389. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge; movie review

 

DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE

Cert PG

190 mins

BBFC advice: Contains infrequent mild violence, language

Oh, please, please, please. Let Indian cinema re-release more of its classics.

I have grown to adore Bollywood and its Asian relatives over the past decade but had never seen one of the great movies of the past... until now.

And I was rapt by Dilwale Dilhania Le Jayenge and its stars, a very young Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

This is how I imagined traditional Bollywood movies to be - oozing forbidden romance, big characters, breathtaking scenery and great song and dance routines.

Aditya Chopra's movie is wholesome entertainment which is placed slap bang in the 1990s (one of the opening scenes in London shows petrol at 50.9p a litre!).

SRK was already a film actor but his role as happy-go-lucky romancer Raj propelled him to superstardom.

Raji is on a European tour when he falls in love with Simran (Kajol), who has the permission of her father (Amrish Puri) to go on a similar trip in exchange to agreeing to an arranged marriage.

Initially, she repels Raj's advances but as the journey progresses the more they are thrown together and the more she warms to him.

And, even though she is promised to another, Raj insists that Simran will marry him.

When they return is when the fun really starts because he is encouraged by his dad (Anupam Kher) to go to grab her hand only to find she had already been taken to India.

He follows her and tries all sorts of tricks to win his girl.

There will be legions of fans who will be able to explain in intricate detail why they love this film.

I have never seen a movie with as much mock shock - its orchestral music is exaggerated and its soft camera work is overdone.

And its gentle self-deprecation is summed up by the repeated face of outrage of Amrish Puri.

For my part, I was hooked by its impish and naive optimism. It didn't make me laugh but prompted smiles throughout. 

However, be warned, it is very very long.

Reasons to watch: One of the great Bollywood classics

Reasons to avoid: So long!

Laughs: A couple of chuckles

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? Shah Rukh Khan was not the original choice for Raj Malhotra He was only offered the film after Saif Ali Khan. The original choice for the film was Tom Cruise to play the role of Raj but the idea was turned down by Yash Chopra.

The final word. Shah Rukh Khan: “We were all living in the moment, trying to make the best film we could. 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’.”

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