Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

A Movie That Defined A Globalized Generation

Diwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ)  is a Bollywood movie that was released in October 1995. The general plot is of a man and woman who live abroad in London and end up taking a trip around Europe before they move on with their lives: the heroine to her marriage to man she's never met and the hero waiting for the next big adventure in his life. DDLJ recently hit a milestone for completing a 20 year run at a theater in Mumbai -- the longest running film in the history of Indian cinema. What makes it the still worthy of playing two decades later since its release?

A still from DDLJ

This post entitled, "The Magic of DDLJ" sheds some light as to why the movie is still so popular today. One of the biggest reasons that stood out was perfectly explained by the author:

It is not easy being a Non Resident Indian or Person of Indian Origin. Whether you are the tenth generation abroad or fresh of the boat, you are perpetually trapped between two worlds; never belonging anywhere completely. It is easy to understand why it is difficult to fit into a whole new country and culture... It has always been popular to show NRIs/PIOs as out of touch with Indian culture and values. Even today Indians assimilated into western countries are often depicted as being morally and culturally inferior.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge changed that by narrating a story revolving around the lives and perspectives of NRIs. The film didn’t just depict NRIs, but made great effort to show diversity amidst NRIs as well... 

In Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, neither way is right or wrong, neither way is superior or inferior. It emphasizes that being Indian is a state of mind, an affiliation of the heart and is not reflected by clothing or lifestyle. It showed that assimilation in a foreign culture does not mean abandoning everything Indian or being out of touch with Indian values. It presented a best of both worlds scenario where it is possible to be British or American as well as be Indian at the same time. It encouraged balancing Indian culture with foreign culture instead of pitting them against each other as rivals.

 Here is a clip of a famous scene from the movie where the hero declares his love for the heroine,