DDLJ completes 1000 historical weeks at boxoffice : A benchmark

“The love story of Raj and Simran cannot be interrupted,” Yash Chopra told me in an interview in his office many years ago. “I will continue to screen ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya le Jayenge’ in theatre as long as I can…” This was in the early winter of 2000 and Yash Chopra had spoken more than as a producer and a proud father.

In October 1995 Yash Raj Films made history when Aditya Chopra directed ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’. It was the most talked about film and time proved that it was also the longest running film in the history of Indian cinema. From October 20, 1995 - October 20, 2014, ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya le Jayenge’ has enjoyed an unprecedented and uninterrupted run at the BO at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir Theatre which has been a talking point for everyone connected to filmmaking.

Usually films are either commercially successful or critically acclaimed but DDLJ was both. The national award winning film changed the course of a nation’s cinema and became an unparalleled brand both in India and overseas collections. The classic love story has won over the hearts of over two generations of movie watchers and even today plays to packed houses during the 11:30 matinee show where repeat audience speak dialogues with the characters on screen.

DDLJ established a host of careers. Hindi cinema got its new generation superstar team Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol and both have never failed to acknowledge the contribution of the film in their success. DDLJ introduced director Karan Johar, assistant to director Aditya Chopra, costume designer Manish Malhotra, today a brand name, makeup artiste Mickey Contractor besides many more names in music and technical fields.

“My son has made my old age secure” an emotional Yash Chopra said in an interview soon after the release of the film. “I did for Adi what I could as a father but with DDLJ, Aditya Chopra will fly my banner to a height I had never imagined or dreamed of.” Always supportive of his son, Yash Chopra was happy to assist Aditya during the making of ‘Mohabbatein’ and when he directed ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’, it was Aditya’s turn to serve the world on the monitor to his father to safe guard him from any hardships.

The exercise continued a decade later in ‘Veer Zaara’ and then a few years later during ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’. When critics panned his last film Yash Chopra said, “My job is to make films not to analyse them. If I start reacting to my detractors, I will expend my energies defending myself and I don’t wish to do that. When I look back on my career I feel I could have made many more films but that was the trend those days. Today, our banner is making more films and when I’m no more, my sons, Aditya and Uday will keep the banner flying high”.

Yash Chopra was right. Younger son Uday Chopra has proved a dynamic CEO for the banner and has spread wings of YRF to Hollywood making international projects while Aditya is holding forth with new idea and vision in India. What Yash Chopra had perhaps not anticipated and which has come as a bonus is the involvement of two women of the house. Yash Chopra’s widow Pamela Chopra who now sits in her husband’s chair and oversees administration and Aditya Chopra’s new wife and actor Rani Mukerji, who will facilitate creative processes within the banner.

End of the year 2014 will be a special innings for YRF banner. There is excitement in the office as YRF gets ready to commemorate 1000 weeks of the timeless romance of DDLJ. The date marked for the event is December 12 and YRF has a plan in order to mark the festivities that will salute the spirit of Yash Chopra and his cinema.