Nineteen long years after it was first screened, Hindi romantic-drama film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge , or DDLJ as it popularly referred to, continues to win hearts.
On Friday, the film completed its 1,000 week at the iconic Maratha Mandir cinema hall in South Mumbai. The film has been running uninterrupted at this single-theatre cinema hall at its usual playing time slot of 11:30 am for the last 19 years.
Like the first show, the screening on Friday also went house-full as the faithful, mostly youngsters, flocked to the hall.
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The film, which went on to win a National and several Filmfare awards, was first screened at Maratha Mandir in October 1995, and is by far the longest running film in Indian cinema.
Like many fans, Sejal Painter reached Maratha Mandir to catch the show on the landmark day. Ranging from the first show in 1995 to the 500 week screening, Sejal had been witness to every landmark achieved by the film at the Cinema.
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She flaunted all the DDLJ tickets she has accumulated over the years. However, she was in for surprise when she found out that her preferred balcony seat had been sold out. Sejal had to resort to purchasing the ticket on ‘black’ paying Rs. 150 for one entry, a small amount for her dedication for Shah Rukh Khan.
Even today, the normal tickets cost Rs. 20, 17 and 15 at the hall, drastically lower than what the multiplexes charge.
A film editor, Sejal has worked with the actor in his film Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani . “The film is great but we are here for Shah Rukh,” she set straight her loyalties.
“A 1000 weeks of timeless romance,” read the film’s billboard at the Maratha Mandir, which has planned elaborate celebrations later in the evening. Shah Rukh Khan himself is expected to be at the venue.
But there was little matching the efforts of Swadanand Desai, a student, who landed up at the cinema hall imitating the full-costume that the actor wore in the film. “I had planned this since four-five months,” said Swadanand, who stood proud in a chic black leather jacket, a neat pair of blue denims, blue-red chequered shirt, black boots and a black cap with a feather in it.
Located just opposite the Mumbai Central railway station, offering it an advantageous location, Maratha Mandir is one of the few single screen theatres that have survived the onslaught of the multiplexes. It first caught the limelight when it ran ‘Mughal-e-Azam for eight years at a stretch. However, with DDLJ it caught international attention.