16 years of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai!

16 years ago, Karan Johar first burst onto the Bollywood scene as a director with 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'. The film, that starred Kajol, Rani Mukerji and Shah Rukh Khan was a spectacular box office hit and paved the way for him to direct more movies like 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna', ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham' and 'Student Of The Year'. Karan Johar was 25 when he made his directorial debut.

'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' makes Bollywood look cool again. The Riverdale School look, complete with the hip clothes and sets, makes even the staunchest of snobs sit up and take notice of the film. After all here is a film where even the extras look as hot as the heroines.

Shah Rukh Khan as Rahul is the undisputed star and crowd-puller of the movie, also Salman Khan’s cameo takes the film to a whole different level. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is one of those films, where Salman Khan displays his acting chops and gives a showcase of what he is

truly is capable of. 

The chartbusting soundtrack for 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' remains one of Bollywood cinema’s finest albums ever. It is a 90s classic that continues to resonate in the hearts of many a music lover. Be it the title song or Ladki Badi Anjani, or that theme tune that has become part of the Dharma Productions logo clip; romance has seldom sounded so melodious.

In a movie that starred two Khans, Kajol manages to overshadow them with her career-best act in an author-backed role that does complete justice to her range as an actress. As the sporty Anjali who goes from looking like a tomboy, to becoming the perfect dulhania, Kajol scores a three-pointer in every sense of the word.

Among the many awards the film garnered for its makers and cast, 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' also went on to win the National Award for providing wholesome entertainment in 1999. On its 16th anniversary, come join us in celebrating a film that has taken us through a range of emotions! Do tell us your favorite moments from the film in the comments below.

Happy Birthday Amitabh Bachchan

Having starred in over 180 films in a career spanning more than four decades, Amitabh Bachchan continues to hold sway over millions of his fans with his rich baritone on the big screen. The megastar was born to Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan in Allahabad on October 11, 1942. Bachchan is one of the busiest actors in Bollywood thanks to his knack for adapting and reinventing himself to the demands of showbiz.

Big B’s versatility as an actor has given us many memorable moments through his films with Dharma Productions. We see him play the role of Police Officer Vijay in the 1980 ‘Dostana’. We then see him play the role of Vijay Chauhan, a Man seeking revenge for his father’s death in ‘Agneepath’. His pivotal role as a rich businessman who is a father to two sons in ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...’ was one of the key elements in making the film such great success.

Finally we see him play the role of a fun-loving father, Samarjeet in ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’. Amitabh nails it with a performance that carefully treads the fine line between old perv and naughty senior. It is to his credit as an actor, that he can switch from playful to prophetic, as he offers those words of wisdom that eventually become the direction that the cheating couple take in the film.

Amitabh is an actor that wishes to continue his innings in acting with the same enthusiasm that he started with. "The wish is that something challenging comes up everyday... I will continue working till there is strength in my body," says Big B.We would like to wish Amitabh Bachchan a very Happy Birthday with many years of splendid films ahead! Do share some of your favourite Amitabh Bachchan scenes from our Dharma films in the comments below.

Naina & Bunny – True love always comes back

The problem with trying to “find” love in our dating lives is that too often we don't realize the person who we truly love has been by our side all along. They may be a friend that we overlooked, or an acquaintance that we just didn’t get to know well enough. But the saying “Love conquers all” holds true in such situations, as our true love always finds a way of coming back into our lives.

In ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ we see how Naina & Bunny find true love through their friendship, when they embark on a magical trip into the Himalayas with a few of their friends. Naina is a shy and nerdy medical student in college and probably why Bunny doesn’t fall for her at first. On their journey to Manali with friends, the two begin to open up and share their experiences with each other. Naina, for the first time drinks with Bunny, as he tells her of his dream to roam around the world. They share a special moment and he expresses how he never wants to settle down, or have anything to hold him back from living his life the way he wants it. Naina begins to fall in love with Bunny but never expresses her feelings to him. Towards the end of the trip she is heartbroken to find out that Bunny has taken admission in the Northwestern University in Chicago, and that she may never see him again.

