Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

I usually go for Bollywood films for the music-dance numbers. While this flick has a few good ones, I was mostly pleased with the plot. I liked the second half the best. I was very disappointed to learn from IMDb that this is the second of only two films done by Pooja Rupanel. She brought a lot of life and spark to a minor role - the female lead's younger sister. She should have done more films. Like any really good comedy, the story had its serious aspects - just enough to make the plot interesting. The stand=by Bollywood love triangle plot can be used as many times as one wishes as long as one has good actors, terrific musical numbers, and a few novel plot twists.

'DDLJ' is An Immortal Film! It's among those "FINE" films, that remain perfect forever. It's among those gems, that can never go dated. Be it the direction, the screenplay, the songs, the performances, the cinematography...everything just gets better!

'DDLJ' Synopsis: A young man and woman - both of Indian-descent, but born and raised in England - fall in love during a trip to Switzerland. However, the girl's traditional father takes her back to India to fulfill a betrothal promise.

'DDLJ', even if not so hugely successful, it still would have gained a cult-following. Aditya Chopra's Screenplay is engaging, moving & most importantly entertaining. The Love-Story works big time, so do the characters & the situations. Cinematography by Manmohan Singh is picture perfect. Editing is smooth. Chopra's direction is sensitive. Music by Jatin-Lalit, is fabulous.

Shahrukh's performance as Raj, became a rage & catapulted him into Superstardom. He is lovable as Raj. Kajol as Simran, is fantastic, as always. The Chemistry between Shahrukh & Kajol, is infectious. Amrish Puri, however, steals the show as the traditional Indian father. The late legend delivers an incredible performance, that truly leaves you in awe of him. Farida Jalal is first-rate. Anupam Kher is great. Parmeet Sethi plays the bad-guy well. Satish Shah is decent, while Mandira Bedi is passable. Others are perfect.

On the whole, 'DDLJ' is one of THE Finest films to come out of Hindi Cinema. It's The Mughal-e-Azam of the 1990's!

I'm sooo in love with this movie. Its way better than Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or any other Hindi film or ANY film in general that I've ever seen! It's that good! I just want to recommend this to everyone ESPECIALLY if your a Shah Ruhk Khan/Kajol fan, they are awesome together. The whole supporting cast does a great job too- Put together with the beautiful direction of Aditya Chopra they turn a simple storyline of uncliched love into a heartfelt movie you can watch over and over again. Oh, and did I mention the songs rock too!

Dilwale made me glad to be a Westerner, just so I could experience the sheer rush in the glorious way this film simply throws its Indian sensibility in your face. It is one of the most completely, openly joyful films I have ever seen. In many ways a totally Western film, it is yet completely un-Western, and absolutely invigorating.

I found the (rather oddly looped in places) mix of Hindi and English dialog to be a lot of fun to follow (as incomplete as the subtitles sometimes seemed). The Indian/Western pop structure of the songs was entertaining and infectious. The choreography is simply amazing, and some of the most sheerly athletic I've seen. The Indian roots of the dance routines were at first almost unnerving--at once familiar yet bizarre, almost surreal (to my Western eyes). It was sheer fun making the cultural adjustment.

The plot is predictable, almost pedestrian--certainly not what you'd call "never done before," and yet I found myself completely absorbed in the story, and rooting for the main characters. This is in large part due to Shahrukh Khan's and Kajol's performances as Raj and Simran. He is totally endearing, and she is totally hot!, and their on screen chemistry is as cute & perky and smoldering & steamy as Fred and Ginger at their peak. It was, simply put, fun to watch them having so much fun.

Director Aditya Chopra was, I understand, only 24 when he made Dilwale, and the film was so successful its Indian first run lasted a world-record 11 years (and may still be going on, as far as I know). A heckuva testimony to Bollywood indeed. This movie has instantly become one of my favorite musicals, and I look forward to finding more films from Chopra, Khan, and Kajol. What a treat!

Bollywood has changed a lot over the last two decades. Production values have increased dramatically and that cheesiness that was so typical of old Bollywood films has been toned down somewhat and replaced by a professionalism that is often on a par with Hollywood. So how does this 20 year old film stack-up?

In short, it is brilliant. Yes, it is has a certain kitschness. It has musical interludes that are so cheesy you almost want to laugh, and some of the acting is pretty questionable. But at the same time there's something sublime about the film. Somehow, the kitschness, the cheesiness and the low-budget production seems to have come together to create a work of art that will live on for decades to come.

Raj and Simran, the male and female leads, are endearing. The support cast are very good. The story line, whilst at times being predictable, also has some clever little twists and turns, and by the end of it you feel like you've watched a movie that will stay with you for many years to come, which I guess answers why Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge has such enduring popularity.

Is it perfect? Definitely not. Is it worth watching? If you enjoy a little light-hearted, Bollywood romantic-comedy then that would be a definite yes.