Mumbai: As ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ clocks 30 years, its iconic lead pair Shah Rukh and Kajol turned nostalgic, crediting its success to ‘pure hearted’ filmmakers Aditya and Yash Chopra, and the fans who loved the movie.
“It doesn’t feel like it’s been 30 years since ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ was released. It feels like it happened yesterday because ‘bade bade deshon mein aisi choti choti baatein hoti rehti hain….’ but it still feels unbelievable. I’m truly grateful for all the love that I have received from people from across the world for playing Raj – nobody could have foreseen the kind of place the film made in the hearts of people around the world and I will never forget the moment when everyone started to come…see the film and fall in love,” Shah Rukh said in a statement.
The superstar, who won the National Film Award for ‘Jawan’, this year, added, “So many couples meet me and say we got married or fell in love after watching this film. I also feel that it has had such a happy effect on the pop culture of India and South Asians… Here’s to the many years of falling in love.”
Kajol, who brought the character of Simran to life, shared, “Thirty years of DDLJ sounds surreal! The film has aged into a legacy and a nostalgic experience for a generation. That classic was made with the recklessness of youth and the honesty of first love, never imagining that Raj and Simran would make the entire nation hold its breath at a train station. The songs, the dialogues, the mustard fields – everything from that world seeped into pop culture and stayed there.”
Noting that Simran is relatable to most girls in the country, Kajol said, “There’s a piece of DDLJ in almost every romantic film that came after it, because somewhere, history was made and it never quite left us. For me, Simran is a chapter that refuses to end. She represents millions of girls across this country – girls who want to do what their parents say, who carry tradition in one hand but still reach out for freedom with the other. That’s why she still resonates. Every time someone says, ‘Ja Simran, ja’, it signifies the belief that courage and love can coexist.”
Stating that the film has become an experience that viewers pass down to their children, the actor continued, “The viewers who adored this film at sixteen are now watching it with their children, owning it more fiercely with every passing year. Maybe that’s what turning thirty does to a person — you begin to know yourself better.”
“But when a film reigns for thirty years, it defines a generation’s idea of who they are and what love means to them. It’s become the template of how Indian cinema dreams of love. So grateful to the viewers who still see me as that girl in the white suit, running toward someone she loves… just with more sass,” she added.
Talking about her chemistry with Shah Rukh, Kajol said: “With him, it was effortless from the first take. There’s a kind of understanding, a rhythm, and a trust that just clicks. You know exactly how the other person thinks, how they’ll react, how a look, a pause, or even silence will land. That’s why the magic feels so natural on screen; it’s not acting in the traditional sense, it’s responding, playing, and bouncing off each other in a way that feels real.”
“There is a lot of mutual respect and comfort in our equation. We never had to overthink, over-plan, or try too hard. Even in the most emotional or intense scenes, there’s this unspoken confidence that the other person will meet you halfway. And I think audiences feel that; they sense authenticity, even if they don’t know the work behind it,” she added.
“Navigating the expectations of family, balancing tradition and modernity, and learning the courage to follow your heart are themes that don’t age. They resonate with every generation, whether you’re experiencing first love or looking back at it with nostalgia,” Kajol concluded, crediting Aditya and his vision.
