Heart Stopper Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge Way back in October 1995, the serpentine queues for tickets in theatres across the country and even abroad gave testimony to the fact that a new Sholay was about to be born. Pundits who said Sholay’s record run couldn’t ever be beaten had to eat humble pie, as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge tumbled all available box office records. It’s the highest grossing Indian film adjusted to inflation. Such is its popularity even today that the matinee shows at Maratha Mandir, where it has been running non-stop ever since its release, still find takers. The viewers know the dialogue by heart and sing, clap and lip sync along with the actors onscreen. They don’t come to see something new but for repeating a beautiful experience. It’s a steady relationship. The film has completed 800 plus weeks so far and may become the first Indian film to complete 1,000 weeks. The film is a symbol of love triumphing over adversity. Raj and Simran have become the new Romeo and Juliet. The lovers didn’t elope or commit suicide but waited for their elders to give their blessings. Shakespeare would have balked at the conformist attitude but we Indians are like that only. We may yearn for the latest gizmos, hang out at the coolest hotspots but at the end of the day, we don’t feel fulfilled if we’re deprived of home cooked daal chawal. This basic Indianness appealed to Gen X. Sunny Leone videos may be trending right now but DDLJ has been trending for close to 17 years. Gen-Xers stop fiddling with their gaming consoles and tablets when it reruns on TV. No wonder their votes pushed it to the top of the totem pole in our online poll.