8 years down the line, Naina and Bunny meet each other at their friend, Aditi’s wedding, in Udaipur. Bunny and Naina rekindle the bond they had, and go on a tour of Udaipur together. During the tour they share a moment watching the sunset together where Naina tells Bunny about how she believes that instead of doing everything in a rush, it's better to enjoy something while you can. During one of the evening parties, Bunny finally realizes his love for Naina as he was listening to Aditi speak about her love for her husband, Taran. He searches for her at the party and they end up confessing their love for each other.

The one thing we can pick up from this very amicable film is that your true love will always come back to you if it was meant to be! So if you are a hopeless romantic like these two, stop searching for the girl or boy of your dreams. They will come to you eventually if destiny has it written, and you will thoroughly enjoy every moment of being in love with your true love!

Why men fall for the ‘Desi Girl’

What is it that makes Desi girls so attractive, that men all over the world fall for them at first sight? Is it their glowing sun tanned skin? Could it be that adorable Indian accent? Or is it their simply delicious home cooked meals that drive men crazy?

In ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...’ we see one such Desi girl, Anjali Sharma (Kajol), living in Chandani Chowk with her dad and younger sister. Despite growing up in one of the most renowned families and being brought up in London, Rahul Raichand (ShahRukh) falls for this ‘Desi girl’ the very first time he sees her. We see Anjali celebrating India’s win against Pakistan and showing her love for Sachin Tendulkar. And which blue-blooded Indian man doesn’t love watching Cricket? We also see her as a very independent woman, who takes care of her Bauji and also their family business ‘Bharat Sweets’. Every man loves a lady who is responsible, and can someday take care of their business if they were to fall ill.

Another quality in a Desi girl that men find very attractive is the ability to have good cultural values, and at the same time be liberal enough to fit in with the modern world. Anjali proves to be a very traditional yet modern nari as she adjusts to the cultural differences and takes care of her family in London. And finally, the best quality in Desi girls that men adore is the fact that she will accept you for who you are, and she always takes the initiative to adjust to your family values. She also passes on these same values to your kids in the future, and teaches them how to respect and love unconditionally.

When a Desi girl is capable of providing so much love and commitment, why would a man look any further? Having someone to come home to and knowing she will always be there to support you is just the icing on the cake. Oh and did we mention that Desi girls look super cute too? ;-) 

34 years of Dostana (1980) Anniversary

It’s now been an incredible 34 years since ‘Dostana’ hit the big screen and we are still enthused by the compelling performance by Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha in the film. The duo set new standards for friendship & love in this film. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive the film which put a new spin on camaraderie.

Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan) and Ravi (Shatrughan Sinha) are childhood friends who grew into rival careers. Vijay is a dedicated police inspector and Ravi is the town's best lawyer; while the former catches criminals, the latter bails those criminals out. Both swear not to question each other about their careers and thus their friendship continues to blossom.

Their lives take a turn when both meet a woman named Sheetal Sahni (Zeenat Aman) at different places and time respectively. Both begin to fall in love with her but refrain from telling each other. Ah, the love triangle is formed! Later, Ravi admits his love for Sheetal to Vijay who is devastated but decides to sacrifice his love for Ravi's sake.

However, there is a misunderstanding when Daaga (Prem Chopra), a smuggler who had a few run-ins with Vijay, decides to stir up their friendship by showing Ravi a photo of Vijay and Sheetal together. Vijay and Ravi become rivals for the first time. The rest of the movie looks at the conflict between the trio, which we wouldn’t want to spoil for you if you haven’t seen the film.

Do join us in celebrating this timeless film on its 34th anniversary and tell us your favorite dialogues and moments from the film in the comments below.

5 Reasons why opposites attract

Since decades we have nonchalantly believed in the concept of ‘Opposites attract’. And why shouldn't we, haven’t we all at least once been drawn to someone who is so different from us?

