Come ... fall in love!

In this film, both Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol surpassed themselves in being a young romantic pair for whom the whole world revolved around each other. It was their third film together in as many years and they were obviously very close and comfortable with each other and their off-screen closeness reflected so well on screen. Love had never looked so natural as it was in DDLJ and the young Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) and Simran (Kajol) became household names.

The film's script and direction of course made a large contribution to the smoothness of the story. The way the two meet itself was trend-setting - the build-up by making their paths cross before the time of actual confrontation (used again successfully by Yash Chopra in Dil To Paagal Hai ). They finally bump into each other aboard a train that both Shah Rukh and Kajol are late to catch. Shah Rukh manages to climb aboard first and then leans out and yanks Kajol inside while her suitcase falls open in the scramble. She quickly shuts it and settles back to fish out a novel from her handbag (they realise they're both in an empty goods compartment - how convenient!). Shah Rukh also settles back and looks visibly uncomfortable as he seems to have sat on some foreign object. He reaches below and pulls out a very lacy brassiere! He clears his throat and looks towards Kajol saying "Er... excuse me...is this yours?". She looks up and then seeing the object in his hand, grabs it and stuffs it into her bag, blushing furiously, while he mutters "Thought so...".
 

This scene, like many others following it, does not give one a feeling of crudeness but only implies a growing familiarity between the couple as they go through their journey of discovering Europe and themselves.

Another very sensitively handled scene is that of Kajol waking up in the motel room in the morning with a serious hangover (she drinks for the first time to keep warm) from the previous night, and Shah Rukh trying to fool her into believing that they had 'spent the night together'.It depicts their growing intimacy and fondness for each other in such a subtle way that Hindi films normally cannot boast of. In fact, the scene is one of the best in the film.

Yet another was the one on the bridge where Shah Rukh Khan tells Kajol that he loves her (supposedly joking). Kajol herself has said that it is her personal favourite scene. There was an audible collective sigh in the audience when Shah Rukh puts on his most vulnerable and yet passionate expression when he proclaims his feelings for Kajol.

One of the most poignant scenes is of SRK and Kajol saying good-bye at the railway station after the trip, each with the sinking feeling that this is the last time. There are no tears or dramatics, just an embarrassing silence and awkwardness, with just the knowledge deep within that they have fallen hopelessly in love and yet acknowledging that they have to just get on with their own lives. And that scene makes the song Ho gaya hai tujhko to pyar sajna all the more achingly romantic.

Of course the all-time favourite number is Tujhe dekha to ye jaana sanam where the young romance blooms to its zenith.

After that, throughout the movie, their deep feelings are revealed not so much in what they speak or sing, but the longing with which they look at each other .....
 

When Shah Rukh Khan compares Kajol to the moon .... its so achingly romantic because its perhaps one of the only rare times that he actually says that he feels she's so beautiful. The scenes are shot such that he doesn't need to say it - it shows in his eyes all the time.

 

When Shah Rukh Khan tries to steal a kiss from her and they're interrupted in the nick of time!

Or the anxiety in their eyes of possible separation (when Kajol's fiancé slips the engagement ring on her finger while Shah Rukh looks on with despair).
 

Their magic is again aroused in one of the closing scenes where Shah Rukh tries to explain to Kajol, in a cynical way why they would inevitably have to part. This was a particularly difficult scene because it borders on the melodramatic and there are far too many people in the scene.

But the focus is on Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, and as tears well up in their locked eyes, he tells her in front of her family members that love does not mean everything to everyone, and he would never be accepted by her father even though he loved her to distraction and could think of no one else ever since he had met her. There was a pin-drop silence - and the deep love and passion that he felt could be seen in his eyes and heard in his voice.

Their peerless performances in DDLJ were well rewarded when they both won the Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress for the year 1995 (the film won 10 Filmfare Awards in all including the top four awards of Best Actor, Actress, Film and Director, making it a record-breaking picture!)

There was then a lay-off by the talented couple which disappointed their fans who kept waiting for them to do a joint project again. After a long gap of three years, they returned together to prove that they could turn out more magic together, when another phenomenal film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was released.