Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak : The REAL trend setter

Why does no one really talk about how amazing this film is? In all honesty, QSQT flew so that DDLJ/KKHH etc could walk.

1. So many debuts/breakthroughs from one film, possible a first in the History of Cinema.

2. Aamir in a chocolate boy avatar, a far cry from the angry young man hero that dominated the screens throughout the 80s. Juhi charming into everyone's hearts as the cute innocent college going Rashmi.

3. A college themed romance with no nonsense and melodrama free script.

4. Mansoor Khan's flawless debut as a director.

5. Anand-Milind's first major album with stalwart Majrooh Sultanpuri...the same album that beat legends Laxmikant-Pyarelal for the Filmfare. Not just the album, but the background score sends chills down your spine.

6. First major hits of Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik, who ruled the singers domain the 90s. We got a new Hero and Heroine voice that we related with for 2 decades.

8. This album was also T-SERIES' FIRST HIT album! This is where it all started for them.

7. And the climax...I think we can all agree its heart wrenching and the tears flow down our cheeks automatically with 'Papa Kehtein They' staying with us even after the credits roll.

This film deserves SO MUCH more credit than it gets. The 90s and 2000s wouldn't have been the same had it not been for QSQT. 

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67vAVs_cx00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7kGYOPqciU

As a trendsetter in romance genre, before QSQT in 1988, there was Ram Teri Ganga Maili in 1985, which was another story of star-crossed lovers against their families, who don't support their love because of their backgrounds. The hero was also not an angry young man, but a chocolate hero like Aamir in QSQT.

This latter was an All Time Blockbuster compared to former which was only a Super-Hit.

So a case can be made about the Raj Kapoor film as well, that it was the trendsetter, not QSQT, because it released three years early and had a similar story.

QSQT was also not the debut of Aamir Khan. It was Holi which released in 1984....and there were Blockbuster debuts even before. Like Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in Bobby or Kumar Gaurav in Love Story.

QSQT might be the trendsetter in music department though.

Qsqt was a blockbuster release. RTGM was too, but it did not change the way we saw films. It was only after qsqt that we had romantic films take over and become mainstream.

Raj Kapoor was also a trendsetter, yes, but his iconic work was def in the prev decades. 

Qsqt was made at a time when bollywood was ruled by Disco genre, action packed movies. Musicals, romance etc took over only after its release. And I am not the one saying it, but various media outlets 😆

Plus the team mainly comprised of newbies which was unheard at the time. RTGM and Bobby both were associated directly with Raj Kapoor. Love Story on the other hand was a nice movie undoubtedly, but nowhere near QSQT. 

Films of different genres were made in the 80s yes, but never made the kind of impact QSQT did, hence it was a genuine trendsetter. Ot changed the way we looked at cinema and switched genres completely.

Qsqt was Aamir's mainstream lead debut, i think i missed typing that so will edit the post.

Music department...yes. It was not disco or experimental music. A lot of senior composers were also struggling to make good melodious music commercial... but the relatively newbies managed to crack that zone, changing the music scene for over 2 decades.

Kabhi Kabhi - 1976

Love Story - 1981

Ek Duje Ke Liye - 1981

Hero - 1983

Betaab - 1983

Ram Teri Ganga Maili - 1985

They are all blockbuster movies and with iconic music, as well. And there might be a few more in between which I can't remember right now. So, it's not like 'love stories' were not made or weren't a big success. They were made from time to time, but the predominant genre was still masala/mass movies with The Angry Young Man character. All these above-mentioned love stories too had that masala DNA with OTT melodrama and so on. They were also backed by the biggest names of their times. 

What sets apart QSQT is not just the music (it is at the forefront), but everything else also. Yes, it has the same Romeo/Juliet trope for the plot, but the way it's handled/presented was breaking the existing stereotype of those times. It was wholly made with a 'refreshing' approach for its time, which inspired many within the industry. It was not just another love story simply for the way the 'drama' was executed for its time. That it had many unknown faces and newcomer at the helming further elevated its status. 

QSQT signalled the end of the 'masala' era with 'Angry Young Man' protagonist. In its wake, the 'Angry Young Man' became the 'Blockbuster' love stories mentioned above, i.e. they were made and were successful too but the predominant genre had changed to romance. The Era of Romance had started in Hindi cinema. And it ruled the roost for two decades with SRK being the poster boy. 

Again, the Aamir/Salman duo ended the romance era with Ghajini/Wanted in back to back years.