User reviews

'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!

Aditya Chopra's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a superb example of the genius of Hindi commercial cinema. If you see it, you'll get that it's not very different as a love story. It is even ordinary. But it becomes special for many reasons. First and foremost, for its fresh, naive spirit. Secondly, the many paradoxes it contains: it is powerful yet subtle, larger-than-life yet simple, funny yet sad, magical yet realistic, and so on. Thirdly, it is one of the first films portraying Indians who live outside their country (in this case, London). It also shows the yearning of the first-generation NRIs who live far away from their homeland and for many reasons find it difficult to come back. Yet, the film remains mainly a poignant, melancholic romance.

Raj and Simran, the characters played by Shahrukh Khan and Kajol represent the last generation of youngsters who were innocent and naive. They were much more simple, respectful and full of life. Such people almost no longer exist nowadays. The film relates their love story in a rather mesmerising way. Every scene is important. There are many great moments in the film. Raj and Simran's entire acquaintance and interaction in the first half is charming. Their separation at the end of the first half, when both make each other understand of their true feelings without explicitly admitting it, is moving. The traditional wedding preparations in the second half are well-made; the values they show, Raj's attempts to conquer Simran's father, and the couple's deepening relationship are interesting. The only thing I regretted was the typical fight scene towards the end.

Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, who undoubtedly form a great film couple, are both excellent in their roles. They act from the heart, and ably bring their characters to life. Shahrukh Khan is incredible as Raj, a modern guy who understands the value of family and marriage, and yet he has the look of a careless fool who does not take anything seriously. Khan acts with great ease, wit and humour, and his inner fear of losing his beloved is always understood. Kajol as the dreamy and poetic yet intransigent and smart Simran is exceptional, and she looks very hot throughout. Amrish Puri and Farida Jalal as Simran's parents provide great support. Amrish Puri is particularly impressive as the strict but soft-hearted father, and Jalal is touching as the woman who has lived life according to terms and does not want the same to happen to her daughter. Anupam Kher is funny and entertaining as Raj's father.

The film's soundtrack is outstanding and is clearly one of the main reasons this film works so well and is unforgettable today. The music is very well identified with the film and its story. Just try to imagine you would be given to watch the movie with the songs edited out. You wouldn't want to, right? That's because every song is a gem and is as important as every other scene. Every song comes in the right place and is sung and pictured exceptionally well. The one closest to my heart is "Ho Gaya Hai Tujhko", for its beautiful melody and very melancholic feel, which is aided by its blend of fantasy and reality on-screen. It is performed to perfection by Lata Mangeshkar and Udit Narayan. DDLJ is a film that should not be missed by anyone. It is one of the great gifts of Yash Chopra and his banner. It is a milestone of Indian cinema for its ability to inject fresh and magical energies into a banal love story, and for making it classically memorable.

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.

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!

Srk-Kajol have worked in a lot of blockbusters together(Baazigar, Karan Arjun, KKHH, K3G) but DDLJ will always be recognized as their best to date. Debutant director Aditya Chopra so perfectly brings these two together at the back-drop of a realistic family setting that its hard not to fall in love with them. Its chemistry at its finest. For Srk it was his first "Raj" character(play-girl type guy with the right values and morals) which he plays to perfection. For Kajol, DDLJ was a career making movie. As Simran she's beautiful, sweet, sensitive and a bit stuck-up too. Thank god Madhuri didn't have the dates to work in DDLJ cuz no actress suits Srk better then Kajol. There are countless heart-warming scenes between em' in DDLJ. Each one of them is uniquely different and just as much fun to watch. The entire setting of DDLJ is very simplistic, which brings out that special "oomph" in their romance. The songs are first-class. The strong supporting cast of Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, Anupam Kher and Satish Shah definitely helped the movie to become the classic as its now seen as.

Bottomline: DDLJ is 'romantic comedy' with Indian emotions at its peak. From the cast, chemistry, music, direction and the awesome pairing of Srk-Kajol....its perfect!

