QSQT turns 25

"There is a plan to screen the film at a Mumbai multiplex on April 29, and we are looking for a multiplex for the same," said a source close to Aamir, adding, "The screening will be followed by a party, hosted by Imran Khan at his Pali Hill residence."

QSQT gave us Aamir as the original prototype of the chocolate hero and Juhi Chawla as the actress with the endearing smile that she could have well copyrighted, had it been a different country.

The film, which created box-office history, was a game changer in more ways than one. Arriving at a time when Bollywood was sagging under the weight of autumnal stars and formulaic content, the film's master-stroke was the fresh cast, dreamy choreography and melodious music (Anand-Milind) that stood apart from the current trend of tacky disco songs.

Speaking about the music that catapulted them to fame, Anand Srivastav of the duo Anand-Milind said: "We composed with conviction, not to impress anyone. We had a very informal relation with the director Mansoor Khan. There was no proper music sitting, but several tunes were composed in Mansoor's van while we drove around Carter Road."

But distributors were not impressed. Recalls Anand: "They told Nasir sahab that the music is very poor. But things changed overnight once the music was released."

Udit Narayan, who sang his way to stardom with Papa Kehte Hain, says the lyrics played a significant part in the music's success. "They were beautiful and even today strike a chord," he says, adding, "The film didn't run for two weeks and picked up much later, but the music was an instant hit."

At a time when producers would host only a handful of trial shows, Hussain conducted an entire month of shows for distributors. "It was tough convincing them, no one wanted to invest in the film at the price he was asking for," recalls a member of the cast. "Eventually, he got so frustrated that he reserved the rights of Mumbai territory to himself. After the film stormed the box office, he never regretted the decision."

The film was also a test case for Aamir's now-famous marketing strategy. He along with his friend and co-star Raj Zutsi went around sticking posters on auto rickshaws to promote the youthful film which had no marketing budget. It also helped reach out to the target audience – young college goers.

Dalip Tahil, who played Aamir's father in QSQT, points out that the film came at a time when Amitabh Bachchan was still at his peak. He said: "The angry young man was what people wanted to see. Nobody believed that a young romantic movie would work."

But it was a gamble that paid off. Simply on the back of conviction.

Udit narayan
QSQT was a game changer and the song Papa Kehte Hain, his biggest hit till date. A struggling singer until then, the film changed Udit's fortunes dramatically and offers started pouring in. He was Aamir's chosen singing voice in scores of films thereafter.

Dalip Tahil
He played Aamir's father with such conviction that he earned the moniker: Aamir Khan Ke Papa. Tahil eventually played dad to Karishma in her debut Prem Kaidi, Manisha in Saudagar, Shilpa Shetty in Baazigar.

Imran Khan
The light-eyed, cherubic five-year-old who played the young Raj, went on to play a young Aamir in Joh Jeeta Woh Sikander. The world knows him now as the actor who has come onto his own.

Anand - milind
Things changed overnight for Anand-Milind who bucked the trend with their melodious tracks. The best compliment they received was from R D Burman who rated their work highly. They also won the Filmfare award for Best Music that year.