Calcutta, May 12: Zaheer and his girlfriend have been watching the Sunday matinee show of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge at Mumbai's Maratha Mandir theatre every week for several months now. But the man they go to watch, in the Harley Davidson jacket and Ray Ban shades, has watched the film only three times. Shah Rukh Khan may not be "so self-indulgent" and may "feel shy" seeing himself on screen so many times, but the Aditya Chopra blockbuster, better known as DDLJ, is set to complete 500 weeks at the theatre near Mumbai Central station. In fact, Maratha Mandir may soon host Guinness Book of Records officials, who will come to check out the theatre's credentials of housing the longest running film ever. "It's quite incredible," Praveen Rane, manager of Maratha Mandir, told The Telegraph on the eve of DDLJ turning 500. "From October 20, 1995 till this day, the film has been playing at our matinee shows. And it still runs house full over the weekends and registers 60 to 70 per cent occupancy on weekdays. All this while we have never felt the need to replace DDLJ with a new release." One of the reasons for the film's phenomenal run at the theatre is the pricing of the tickets, feels Rane. "It is much lower than other single-screen theatres and multiplexes — stall Rs 16, dress circle Rs 18 and balcony Rs 20," he added. "And the way it's going, I see no reason why it shouldn't run for another 50 or 100 weeks." Raj (Shah Rukh) and Simran (Kajol) want the film to run for another 500 weeks, so that they can "celebrate the next landmark with their kids". At a special photo-shoot in Mumbai, Bollywood's best on-screen jodi shared some fond memories of the DDLJ shooting. "I remember Kajol was all smiles and tears while listening to the script but I didn't react at all, making Adi (Aditya) think I may not do the film," recalled Shah Rukh, now a father of two. While a sequel is not exactly on the cards, the two do plan to come together on-screen for another film. "We always want her but she invariably ditches us at the last moment," said King Khan forcing Kajol — now married to Ajay Devgan and a mother of one — to retort: "Once my baby is a little older, I'll definitely do another film with Shah Rukh." To celebrate the 500-week run of DDLJ, Yash Raj Films has re-released the film across the country, for the first time in multiplexes, including 89 Cinemas and INOX in Calcutta. Kicking up a racket as lucky draw prizes are the cowbells Raj and Simran bought in Switzerland, which reappeared in the mustard fields of Punjab before they broke into Tujhe dekha to yeh jaana sanam. "We have already got a healthy advance booking which is as good as any new release," said Prashant Sachdeva, general manager of 89 Cinemas at Swabhumi. "We have programmed the show at 1.45 pm everyday to rope in the school and college crowds." That's what the Chopras want — a whole new generation to "Come… fall in love" again. Yash Raj Home Entertainment is also releasing a DDLJ double DVD, with loads of bonus material like deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage and the grand premiere.
PRATIM D. GUPTA
Kajol and Shah Rukh at the special photo shoot in Mumbai
kajol And Shah Rukh Khan Remain The Hottest Screen Lovers
- Vimla Patil
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Shah Rukh Khan is madly in love with wife Gauri and adores his children Aryan and Suhana. Kajol loves husband Ajay Devgan and daughter Nysa with devotion. She has given up her career to look after Nysa. Yet, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol have set the silver screen on fire with their passion and romance in every film! This month, their hit film Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge completes 500 weeks of a continuous run in Indian theatres! It's an event which will be entered in the Guinness Book of Records! |
A few months after the phenomenal success of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kajol married long-time fianc Ajay Devgan in a much-hyped half-Maharashtrian half-filmi ceremony. Thereafter, she took a sabbatical in her career to settle down to marriage and mothering. But destiny had other plans for her. As Karan Johar has himself confessed, she accepted his offer of the pivotal role of a loud Punjabi bahu in Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham because of his friendship with her, and once again, earned the highest honour for an actress by winning the Filmfare best actress award for 2001.
This month, with Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge completing a phenomenal 500 weeks' run, Kajol-Shah Rukh Khan have proved to be the top Bollywood twosome all over again.
First Married Actor-Pair To Achieve Such Success
| Though this molten-gold-eyed actress went out of focus for some years, and took no new assignments, her popularity has remained in tact. And with her phenomenal success as Shah Rukh Khan's heroine in five consecutive blockbusters, Kajol has given the heave-ho to the Bollywood myth that married women are usually not accepted as romantic heroines in Hindi films. Kajol is the first woman in the younger generation of stars to win these awards as a much-married woman. |
Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol became the 'eternal lovers' after the stupendous success of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. They are the only romantic pair of Bollywood who have never had controversy or gossip about them though several films with them as the leading pair have been popular hits and made huge money for the producers – chiefly Yash Chopra and Karan Johar.
