Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

With an estimated total gross of ₹2 billion ($60 million) worldwide, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was the highest-grossing Indian film of 1995 and one of the most successful Indian films in history. When adjusted for inflation, it is the second highest-grossing Indian film of the 1990s, behind Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! It won 10 Filmfare Awards—the most for a single film at that time—and the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Its soundtrack album became one of the most popular of the 1990s.

Many critics praised the film, which connected with different segments of society by simultaneously promoting strong family values and the following of one’s own heart. Its success led other filmmakers to target the non-resident Indian audience, which was deemed more lucrative for them. It spawned many imitations of its story and style and homages to specific scenes. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was one of only three Hindi films in the reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and was placed twelfth on the British Film Institute’s list of top Indian films of all time. In 2012, the film was included by critics Rachel Dwyer and Sanam Hasan in the 2012 British Film Institute Sight & Sound 1000 greatest films of all time. It is considered as the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema, due to the fact that it is still being shown at the Maratha Mandir theatre in Mumbai as of 2023.

One evening, Raj enters Baldev’s shop after closing time to buy beer. Baldev refuses, but Raj grabs a case of beer, throws money on the counter, and runs away. An infuriated Baldev calls Raj a disgrace to India. Meanwhile, Dharamvir agrees to his request to go on a train trip across Europe with his friends, and Simran’s friends have invited her to go on the same trip. Simran asks Baldev to let her see the world before her marriage, and he reluctantly agrees.

On the trip, Raj and Simran meet. Raj constantly flirts with Simran, much to her irritation. The two miss their train to Zürich and are separated from their friends, but start to travel together and become friends. Raj falls in love with Simran on the journey, and when they part ways in London, Simran realises she is in love with him as well. At home, Simran tells her mother about the boy she met on her trip; Baldev overhears the conversation and becomes enraged with his daughter. He says the family will move to India the next day. Meanwhile, Raj tells Dharamvir about Simran and that she will soon get married. When Raj says he believes Simran loves him too, Dharamvir encourages him to go after her. Raj goes to her house to woo her and Baldev, but is informed by their neighbour that they have sold their house and moved to India.

Back in India, Baldev is reunited with his relatives and his friend, Ajit. A miserable Simran and her younger sister Chutki take an instant dislike to Simran’s fiancé Kuljeet because of his arrogance. Simran pines for Raj, but her mother tells her to forget him because she knows Baldev will never accept their relationship. The next morning, Raj arrives outside of the house where Simran is staying and the two reunite. She begs him to elope with her, but Raj refuses and says he will only marry her with Baldev’s blessing. Without disclosing his acquaintance with Simran, Raj befriends Kuljeet under the pretense of having come to India to set up a beer factory, and is quickly accepted by both families. Later, Dharamvir also arrives in India and becomes friends with Simran’s and Kuljeet’s families. Eventually, Lajjo and Chutki discover that Raj is the boy Simran fell in love with in Europe. Lajjo also tells Raj and Simran to run away, but he still refuses. Baldev recognises Raj from the beer incident but eventually accepts him. However, after he discovers a photograph of Raj and Simran together in Europe, he slaps and humiliates Raj and tells him to leave.

As Raj and Dharamvir wait at the railway station, Kuljeet, who is angry to learn of Raj’s love for Simran, arrives with his friends and attacks them. Raj refuses to fight back until his father is struck by Kuljeet while trying to save his son at which an enraged Raj gains the upper hand in his struggle against Kuljeet and his friends and brutally beats him. Baldev and Ajit soon arrive and stop the fight, and Raj boards the departing train with Dharamvir. Simran then arrives with Lajjo and Chutki; she tries to join Raj on the train, but Baldev stops her. Simran begs him to let her go, saying she cannot live without Raj. Baldev, realising nobody loves his daughter more than Raj, lets her go, and she runs and catches the train as it departs.