Hum Aapke Hain Koun vs Dil To Pagal Hai

No, this isn't about which film you prefer, although feel free to throw in your opinions on anything related to both films...

My question or rather my wandering curiosity is this: was Yash Chopra so enthralled by Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Madhuri's character of Nisha to an extent which inspired and influenced his next project Dil To Pagal Hai?

Bare with me a little...

Background

Yash Chopra was pretty consistently successful from 1959's Dhool Ka Phool to 1981's Silsila - all 12 films being well received. He then went on to have a rough patch from 1984's Mashaal to 1993's Parampara. With only Chandni (1989) being a blockbuster. Trends were changing in Hindi cinema at the time, and like anyone else in the game, it was a period of re-adjusting and re-inventing.

Madhuri of course was the #1 star when he approached her for DTPH in early 1995. He had tried to work with her twice before that but it never worked out... now... when in 1994 HAHK became the biggest film of all-time. It shook the industry up. "Clean" family entertainers full of love and "platonic romance" were the new trend. Yash_ji has done this well with Chandni, so he may have been encouraged to make something else within that space of wholesome entertainment. Rather than the dark aggressive controversial turmoils of Lamhe, Parampara, Darr, Vijay, Faasle.

Coming to the fun part...

Similarities

Some similarities/inspirations I have noticed...

1. "Nisha" is Madhuri's name in HAHK and her sister is called "Pooja". In DTPH, Madhuri's name is "Pooja" and Karisma's name is "Nisha".

2. The title song of HAHK is used in the opening credits, it's a very mellow duet between Lata Mangeshkar and SP Balasubrahmanyam. The opening credits of DTPH are preceded by quite a similar vibe with Madhuri and SRK addressing the camera in similar profiles to the shots of Madhuri and Salman in HAHK. And although it's not the title song, Ek Duje Ke Vaaste is very reminiscent to HAHK Title Song, sung by Lata_ji again, and Hariharan who gives the same vibe as SPB.

Exhibit 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyJoeduGpJI

Exhibit 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETzPpAjnYqE

3. Now this point is where my curiosity first began. I noticed that the Music Director of DTPH, Uttam Singh, had assisted the composer of HAHK which is Raamlaxman. 😲 - the fact that both soundtracks are marketed as "musicals" and have 10-14 songs each, which was somewhat unusual to have more than 6-7 songs at the time. There is also a dreamy romanticised first-love vibe shared between Pyar Kar and Are Re Are with Pehla Pehla Pyar.

4. In this scene, Karisma sings "Joote Do Paise Lo"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuXR44OGDs8

5. Although both films are very different in major ways... I somehow feel that Yash Chopra was so mesmerised by Madhuri in HAHK and the magic it created, that he conceptualised DTPH based on this admiration. I see it in the way he has presented her. The shots in DTPH really accentuate Madhuri's beauty and effervescence in a very similar vein to that in HAHK.

Conclusion

I'm not saying Yash Chopra copied HAHK or stole any ideas at all. I've just noticed certain things that seem to suggest to me that Yash was super excited after watching HAHK and he started his next project keeping in mind some of the things he loved in the film, but of course decided to make it incomparable by having the backdrop of musical shows, as well as a love-triangle... and much more focused on youth and friendship and urban living rather than a family setting, but also keeping the tone and vibe of the film as a WHOLESOME family-friendly entertainer.

What do y'all think? ☺️

Never noticed this but it makes sense. I think Yash Chopra was influenced by both HAHK and DDLJ though. Both were ATB and changed Bollywood (romance/family drama's became more popular, wholesome entertainment like you said).

The overall focus is more of a classic romance story like DDLJ while HAHK was more focused on family. But with the songs and overall focus on Madhuri there are definitely similarities with HAHK too

I think HAHK is better but I really like DTPH too. Madhuri is a legend and Salman & SRK were great as well

Interesting thread⭐️.

Even KJO copied a few scenes from Sooraj Barjatya's Maine Pyar Kiya in K3G.

That famous Amitabh-Hrithik slap scene is a rip-off of LaxmiKant Berde's scene in the film when Sallu's father slaps him.

and that melodramatic "Tu mere saath hai na ma. Mein theek kar ra hun na ma" SRK-Jaya scene is also a copy from Maine Pyar Kiya (with Reema Lagoo-Salman).

Coming back to DTPH & HAHK, the similarities you mentioned... some of them could be intentional or coincidental.

Yes, Madhuri looked absolutely beautiful in both films, but Yash Chopra always made his heroines look amazingly beautiful. It was basically his thing.

Both films were trend-setters in their own ways. HAHK solidified the trend of pure "family entertainers" in BW (that had started in late 80s with QSQT/Maine Pyar Kiya and sort of died by 2002). Not to mention it became an ATBB.

DTPH was always presented as a film catering to the Indian Youth at that time. Yet, both films were wholesome entertainers.

Music-wise, both films were almost polar opposites. DTPH songs had a more urban, metropolitan feel to them for its time. And it was just TOP NOTCH. I was barely 5-6 yrs old in1997 but I remember the craze for this film and its promos. Its audio cassette was like a must-have in one's audio cassette collection.

Similarities can also go beyond just between these 2 films. For e.g. That airport scene with Akshay/Madhuri in DTPH always reminded me Vinod/Sridevi's scene in Chandani in terms of setup and styling.

P.S. Both these films are my favorites & I can't imagine my childhood without these, Obviously some aspects of these films haven't aged well. But when I look at these films now, I don't look at them with the lens of 2022. I approach them like a product of their times.❤️