Every day hundreds of people in India stream into an antiquated theatre in Mumbai. They don't go to see the latest Bollywood blockbuster. For just 30 cents CDN, they go to watch a classic.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which roughly translates to the Brave Hearted Will Take Away the Bride, debuted back in October 1995. Since then, it's been shown daily at the Maratha Mandir Cinema. Not just another love story This week, India's longest running film marks a milestone. It's been 1,000 weeks since the movie's first screening. On the surface, Dilwale may seem like just another Bollywood love story. Watch the celebratory trailer There is Raj, a rich, care-free, goofy, athletic, prank playing frat-boy. Then there is the polar opposite girl-next-door Simran, a middle-class, sophisticated, intellectual.
The two meet while on a tour of Europe. Initially Simran hates Raj, but after a series of events (and some singing and dancing), eventually the two fall in love.
There is just one small problem: Simran's extremely strict father has already arranged her marriage to someone else. [The movie] encapsulates a way of reconciling personal desires with familial obligations - Hindi cinema studies professor, Shakuntala Banaji, on film's enduring success So, off Raj goes to India, not only to get the girl, but to win over her family as well. Through their journey, the two also manage to win over audiences around the world. So what's behind the movie's enduring success? '[The movie] encapsulates a way of reconciling personal desires with familial obligations,' says Shakuntala Banaji, a professor who studies Hindi cinema at the London School of Economics.
'In South Asia, where so often young lovers who cross community and family wishes end up in jail for kidnapping, or dead, or accused of some crime, the fantasy of a privately chosen romantic love that can overcome family and community censure and be accepted is still very potent, perhaps even a necessary ideal.' Confronts 'outdated sexist ideals' Indeed, Banaji says, even 20 years later, these problems still resonate within Indian society. It's a view with which 28-year-old Pooja agrees.
'There is something about growing up with strict parents that I think all Indian girls can relate to. Simran's character is every 'brown' woman,' she says. Cinema goers watch Dilwale inside the Maratha Mandir theatre. The theatre's 11-hundred seats are sold out most Sundays and on holidays. (Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)'Indian women still deal with very outdated and sexist social restrictions,' she says. 'As Simran moves through this journey, falls in love, then stands up for her right to love, she realizes that she should have the right to live her life her own way.
Essentially, I see it as the triumph of love, respect and equality over outdated sexist ideals.' Pooja calls Dilwale the quintessential love story, India's version of Romeo and Juliet. An unforgettable scene Indeed, an older movie watcher said she loved the film because she felt the chemistry between the characters was real. The film made Shah Rukh Khan (Raj) and Kajol (Simran) THE onscreen couple. One of the most unforgettable scenes in the movie is of the two reuniting in a field of yellow flowers and singing a popular song.