Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)
Boy meets girl on a European holiday. Then he goes to Punjab to win over her father. The romance that defined the 1990s.
- Year
- 1995
- Language
- Hindi
- Director
- Aditya Chopra
- Starring
- Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, Anupam Kher
- Also
- Produced by Yash Raj Films
The story
Raj and Simran, two young Indians who grew up in London, meet on a trip across Europe and fall in love. But Simran's strict father has already promised her to the son of an old friend in Punjab.
Instead of eloping, Raj follows her to India and sets out to earn her family's blessing, which is the heart of the film.
Why it matters
- It made Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol the defining romantic pair of their generation.
- It has played at the Maratha Mandir cinema in Mumbai for well over a thousand weeks, the longest run of any Indian film.
- Its mix of modern, overseas Indian characters and family values shaped the Hindi romance for years.
- A bronze statue of Raj and Simran stands in London's Leicester Square.
Where to watch
DDLJ is available on licensed streaming services and still screens at Maratha Mandir in Mumbai. Availability changes from country to country and month to month; see how to find a legal stream. Please don't use pirate download sites: they are illegal in India and a common source of malware.
More films
3 Idiots (2009)3 Idiots (2009): Rajkumar Hirani's comedy about three engineering students and the pressure of India's education system.
Dangal (2016)Dangal (2016): the true story of Mahavir Singh Phogat training his daughters Geeta and Babita to become champion wrestlers.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011): three friends, a road trip across Spain, and Zoya Akhtar's film about facing your fears.
Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)Gangs of Wasseypur (2012): Anurag Kashyap's two-part crime saga of a family feud in the coal belt of Dhanbad.
Drishyam (2013)Drishyam (2013): Jeethu Joseph's Malayalam thriller about a cable-TV operator protecting his family, and its many remakes.
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017)Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017): S. S. Rajamouli's epic of the kingdom of Mahishmati, and the answer to 'Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?'
K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022)K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022): Yash as Rocky in Prashanth Neel's Kannada gangster epic set in the Kolar Gold Fields.
RRR (2022)RRR (2022): S. S. Rajamouli's action epic about two revolutionaries in the 1920s, and the Oscar-winning song Naatu Naatu.
Kantara (2022)Kantara (2022): Rishab Shetty's Kannada film about land, forest and folk ritual in coastal Karnataka, and its explosive final act.
Vikram (2022)Vikram (2022): Lokesh Kanagaraj's Tamil action thriller with Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil, and the start of the 'Lokesh Cinematic Universe'.
Jawan (2023)Jawan (2023): Atlee's action thriller with Shah Rukh Khan in a double role, Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi. Story and cast.
Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024)Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024): Allu Arjun returns as red-sandalwood smuggler Pushpa Raj in Sukumar's Telugu blockbuster.
12th Fail (2023)12th Fail (2023): the true story of Manoj Kumar Sharma, from failing school in Chambal to the civil services. Vidhu Vinod Chopra's surprise hit.
Laapataa Ladies (2024)Laapataa Ladies (2024): Kiran Rao's comedy about two brides swapped on a train, and India's entry for the Oscars.
Manjummel Boys (2024)Manjummel Boys (2024): a group of friends from Kochi, a trip to Kodaikanal, and a rescue from the Guna Caves. Based on a true story.
Stree 2 (2024)Stree 2 (2024): the horror-comedy sequel set in Chanderi, with Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor facing the headless Sarkata.