Contrary to the unwritten rule that married women cannot make successful romantic stars, Kajol has had a well-publicised marriage and made it to the top once again with K3G. What is more, she and Shah Rukh Khan have been rated by the film industry as the most romantic film jodi whose ballistic, screen-igniting passion and evident chemistry rakes in the moolah at the box office. Kajol herself is thrilled by this path-breaking route to breath-taking success. "I enjoy working with Shah Rukh," she enthuses, "He gives absolutely superb attention to every detail in a scene. He is totally professional. His input improves every action. What is more, he hones emotional moments till each one is an artistic achievement. He includes the heroine in this effort and takes her through the scenes to achieve perfection. My style of working fits in perfectly with his. Our work ethic, style and attitude are the same. That's why we can create magic on the screen."
Never Linked By Gossip
| Though Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol are seen as the most romantic couple on the screen today, their names have never been linked in any gossip. "K3G is a beautiful film," says Kajol, "It gave me a perfect canvas to do a 'romantic woman' role rather than a mini-skirted, love-smitten nymphet's role. The song "Suraj Hua Madham" lent a rare sensitivity to my screen romance with Shah Rukh. As choreographer Farah Khan said, this was a man-woman romance; not a girl-boy fascination. Our screen relationship had great depth and many dimensions. I had the pleasure of being the tomboy lover girl in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge with Shah Rukh and that too was fun." |
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"We did not even know each other when we shot for DDLJ," says SRK, "At the first day's shoot, we almost disliked each other. But we are the best of friends now and our relationship of respect, dignity, humour and support creates a rare chemistry on the screen." Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan have matured in the last ten years since the film was made. This month, DDLJ completes 500 weeks of its continuous run, thus setting up a new record for Bollywood.
Five Consecutive Blockbusters Together – A Record in Bollywood
| Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol have done Baazigar, Karan Arjun, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham have been mega hits for the pair. In fact, every film where they are the romantic lead has hit the jackpot at the box office. Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol are the only lovebird duo, which has clicked with the masses and are transparently 'good friends' without a shred of gossip about their personal relationship. They have brought back the concept of 'pairing' back into Hindi films. |
When DDLJ Completes 500 Weeks:
What has Kajol to say on this wonderful occasion? With so many films – almost 800 every year – coming out of Bollywood, there is hardly any chance for any film to run even 25 weeks. In the early days of Hindi films, hits like Shakuntala or Ramrajya would celebrate silver jubilees. Now the economics of a film is based on the number of prints made and the number of theatres and multiplexes which exhibit the film. The investment of a producer is earned back faster because of the prints released and because of foreign rights. So jubilees are a thing of the past. But DDLJ is a rare exception and will be entered in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest running Bollywood film in the industry's history. And to celebrate this event, Shah Rukh Khan says that he has safely kept the Harley Davidson jacket and glares, which he wore in the film as mementos!A Wonderful Bond Of Friendship And Support
"I am thrilled that DDLJ has beaten all records," says Kajol, "Shah Rukh Khan and I share a close friendship that translates onto the screen. We have such fun working together. Shah Rukh has a great sense of humour. He invests incredible energy into his acting. He reads a lot. I share all these with him. I love books. I love his style of working and abundant refinement. I love him to death and would like to work with him again." Kajol is doing a tentative film with Aamir Khan for the Yashraj Films banner at the moment. But she can be persuaded to do a film with Shah Rukh in the future! When she was offered a film with Shah Rukh Khan recently, she said that 'she had not yet broken the umbilical chord with her daughter Nysa as yet!' Shah Rukh Khan likes Kajol's upfront honesty, which sometimes comes across as rudeness. "She is open minded and does not mind discussing her work till she has perfected every move. She is open to learning from others. That is a great quality in a senior and acclaimed actor like her. She is great as a co-star and as a friend. Today, she is not working in films. But we still are close friends and exchange tips on parenting. Our friendship is priceless because it allows for many disagreements and a variety of opinions. We both are married and have our families. There is a beautiful clarity in our relationship yet, there is a great deal of mutual admiration and we share a wonderful bond of support and love."How The Film Came To Be Made!
Aditya Chopra, elder son of producer-director Yash Chopra first thought of the story. When he narrated it to his father, he felt it would become a super-hit. But Shah Rukh Khan was not happy to do one more mushy film, though the Chopras convinced him. The film was an instant hit because it portrayed the paradox with which Indians live in the West. It affirmed the idea that Western influence need not eclipse the Indian identity of people settled abroad. It upheld values like family authority and pre-marital chastity. The film won 10 awards including the best actor award for SRK and the best actress award for Kajol, nixing all other contenders. DDLJ was chosen as the best film of 1996 and Aditya Chopra was award the trophy for the best director.. Today, SRK is reaching 40 and Kajol – at 30 – has a two-year-old daughter. Karan Johar, Aditya's 23-year-old assistant, has become a major director and producer himself. DDLJ is perhaps the biggest film ever made by a first time director – in this case, Aditya Chopra. It earned Yash Chopra Rs.200 crores with which Yashraj Films, the production house, set up international distribution offices, a music company and is now poised to build its own studio.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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