Iconic Bollywood romance marks 30 years of nonstop run at Mumbai theatre

A Mumbai theater is celebrating 30 years of the longest-running Bollywood romance in the country.

The Bravehearted Will Take the Bride, a movie that stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, will be screened at the Maratha Mandir Theatre in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, on Monday.

Since its release on October 20, 1995, the movie, which is well-known as DDLJ, redefined contemporary Hindi romance and continues to draw hundreds of moviegoers to its morning screenings.

As he purchased a ticket for 40 rupees ($0), Mohammad Shakir, 60, told the AFP news agency, “I have seen it about 30 times… and I will continue to watch it.” 45).

The cinema’s director, Manoj Desai, told AFP that the majority of weekday crowds are young couples and university students.

You will still see around 500 people on Sundays, Desai predicted.

Value clash

The movie centers on the contrast between the more liberal values of second-generation Indians abroad and the conservative values of their parents, which far outweighs the five-year run of the 1975 action-thriller Sholay (Embers) at another Mumbai theater.

During the climax, when the heroine runs alongside a moving train into her lover’s arms, Desai said it was common for viewers to yell out in awe and applause.

Desai remarked, “This is the goosebumps moment.” The father told his daughter to leave because she wouldn’t find a better life partner. ”

Even those who weren’t born when it was released, the message is still relevant to younger viewers.

We frequently witness transactional relationships in today’s generation, according to Omkar Saraf, 23. The hero, however, transcends all barriers in this movie to win his unconditional love.

The big screen gives us goosebumps, even though we have seen it on television and on our mobile devices. ”

Cultural monument

According to Desai, one devoted fan of the film has been showing it for 20 years, while others have seen it as a component of their own love stories.

Before inviting Desai to their wedding, one couple watched it while they were dating. They traveled abroad to see the movie on their honeymoon and then returned to see the movie, Desai said.

The film’s scheduled 2015 screenings were almost ended due to fan protests, according to the Hindustan Times newspaper.

In a nation where traditional values are still at odds with modern values, film critic Baradwaj Rangan claimed the movie had enduring appeal.

According to Rangan, it “perfectly captures” the tension between two generations and reflects a certain aspect of Indian culture, which is why it is still loved.