why DDLJ still celebrates all things Love

Once upon a time, there was a boy and girl who hated each other. The boy was arrogant, the girl far too idealistic. But then, hate blossomed into love, and created one of the greatest love stories of all time.

The sad truth is that the above paragraph can lend itself as a synopsis for a majority of Bollywood films. And yet, with the most basic premise and cliches that flow faster than beer at frat parties, Aditya Chopra’s Dilwale Dulhianiya Le Jayenge (1995) is arguably the most celebrated Hindi film of the century, still running in theatres 20 years later.

It could be the fresh chemistry between an unconventional leading lady like Kajol and the newly-turned chocolate boy Shah Rukh Khan (he had Baazigar and Darr to boast of before this), or the all-encompassing hindi-film drama, or maybe even the fact that for the first time a film could carry the simultaneous weight of traditional Indian culture merged with the NRI culture – but DDLJ was quick to attain cult status.

20 years later, we still sit glued to TV screens when DDLJ is played on TV yet again, and we still swoon when Raj waits for Simran to “palat”. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that DDLJ is cinematic celebration of love — one to be watched over and over again with your family, childhood friends, and big tub of popcorn, pretending like you have no idea if Simran will ever make it into the train and catch up with Raj in the last scene of the film.

And so, just because we believe in recreating magic, here’s a brief summary of our favorite scenes from DDLJ. You can thank us later:

Meet Simran, a 18 year old Indian girl who lives in London, and has regular adolescent dreams about her knight in shining armour. Naturally a song-and-dance sequence in this situation is mandatory. A short white skirt is bonus.

And then there’s Raj. Charming, bratty and rich, he’s an Indian-origin Londoner who doesn’t give a sh*t. Not much the knight-in-shining armor Simran was hoping for. His life revolves around partying and having fun. Graduating school, or having ambitions are petty for Raj.

He first meets Simran in a train cubicle. Surprise surprise, they’re both on the same vacation: A Eurorail tour of Europe.

Raj flirts with Simran, she despises his straightforwardness. He pulls her leg, she embarasses him in public. Add two songs, some cognac and the scenic European background, and you have the entire first half of the film.

You may not know it yet, but Raj and Simran are slowly falling in love at this point.

How do we know for sure? The “Palat” litmus test. In which it’s pretty apparent that Simran has feelings for Raj, because, you know, she turns around. (Can we take a moment to swoon over SRK in this scene please?)

However, nothing is said in stone, and Simran heads back home, only to pack her bags and move to India, where she is getting married to a dude named Kuljeet, whom she has never met before. Sparks have flown between Raj and Simran, but they’re not a very impulsive duo.

They finally reunite in the yellow fields on Punjab, over a song, in which Raj travels all the way from London, to do what would become a signature romantic gesture.

Raj then proceeds to win Simran’s family over during Simran’s wedding preparations, one painstakingly long day after another. In the midst of all this shaadi drama, they find time to meet chupke chupke … 

… and also share a dance openly, because haters gonna hate, but we gotta have our song-and-dance sequence.

All this time, Raj is desperately trying to win Simran’s father’s attention. But who can stand in front of the wrath of Amrish Puri?

Eventually, Raj’s hardwork pays off. But not without some climax drama first.

Much fighting, and nailing biting later, we get to the main scene of DDLJ, one that poses the most serious question of the film: Kya dilwale dulhaniya le payega? (Will the dilwala manage to win the bride?) Will she manage to catch Raj’s hand?

Of course she does. Because if there’s one thing to take from DDLJ, it is that love conquers all.

And also, this: