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Simple...obvious...and extremely important!



Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), one of the most iconic movies of Bollywood completes a whopping 1000 weeks at the box office today! Kudos to the team that made this amazingly simple and sweet movie that taught us so much at so many different levels, not to mention the fond memories and the cult dialogues it gave us!
In his congratulatory tweet, Shekhar Kapur said "Congratulations 2 Adi Chopra n whole team. Film defined a generation. Wish they still made films like this. From the heart. " 

 I agree with him a hundred percent. DDLJ was a heartfelt movie - made from the heart and meant to touch hearts. I also agree with him that the film defined an entire generation. A generation that is so different from the present one that sleeps and awakes to the pings of notifications on their smart phone. 
The generation that  grew up with DDLJ can appreciate the characters in the movie and the constraints they faced. Be it the typical charismatic playboy or the lovely and shy girl next door - be it the strict father or the loving mother who is in cahoots with her kids - DDLJ gave us characters we could relate to. 

 For today's technologically advanced generation, it is difficult to appreciate the significance of the secret meetings that Raj had with Simran on the rooftop. Even parenting styles and the freedom afforded to children today is much different from that showcased in the movie and that defined the day for the '90s parents and their kids. 
DDLJ is popular because it took the ordinary, everyday people and feelings and went on to make them extraordinary. The  film  gave expression to the dreams that many kids of that generation secretly nurtured. And I dont necessarily mean the "koi andekha anjana chehra...." Although, I won't be entirely wrong there anyway. 

 From its easy father-son camaraderie between Raj and his dad to the infatuation Preeti has for Raj, everything was believable for that generation. Today it is rare to find a girl who has her mom for a best friend, but when Simran said her mom was her best friend, almost every middle class girl watching the movie could relate to her. DDLJ really belonged to a very simple generation that was still holding on fast to its roots and values. 

 I do not mean to say that today's youth do not have values or are less culturally inclined - no, but it is just very difficult for them to relate to a story that takes place at a time when smart phones were not a necessity, one on one interaction was.  
Come to think of it, DDLJ is as much relevant today as it was when it was made. This is one movie that you can watch again and again and every time you do, you find something new that has been right there in front of your eyes and yet has eluded you. 

 When I saw the movie as a teenager, I couldn't wait to meet my own Raj who would be willing to travel across the globe just to be with me! :) When I did meet him, the film highlighted for me the emotional struggle that  lovers face when they are torn between their family and their dreams. Today, when I am a parent, and I watch DDLJ I can find a lot that I can teach my child from the movie. 

 Which brings us to the most simple, obvious and important message that the movie has given us - life is full of choices and the easier choice is not necessarily the best one; in fact it is the tough choice that really makes you shine.... 

 We adore Raj because what makes him special is that he chose to take a difficult path of winning over Simran's family rather than the easier one of eloping with her. We respect him for his attempts at trying to patch things up with Simran's dad after their disastrous first meeting. We love Simran for wanting to elope with her love as she knows her father will never accept her love and yet having faith and belief in her love when he refuses to run away with her but advises her to stay put and take things as they come.

 In addition, there are many small little details that make DDLJ the special movie that it is. There are numerous lessons this movie also carries for us. The best of them being Raj's belief that no matter where and how far you run from your parents, you can never escape them. Parents are the most important pillars of our sustenance and one can never be truly happy unless your parents are happy and bless you from the heart; after all parents only wish the best for their children. 

 There are many critics of the movie out there who may or may not agree with me. There are also many who can label this post as that of a crazy fan who is just extremely happy for the success of their favourite actor/film. 
I say this post is all that and more. Because according to me, DDLJ is a fine example of the fact that there are always choices in life and what choices you make defines what kind of person you are. Raj chose the not so easy path and is an icon today. It is not an easy choice. Do we always make the right choices or the easy ones?

 Add to all of this some romantic songs and lots of romance and masti and you have a complete package that is the best romantic movie ever made! 
I have already watched DDLJ a hundred times; and I plan to watch it a hundred more....what about you?
Image courtesy: Pixabay



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