Shah Rukh Khan's birthday: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge back in theatres for a day

A still from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)

So long as SRK is around, Bollywood is in safe hands. In 1995, the Aditya Chopra-directed and Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol-starrer DDLJ, or Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, heralded a new wave of romantic musicals in the Hindi film industry and push to European tourism, the snow-capped Swiss Alps in particular. The film became a pop cult and also sealed King Khan's reputation as the new superstar on the horizon and, with it, he entered the A-listers of Bollywood. Jaa Simran jaa, jee le apni zindagi rekindled the dialoguebaazi style of Hindi films, and decades later, continues to be meme-worthy.

The story of Raj and Simran has been the longest-running Hindi movie in theatres in India's filmi history. Since its release, it ran continuously at Mumbai's Maratha Mandir theatre until the lockdown. Lead pairs have eloped in Hindi cinema before and after DDLJ, but it is DDLJ that gripped the young and bolstered many a young people in love to cross the threshold of a restrictive society.

To celebrate the 57th birthday of the King of Bollywood, PVR Cinemas is screening the iconic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge across 28 cinemas in 18 cities, including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh, among others, on November 2.

DDLJ is Yash Raj Films’ and Indian cinemas’ biggest IP. PVR shares a beautiful history with the movie as its legacy property PVR Priya in Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, screened the movie for the first time in 1995.

Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, joint managing director, PVR Ltd, says, “Shah Rukh Khan is one of the very few names in the Hindi film industry, who has become synonymous with the genre of romance. PVR Cinemas is delighted to screen this iconic movie as a fine ode to the star and a treat for his fans. PVR always strives to provide movie buffs with experiences and with this initiative our aim is to deliver an electrifying experience to all the SRK fans across India. We invite our patrons to watch King Khan in his most memorable role, not on their phones or laptops, but the way it is meant to be watched — on the big screen.”

The man of the moment, SRK adds, "DDLJ has been an extremely special film for me. I am grateful for all the love I have been receiving over the years for the film. Bringing it back on my birthday just makes it more special. Thank you!"