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‘DDLJ’ turns 20: 15 expectations of love it gave

If you are a child of 1990s, no doubt you must have come across the ��Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge�۪ (1995). Before this film came along, love stories in the Bollywood realm were all about sacrifices and rebellion and though that may have been true for some of the older generation, for the new generation coming of age started to see it as unrealistic. Relationships between parents and their children had become less us and them and more adult with conversations becoming easier between them. Along came Aditya Chopra�۪s ��DDLJ�۪ to fill the gap and left all young girls in the 1990s wishing that their own Raj would come and rescue them. As the film celebrates 20 years, BizAsia looks at the expectations that ‘DDLJ’ gave all of us about love.

Kajol DDLJ

He will be who you’ve dreamed of since you were a teenager

In ‘DDLJ’, Simran (Kajol) has a diary in which she writes about her dream man. In the introduction of her character, she is seen reciting a poem, “Aisa pehli baar huwa hai satra atra saalo mein…” This almost sets the tone of the rest of the film in terms of the kind of person she is looking for which seems to eventually fit in with what Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) is.

SRK DDLJ Palat

Even if the guy is a charming and spoilt, he will change for you

Raj is a spoilt brat in beginning of the film who is having fun with his father�۪s money, with his father�۪s approval and failing his degree at Oxford University. He is a serial flirt, even hitting on his love interest Simran best friend Sheena but when he realises that Simran is his true love, he changes his way for the better and goes about winning his love.

��SRK Kajol DDLJ

He will not “take advantage” of you even when you are drunk

When Simran meets Raj for the first time, she hates him on sight. She finds him shallow and a flirt and assumes that he will have his way with her given the chance. On one drunken adventure frolicking through Zurich, Simran wakes up hungover and disorientated and unaware of what has happened the night before. Raj plays a practical joke on her and then convinces her that nothing happened and though he is bought up in the UK, he still has traditional Indian values.

DDLJ Ruk Jaa

He will surpass your attempts to belittle him

When Simran and her friends attend a ball as part of their Europe trip, they bump into Raj and his friends. In an endeavour to embarrass Raj, Simran introduces him to the crowds as being one of the best piano players they will ever see. She wrongly assumes that he will not be able to redeem himself… but he does exactly that whilst making the staff of the venue and her friends dance with him in the process.

SRK Cowbell DDLJ

Being Indian makes your love an upright citizen

Raj was the epitome of a shallow spoilt boy but continually reminds Simran that he is a Hindustani at heart and will always do the right thing. Even at breaking point, he refuses to elope with Simran and tries to win her father�۪s heart to be with her with her father�۪s consent.

DDLJ Church

He will fall in love with you despite finding out that you are already engaged

Raj discovers that he is in love with Simran and goes about enquiring whether she believes in finding her true love. Simran curtly replies that she is already engaged to be married to her father�۪s choice of husband and she cannot have hope to meet anyone else.

DDLJ

If he loves you then he will love your parents

In the world of ‘DDLJ’, Raj was the perfect man and always intent on doing the right thing. He is committed to winning Simran�۪s parents hearts and flies half way round the world to India to do this.

SRK, Kajol and Amrish Puri in 'DDLJ'

He will try to win your father’s approval in every way possible

Raj flies to India when he realises Simran is his true love and is intent on stopping her marrying someone else. Upon arrival, he finds that Simran�۪s father (Amrish Puri) is someone who he once fooled to steal beer for him and his friends. Raj sets about rectifying his mistakes by having moments with Puri�۪s character in the fields feeding pigeons.

Anupam Kher DDLJ

His family will approve of you at first sight and will help win your family over

Raj and his father (Anupam Kher) have a playful friendly relationship and when Raj decides that he wants to be with Simran, he gives his son the motivation to go and bring back the girl he loves from India as his bride. Later on in the film, Kher�۪s character comes to India to support his son and is even beaten up by Simran�۪s fianc̩ as a result.

DDLJ SRK Parmeet Kajol

Though he is pretending to be betrothed to your relative, he still wants to be with you

Whilst Raj is trying to get into Simran�۪s family�۪s good books, he accidentally becomes betrothed to Simran�۪s fianc̩ Kuljeet�۪s sister. He keeps up the pretence to stay in the household and continues to woo Simran�۪s family. He also makes sure he keeps it sweet with Kuljeet himself.

SRK Kajol DDLJ

He will come and meet you at any hour of the night on the rooftop��

These scenes probably made this film so sweet to watch. Though Raj and Simran can�۪t talk openly, they meet secretly at night on the rooftops and spend time with each other and no one spots them. When Simran�۪s sister Chutki catches her sister, she approves and even helps ensure that these meetings happen.

DDLJ Karwa Chauth

He will fast for you even though it�۪s a festival for women

Karva Chauth is all about women fasting for a day to ensure the long life and wellbeing of their significant others. In the film, Simran fasts for Raj under the pretense that she is fasting for her fianc̩. She insists to Raj that she will only break her fast if she is fed by him and fakes a fainting incident to ensure her fianc̩ feeds her. When Raj arrives late to meet up with her, she berates him and her sister sets her straight that Raj has fasted all day to support her too.

DDLJ Farida Kajol SRK

He will assure your mother that it would be wrong to elope

When Simran’s mother, played by Farida Jalal, finds out that Raj is Simran’s love, she immediately decides that her daughter will not give up her dreams because of her family. She encourages Raj to elope with Simran because noone will understand their love. However, Raj gives his future mother-in-law to be that he will only take Simran from her parents then he has their blessing.

SRK bloody scene DDLJ

He will get into a bloody fight with your fiance but will still wait for you

During the climax scenes on the train platform, Raj is seen having to defend himself from Kuljeet and his friends who get into a punching fight to show him how angry they are that he wasn’t exactly who he said he was. Despite having a bloody face and many injuries, Raj gets on the train (eventually joined by his father) still waiting for Simran to arrive in time to leave with him.

SRK KAJOL ddlj train

Your father, despite showing disapproval of your love, will let you go with him eventually

At the very end of ‘DDLJ’, one of the most iconic scenes is at the train platform after the bloodshed. Simran comes to the train platform after her father and she is seen wanting to go with Raj, with no thought to her family. Her father holds onto her wrist for some time, not letting her move towards the train. She pleads and struggles to break free from his hold and then he finally lets go. “Jaa Simran, Jaa…” He tells her she will never find another man who will love her like Raj. She runs Raj’s way, finally puts her hand in his and he pulls he onto the moving train. The couple eventually get a big thumbs up from Simran’s father which, essentially, is a symbol of is blessing for them.

The film will remain forever evergreen and special to audiences for years to come. BizAsia congratulates all those involved in the film for an extraordinary 20 years.