I recently took a class about India in college and towards the end of the semester, we watched a few clips from some Bollywood and Tamil movies. I was very moved and inspired by the clips alone! Then, I told my friend (who happens to be Indian) from my work study job that I like Bollywood. So she invited me to an "Indian Movie Night" at her dorm. We watched K3G and I was so touched by it! It was simply wonderful. Most of all, I became a SRK and Kajol fan. Their on-screen chemistry is remarkable! I can't explain it! Anyhoo, I asked my mom for some Bollywood movies for Christmas and one of the movies I got was DDLJ. And let me tell ya'll, it is now my favorite movie of all time. SRK and Kajol shine beyond reason in this flick. The script is excellent, everything is excellent especially the acting and memorable songs! The supporting cast (most notably Simran parents, sister and Raj's dad were figging awesome!) Mr. Amish (sic) Puri, who played Kajol's dad acts wonderfully with just his eyes! One of the funniest lines in the movie is when Raj's friend walks into Simran's dad store and says "Uncle, can I have some beer?!" Gosh, it's the way that cat said the line that made it so FUNNY! After watching it again yesterday, I realized that I love so many Hollywood movies (particularly classic ones) and yet I couldn't state my all time favorite one. But while watching the making of DDLJ (I own the special edition version with two DVD's inside), I became rather teary eyed. I mean, I'm getting teary eyed writing this review at this moment! This film touched not only my heart, but my soul as well. They are so many underlying messages in DDLJ that can strike a cord in a non-Indian's (like me, I'm Nigerian American) soul. In end, I hope people who read this will buy DDLJ, (Renting will be useless, because you'll want to watch it over and over again...) love this priceless gem of a movie, and this goes out to the girls, wanna "come...fall in love" with a cool, crazy, sexy guy like Raj!

PS- THIS IS THE GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME!

Probably one of the greatest love stories ever told. Director Aditya Chopra made his debut as a director with this film. Aditya is the son of legendary Director/Producer Yash Chopra who gave us films like Deewar, Darr, Waqt, Kabhie Kabhie, Dil To Pagal Hai and Veer-Zaara.

Aditya was one the first Directors of the New Generation of the Indian film Directors. With his first film he got rave reviews and was immediately classified as one of the best directors in Indian Cinema. With DDLJ, Aditya showed us what falling in love, respect, and family values are all about. This film also confirmed the Pair of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol as one of the best in the Indian Cinema. It made Kajol and Shah Rukh superstars over night and two of the most sought after actors.

DDLJ also started the trend of love stories in Indian Cinema. Before DDLJ, most Indian films were action films. But DDLJ changed all that and the way of war was changed to a way of love. It's incredible how this film changed the Indian Cinema and the way of making films. DDLJ is a Forever Classic.

It recently set a new record for the longest running film when it crossed the 500th week mark (that means it's a 10 time golden jubilee), the previous record was 275 weeks and was held by SHOLAY (another forever classic). All I can say is you must watch this movie, because "After Raj met Simran, love wasn't the same...come fall in love all over again".

If you missed this movie than you have missed the best movie made in bollywood history.This movie never seems to bore you.I have saw over a hundred times(Really).It's a fascinating movie.The plot was wonderful.The acting was really award winning.Shahrukh Khan is a gem of an actor.Really incredible acting by him.Kajol was excellent.The songs were awesome!The music was wow.The direction was cool.A must see for those who adore romantic flicks.

DDLJ has been my all time favourite movie. its a wonderful love story about the second generation Asian youths! Raj the main character played by Shahrukh khan gives a superb performance and equally good as Simran (co-star) played by Kajol!! Its about a girl living in London, who's marriage has been arranged by her father to marry his best friend's son. She accepts her fate until she meets Raj in Europe and falls in love. The movie has won many awards including National Award(in India)for best story. The songs in the movie are also worth listening to, composed by Jatin Lalit which are melodious and romantic. Overall the movie is definitely 10/10, no doubt!!!

