Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayengen: The Making of a Blockbuster

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which opened to huge popular acclaim in 1995, has since become the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema. Directed by first-time film-maker Aditya Chopra, DDLJ was one of the earliest contemporary Hindi films to focus on Indian residents abroad. The film is a heady cocktail of European locations, flashy cars, gorgeous mansions and the hearty, rustic traditions of Punjab. It has spawned numerous imitations and epitomizes popular Indian cinema today. But, as Anupama Chopra points out, it’s surprising film in that it upholds old-fashioned values of premarital chastity and family authority. Whereas the lovers of a previous generation might have attempted to flee from their interfering families, DDLJ’s lovers need the approval of their elders. Having conducted in-depth interviews with the filmmakers, Chopra gives us the definitive account of a Bollywood phenomenon.