So what causes this inexplicable love between two people who are polar opposites? May be the exciting differences between the opposites leads to the attraction and subsequently a natural thirst for completion.

Here are 5 reasons that explain why opposites attract.

1. Coming out of the comfort Zone
Initially being with someone who has the same likes and dislikes may seem an easy thing to do but someone who pushes you out of your comfort zone is bound keep you interested. Remember the straight-laced architect Rahul Kapoor and the free-spirited hairdresser Riana Braganza from ‘Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’?

2. Different personalities
Relationships should be fun. In ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’ we see Nikhil Bhardwaj (Sidharth Malhotra) a struggling businessman, fall in love with the quirky Dr. Meeta Solanki (Parineeti Chopra).

3. Curiosity: 

Sometimes it’s simply because we want to know how “the other half” lives. In ‘I Hate Luv Storys’, we witness the phenomenon of ‘opposites attract’ again when Jay Dhingra (Imran Khan) falls for Simran Kaur (Sonam Kapoor) despite their obvious differences. One hates bollywood love stories and the other swears by it, but the initial clashes slowly turn into a friendship which later leads to lasting romance.

4. They complement each other: 

A partner who is different from us can complement the person that we are. In other words, their differences enhance us and our lives. If you are shy, having an outgoing partner can compensate for that and even make social occasions easier for you. How else would not Meeta not only manage to come back to her sister’s wedding but also enjoy it!

5. New Experiences: 

Their different hobbies, interests and attitudes can expose us to a variety of new experiences. This can enhance our lives by taking us out of familiar territory, and also show us how to see things differently. We’ve seen this happening with all the Dharma couples mentioned above & that’s what makes their story interesting.

So if you find yourself falling for someone completely opposite to you don’t be perplexed, just follow your heart & it may turn out to be the best relationship you've had till date!

Wake Up Sid Anniversary - Follow your Dreams’

“One day your dreams will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.” – Unknown

Do you have a dream, a wish or a desire? Have you ever stopped to wonder, what it would be like to live life to its fullest? People tell you to follow your dreams, but is anyone really doing it for themselves? Life interjects, bills pile up, and sometimes we have to do jobs we don’t want to do just to make it through the day. It is difficult to follow our dreams with all these obstacles lying in our path, but if we really want to see our lives change for the better it is important to break free of these barriers and do whatever it takes to follow our dreams.

Mumbai is indeed a city of dreams. People from across the country come to Mumbai with hopes to fulfill their dreams and aspirations. In ‘Wake Up Sid’ we see Aisha Banerjee (Konkona Sen Sharma), an aspiring writer coming to the city and landing a job with Bombay Beat. She meets Sid Mehra a typical Mumbaikar by nature, who’s only interest is to live life king size and spend his dad’s money recklessly. His father tempts him with a new Porsche if Sid joins the office. But our fun-loving chap Sid can’t spend a week at office and it disgusts him to see people who come at the same time, leave at the same time and heck, they even dress the same! Professional ambitions remain immaterial to him.

After getting kicked out by his family for scoring bad grades, he takes refuge with Aisha and considering Sid’s penchant in photography she gets him a job as an intern at Bombay Beat. Out of the blue, the boy who didn’t even know how to cook was now becoming completely independent. As Sid begins working, he finds meaning in life. After he is hired as a part of the full-time staff and receives his first paycheck, he meets his father. They reconcile and Sid's father asks him to come home.

‘Wake Up Sid’ induces a very inspiring feeling in all of us, that we all have that hidden talent which only needs to be taken out and nourished. No person is an underachiever. We just need to keep a little faith in our potentials and tap into our unknown abilities. So the next time you feel down in the dumps or uninspired, watch ‘Wake Up Sid’ to awaken your senses and motivate you to follow your dreams! On its 5th year anniversary, tell us how much you loved the movie by leaving your thoughts and favorite scenes in the comments below.