Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol starrer and Bollywood classic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was released 25 years ago today and the cast of the film took to their social media accounts to share their gratitude for having been part of such a legendary project. Mandira Bedi who played a supporting role in the movie took to her social media sharing a collage of her pictures from the movie and the present, captioning it, “It’s wonderful to have been a part of a film that has made cinema history on many counts. I have changed a lot, life has changed a lot. But Red is still the color of LOVE ! #25yearsofddlj I want to see some Then & Nows from all of you.. Karan Johar, Kajol, Anaita Shroff Adajania, Shah Rukh Khan.” (sic) Here’s a look at what the cast looked like 25 years ago and now.
Anaita Shroff Adajania also shared a snippet from the movie and shared her story, writing, “I was in college when Adi and Karan asked me to help them cast my college friends to play Raj and Simrin’s friends in the film. This was my introduction to the film industry- a world I knew nothing about at the time. In the process they convinced me into playing Sheena. I did it for a laugh and a paid holiday to Europe with my bestie, which was a really big deal for a broke student.” She added that when she reached Saanen, a small town in Switzerland, on “Seeing Shahrukh in his black suit on a little bridge ...and for me I felt that he was there only for me! I’m sure whoever saw him on that bridge felt the same way - that’s why he’s Shahrukh. Kajol was just Kajol - real, instinctive, full of love (and still gives the tightest hugs ever).”
She added that back then there were no “entourages, managers, mobiles, social media”, and that film making was much simpler, but extremely passionate. She continued, “Once we were there, we were cut off from the rest of the world for over a month. We would all live together, eat together, sing together, dance together... we become a real family, under the warm gaze of a legend like Yash uncle (Yash Chopra).” She went on to add how Aditya Chopra knew the movie from his ‘core and strove for nothing less than perfection’, She continued how she was thankful that despite never wanting to act, she was grateful that she got to work in ‘this brilliant film’ and that she is still friends with everyone from the film. She added, “I’m so happy to have been a tiny part of this massive legacy.”