This was the top Bollywood film of the 90s and after seeing it I really can't think of one that was better. There are some that are just as good but I can't recall seeing one that's better. The story's pretty routine: boy meets girl in Europe, they fall in love, girl is engaged to some other idiot, and the rest writes itself... Sound familiar? Well it wasn't back in '95 (or even if it was it wasn't done as well) and Aditya Chopra's treatment of the story was a big reason for it's success. In every other movie the couple first wants to kill each other before falling in love. But in this movie it's slightly different and more plausible. Shahrukh doesn't want to kill Kahol - I mean Kajol - and she doesn't really hate him either, she just (like the rest of us) is annoyed by the guy. Their situations aren't that far-fetched and their Europe storyline is played out quite realistically (of course the piano scene is an exception). This was the beginning of the "Shahrukh plays Shahrukh era" and, for what it's worth, he hasn't made a better movie or given a better performance since. Sure there are places where he overacts but there are just as many places where he's able to hit all his cues. His comic timing was never better and there was still some sincerity in his eyes, a reminder of the fact that he was still an actor, which has since been replaced by the cockiness of a megastar. This is the movie that shot him to superstardom and put him alongside Aamir and Salman. Kajol is just as good (if not better), and I think after their next movie they'll win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. The supporting cast is fine although no one really stands out. There are many moments in the film, most notably in the script, where you might feel a sense of deja vu. But keep in mind that this was the original, it's everything else that's a rehash. Bollywood headed straight for the sewer after this movie with almost all films, many of them starring Shahrukh, copying the same formula. Even at its 3 hour length the movie never drags till after the two-hour mark. I also want to comment on the film's Art Direction because it warrants a mention. Whether it's in Europe, England, or India, the movie has a very natural look to it. Unlike today's big films like Dil To Pagal Hai, or K3G, this movie looks good without trying to look good and I think that's a quality that's been lost on today's films. Too much attention is spent on the look at the expense of the story (if there is one!). The soundtrack of course is a classic, truly one of the all-time bests, with almost every song being a hit. The film won an unprecedented number of awards while breaking many records. There was a feeling that Aditya would follow in his father Yash's footsteps but regrettably the pressure got to him. He followed this up with the dreadful Mohabbatein which was slammed by audiences and critics alike. But so what. His first film was good, and with the current state of Bollywood movies - Devdas anyone? - you really can't get better than this.

For the life of me I cannot figure out the iconic status that this movie enjoys. Sure, first half of the movie has the chemistry that Indian film crowds so love, but the second half is such an idiotic morality drama, that I marvel that Aditya Chopra got away with it. I guess this has got to do a lot with the first half in which people have been hooked to romance. A romantic mind will gobble anything ;-).

This is not a great movie. This is barely a good movie. And it's regressive. It's so bloody regressive that it makes me puke. Worse: the regressive theme and it's popularity has made critics also treat it with kid gloves. The passed time is just working more and more in its favor.

This is the movie for NRI crowd. And it's quite stupid, I'm afraid.

I watched it when I was a kid. At that time, Indian movies were very famous in Azerbaijan. This movie is the best among Indian movies. It's romantic, comedy, good musical and never gets old.

I don't even know how the hell this film has been deemed a classic. It is cheesy to the core. The "acting" by Shah Rukh Khan is really bad, and honestly, I didn't really see anything special in his acting. I know he has the potential very now and then, but I really wouldn't consider this one of his finest. All I really noticed was an annoying laugh that kind of sounds like a goat. Kajol did okay, I think she did the best in the film though out of all the actors. And another thing I don't understand is how do people think this is a good film? I mean, SRK is a troublemaker who goes around causing mischief, and he falls in love with a serious girl (Kajol). Kajol literally lies to her parents, because she said that if she goes on her trip, she'll marry who her parents choose. During this trip she lets SRK do many awkward things to her and then they fall in love and then SRK crashes her wedding, and then Kajol totally forgets about her promise and all that crap. I mean, in one scene SRK literally undresses her while she's unconscious and then changes her clothes! That is messed up. And last, there is so much cheesy dialogue, and the story is filled with clichés. Anyways, the only thing I liked was the music. The soundtrack of this movie was excellent however. I only recommend this "classic" to people who are overly romantic. Overall I rate this film a 5.5ish out of 10. I really don't consider this a classic, I think it is overrated.

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!

Going to the theatre to watch this movie was supposed to be my 'punishment' (for doing what, I can't remember), but let me tell you, this was the best punishment of my life.

This movie was fantastic! I found it groundbreaking in that it solidly addressed the doublestandards and idiocy that tend to pervade in the minds of a lot of Indian parents. It was definitely an anti-arranged marriage film, which was a plus.

I still watch this movie from time to time, and I have to tell you I thoroughly enjoy it, every time. The songs are great, the actors are great, and the dialogue is pleasing.

A timeless classic, that will probably never be repeated.

10/10

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.

