Review of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) by Todd B — 29 Jul 2012

Bollywood's most successful romance ever strikes a chord with the intricacies of falling in love, Hindi style, and examines the details of arranged vs. love marriage. However, despite whatever its subject matter may be, DDLJ ultimately rises or falls on the strength of male and female leads. Some audiences may find Shahrukh Khan's character charming, while others may simply find him annoying. I found him to be a little of both. Kajol's performance is a lot more consistent and easily accepted. It's these two performances and their chemistry together that carry the film and help it overcome its glaring weaknesses.

I guess my main problems with the film were its length (over 3 hours, typical for Bollywood pictures). I don't know why most of these Bollywood films are not edited down to more easily digestible sizes, but then again my apprehension may stem from my lack of acclimation to Bollywood scripts. Another problem I had was the film's climax, which features an excessively violent fight scene that feels out-of-place in this otherwise tame love story. I guess that's it, really --- I just wished DDLJ had spent more time in the cutting room floor and had gotten rid of the bizarre violence at the end. Otherwise, DDLJ is a pleasant, if flawed, romantic epic.