Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: 10 lesser-known facts about the cult-classic 

The SRK-Kajol starrer film has re-released in theatres this Valentine’s week

What makes Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge a cult classic? 28 years ago, Raj (Shahrukh Khan) and Simran (Kajol) set some pretty unrealistic standards for romance. But even the most hardened realist today will admit to harbouring a soft spot for the Aditya Chopra directorial.

Raj and Simran’s story has (for better or for worse) epitomised love for an entire generation of romantics and its stronghold is such that this Valentine’s week, it re-released in theatres across 37 cities in India. It’s common knowledge that Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is the longest-running movie in the history of Indian cinema considering it’s been screened at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir for (approximately) 1009 weeks. But did you know that Shahrukh Khan wasn’t Chopra’s first choice for Raj? Or that the iconic pigeon-feeding scene between him and Baldev (Amrish Puri) was impromptu? Here are a few lesser-known facts about the timeless movie.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: 10 lesser-known facts about the cult-classic

1. SRK wasn’t the first choice

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is synonymous with Shahrukh Khan. Apparently, he had once even told Yash Chopra that it would “make” his film career as Deewar had for Amitabh Bachchan. But Aditya Chopra had been gunning for Tom Cruise as the lead. At the time,  he had thought to title it: The Braveheart Will Take the Bride. Yash Chopra turned down the idea. The film was then offered to Saif Ali Khan, who turned it down.
2. Kirron Kher suggested the title
Back in the ‘90s, shorter titles for Bollywood films were in vogue. Think Baazigar, Dil, Ghayal. So when actor Kirron Kher, whose husband Anupam Kher stars as Dharamvir Malhotra (Raj’s father) suggested “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” as the film title, a large section of the cast and crew weren’t too thrilled. But the name, which comes from the song Le Jayenge Le Jayenge from the 1974 film Chor Machaye Shor, stuck with Chopra. It’s also one of the only Bollywood movies to carry the credit: “title suggested by”.
3. Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhna wasn’t originally for this film
Even today, Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhna is a song that features on our Bollywood / Shaadi playlists. But the hit track was initially created for another YRF project. Mere Khwaboon Mein Jo Aaye was always part of the list of original songs and was also the first to be recorded. However, Chopra had rejected 24 verses that were created by Anand Bakshi before approving the final one. Kajol, too, had been reluctant to shake a leg to the song in just a towel. But considering that it was tastefully done, she relented and later praised Chopra for its treatment.
4. Raj’s iconic leather jacket
Raj Malhotra has style. In the first part of the movie, you almost won’t recognise him without his signature brown leather jacket, a look that set off a new fashion trend among men in the ‘90s. We can thank Uday Chopra for that since he bought it for $400 from a Harley-Davidson store in California.
5. Drop at the end of Rukh Jaa O Dil Deewane

Raj and Simran have a classic enemies-to-lovers storyline. Maybe Chopra wanted to play on that, in reality, a little bit because at the end of Rukh Jaa O Dil Deewane, we see Simran look shocked when Raj unceremoniously drops her to the ground. Turns out, Kajol was the only one who didn’t know that was going to happen. The look on her face, as she sat on the ground, was very very real.
6. Pigeon-feeding scene was spontaneous
Let’s face it: even now most of us croon “aao aao” when we’re trying to feed pigeons. Blame Amrish Puri and Shahrukh Khan for setting up such a memorable scene: first as adversaries and then as friends. But that whole scene? Completely improvised! Shahrukh later revealed to the media that it was one of the many scenes from the film that was thought up at the moment. Good thing the pigeons complied.
7. First film to have a televised screening of its making
At the time that Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge was made, social media-friendly BTS shots and Youtube snippets weren’t a thing. But Chopra and Karan Johar, who edited the film, made sure that a 30-minute long “making of the film” was actually aired on Doordarshan, something that hadn’t happened in Bollywood before.
8. Car-ride through Zurich had a special guest
Remember Raj and Simran zooming through the foliage-heavy lanes in a red convertible after missing their train to Zurich? They weren’t the only ones in the car. Aditya Chopra was lying flat-backed in the back seat to monitor the scenes up close. Not so romantic after all…
9. Inspiration for the name ‘Raj’

Shahrukh’s “Raj” was named after veteran actor Raj Kapoor. His full name in the film is actually Rajnath, inspired by Rishi Kapoor’s name in the 1973 film Bobby.
10. SRK didn’t wish to get pigeon-holed as a ‘chocolate boy’
Many would call Raj Shahrukh’s most iconic character. However, when he first read the script, he wasn’t sure about taking it on since he was worried about being pigeon-holed as a “chocolate boy” in Bollywood. Bet he’s glad he changed his mind…