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge represented the cosmic confluence of a lot of young talent that came together fortuitously. A 24 year old director cast a 29 year old rising actor and a 21 year old actress of some note in a film that represented the lives of innumerable Indians who had left the homeland and gone off to foreign shores. The film did not just show them in their foreign milieu but looked into their hearts, minds, morals and then also showed them back in the homeland. In a sense it integrated the reality of NRI life with the reality of life in India. The picture was an idealized one and showed that among the affluent as well as the middle class while the outer trappings were very modern the mentality was very traditional.

Raj Malhotra (Shahrukh Khan) is the only son of a rich business man (Anupam Kher) and seems a wastrel type of fellow, but scratch below the surface and he is a true blue "Hindustani"! Simran (Kajol) is one of two daughters of Chaudhary Baldev Singh, dresses in Western garb but again is a true blue traditional girl. On a tour of Europe the two meet and fall in love, but Simran has been engaged since childhood to the son of Baldev Singh's friend in India. She obeys her father and is taken back to India for the wedding. Raj follows on her heels. But Raj will not do the hackneyed thing of eloping with her - he has his own unique style and tries to win her by winning the hearts and minds of her family. The very traditional nature of the story resonated with the older generation among Indians and NRIs alike, while breaking from the tradition of eloping, and the charm and charisma of the protagonists appealed to the younger set. This made the movie into a huge blockbuster and one of the longest running films in Hindi cinema. In addition it made the careers of Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Aditya Chopra.

I like this film for its freshness and feel good feel, it never ceases to yank me out of the doldrums. It did set a bad trend in cinema because on its heels followed countless films with similar locales, characters, story lines. But isn't imitation the best form of flattery? The acting by the lead pair is amazing. Raj will charm a bird out of a tree, and Simran is the dream of every young man. Both SRK and Kajol did complete justice to these extremely well written roles and deserve all the kudos they got! Some moments of note - Raj grabbing beer from the store, telling Simran what kind of girl he is looking for, exchanging photos is Europe, on the bridge telling Simran he has fallen in love with her, telling his father that Simran is engaged to be married - in fact all but the last 15 minutes are excellently acted. Kajol telling her mother about the man of her dreams, hating Raj in Europe, telling him she she is engaged to be married, interacting with her mother upon her return from Europe - Kajol too hit the right note in each and every minute of the film except the last 15 minutes! Others are competent, Farida Jalal is of note as the mother and Anupam Kher as the father.

The music is outstanding, every song is a gem. Of particular note is the picturization of Na Jaane mere dil ko - the blend of fantasy and reality was a first and has often been copied since then. The song Tujhe Dekha to is outstanding and Mehndi Laga ke Rakhna is a perennial favorite. But I personally love the cheeky Ruk Jaa o Dil Deewane.

The movie does have some hackneyed moments - the last 15 minutes leave much to be desired, not in the ending itself but how every one got to that point. Amrish Puri is OTT at times as the angry father, but you can take all of this as there is so much that pleases so much!

This is a film that truly deserves the label of Evergreen - it is ever fresh and ever pleasing.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a musical romance film, directed by Aditya Chopra and stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Late Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, Anupam Kher, Parmeet Sethi Satish Shah, Late Achala Sachdev, Mandira Bedi, Himani Shivpuri and Pooja Ruparel.

The longest ever running movie in the history of Indian Cinema is been considered an epitome in the genre of romantic movies. The movie is almost a flawless movie with mesmerizing music and promotes the family values and Indian culture with perfection.

In my opinion i am not in a position to judge or review the milestone movie of Indian cinema which has a stellar and impressive star cast, melodious and mesmerizing music and an engaging screenplay, iconic dialogues and unforgettable climax with Bauji letting Simran go to Raj the love of her life.

There could be few disconnect with the movie in regard to current generations and they might feel the movie little more over melodramatic or little exaggerated but to understand and enjoy the grandeur of the movie or the magnificence of the movie you have to watch the movie with the perspective of the generation who were born in late 70s and 80s who were in their 20s and few of them in their teenage and i am sure you'll understand the stature of the movie.

A must watch for all the romantic music lovers and a must watch for all the true Indian movie lover or follower.

If you are reading this review to see if the film is worth seeing, where have you been hiding for the last few years?

This film is brought from the stables of Yash Chopra. As you may have guessed it is a 3 way story. Raj (Shahrukh Khan) is a modern Indian guy living in London with his father, played by Anupam Kher. He decides to go on a Eurorail holiday with a couple of his friends and easily gets his rich father's approval. Simran (Kajol) also lives in London but is of much more traditional upbringing, in part due to her strict father (Amrish Puri). Her father starts to reckon that it is time for her to get married. She has no option but to agree. However, she asks her father for the chance to see Europe once with her friends and Amrish Puri is not keen on this at all. Much persuasion follows and reluctantly he agrees.

As luck would have it, Raj and Simran and both of their sets of friends end up on the same train and visiting the same places in Europe. At first she detests him. However, she eventually becomes stranded in a remote part of Switzerland with him. All their friends are in the next location. Time passes, songs are sung and lo and behold the two begin to fall in love.

The first part of the film ends as the two characters are back in London with their respective families. Amrish Puri overhears Simran talking about the events of the holiday and hits the roof. He packs the bags and takes his family back to the small village in Punjab where they come from. Raj is spurred on by Anupam Kher who says if something is worth having, he must chase after it.

The second part of the film consists of Raj trying to win the trust and confidence of Simran's Punjabi family. It consists of several excellent comedy and song scenes. I will leave you to guess what happens in the end.

This film does not really warrant superlatives. It is better than excellent. It is as near perfect as we are likely to ever see. Like I say, if you have not seen this film, where have you been? The soundtrack is classic. Everyone knows the words to "Tujhe dekha to yeh jaana sanam" and "Mehndi laga ke rakhna."

The performance of the actors is first class. This really is the film that took Shahrukh to superstardom. Kajol also gives an incredible performance. This is the role that really made her name and deservedly so. Anupam Kher does a top comedy role and all the other actors have put in a magnificent performance.

This really is a "feel-good" movie. If you have not seen it yet, make it your next priority to see the film. If you have, watch it again! This film, along with Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and more recently Kuch Kuch Hota Hai are the quintessential 1990's definition of excellent Hindi cinema. Take your family, as refreshingly, there is no sex, bad language or violence in any of the three films.

I just loved this film. I have seen it many times but still it's very entertaining, and a great family film to watch. Great story and brilliant actors in it. I just love Shah Rukh Khan and he is the best in this film along with other as well. Kajol is looking great and performance is the best too. If you have missed out this film then that means you have not watched a film that you can never forget. Come fall in love with it all over again. By seeing this movie you can feel like that you also want to love Raj or Simran too. Movie just brilliant movie. I can't express so much words but I think its just the best romantic movie ever made in film history. It had won the largest amount of awards that any other film has got. Shah Rukh as best actor, Kajol as best actress. Adi as best director, Best Film of the year, best play back singer Udit. Best supporting male and supporting female. And so many other awards as well. I just say that don't miss this flick. I give it a 1000/1000.

Every now and then, a movie comes along that manages to epitomize every single stereotype about its genre. For instance, "Commando" managed to epitomize a typical Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie. "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge" epitomizes modern Bollywood.

The story, the characters, the choreography, the music, even the fight scenes are all very stereotypically Bollywood. The story is long, predictable, and melodramatic. Most of the characters are one-dimensional. Those that aren't are given "depth" in typical Bollywood fashion, i.e., by having them behave completely opposite in the last act of the film than they did in the first act. The scenes in India, London, and Switzerland are all beautifully filmed -- so beautifully, in fact, that they live up to the Bollywood stereotype of having bright, colorful, over-the-top locations for each of the song-and-dance numbers, and continue to reinforce Bollywood's love affair with Europe and European culture. The music is constant, pleasant, quite melodic, quite thematic, and always somehow upbeat, with heavy use of strings, the sitar, and the piano. The fight scenes are incredibly bad, again in true Bollywood fashion. The only thing missing is the requisite courtroom scene.

And yet, in spite of all of this -- or, perhaps, because of it -- there is no doubt that "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" is an incredibly charming film. It makes for good escapist fun with incredible camp value, while also having enough genuinely good material (i.e., its songs) to make the movie into a bona fide classic instead of just a camp classic. There is a reason why this film persistently makes it onto critics' "must-see" lists of Bollywood movies. It is not because this film represents the finest of Indian art cinema. This is no "Mother India" by any means. Rather, this film represents Bollywood (i.e., Hindi-language commercial cinema) in top form. For those who were uninitiated with Bollywood films, this makes an excellent initiation film.

You will not walk away from "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge" feeling inspired or moved. You will, however, walk away from it with a smile on your face. As silly as what you just saw was, there was something enjoyable about it.