Dil Chahta Hai

Plot

The film is about three distinct characters, Akash (Aamir Khan), Sameer (Saif Ali Khan) and Siddharth (Akshaye Khanna), their individual relationships and the effect that these relationships have on them.

Release Year: 2001

Rating: 8.3/10 (11,565 voted)

Director:
Farhan Akhtar

Stars: Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna

Storyline
Three young men Akash, Sameer, and Siddharth are close friends, but their tastes and characters are completely incompatible. So when Siddharth falls in love with a much older woman, Tara, a woman who has been unsuccessful in keeping her marriage intact as well as alcohol-dependent, widens the rift between the trio, forcing them to part company. Years later, the trio will be re-united, they will be much mature and understanding, but will they still accept Siddharth love for Tara, especially when they themselves have fallen in love with women around their respective ages?

Writers: Farhan Akhtar, Kassim Jagmagia

Cast:

Aamir Khan
–

Akash Malhotra

Saif Ali Khan
–

Sameer

Akshaye Khanna
–

Siddharth Sinha

Preity Zinta
–

Shalini

Sonali Kulkarni
–

Pooja

Dimple Kapadia
–

Tara Jaiswal

Ayub Khan
–

Rohit

Rajat Kapoor
–

Shalini's Uncle

Suhasini Mulay
–

Sid's Mother

Ahmed Khan
–

Suchitra Pillai-Malik
–

Priya

(as Suchitra Pillai)

Anjula Bedi
–

Rakesh Pandey
–

Samantha Tremayne
–

Deepa

Mandala Tayde
–

Deepa – Girl at Chapora Fort

(as Manadala tayde)

Taglines:
Welcome to a summer of their lives you will never forget.

Release Date: 24 July 2001

Filming Locations: Australia

Box Office Details

Budget: INR 200,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: £57,600
(UK)
(12 August 2001)
(17 Screens)

Gross: $300,000
(USA)
(31 December 2001)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

183 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

Saif Ali Khan initially refused and was persuaded by Dimple Kapadia to sign on.

Quotes:

Siddharth Sinha:
Take this sand for instance, the tighter you try to hold it, the more it slips out of our hand.

User Review

Never seen a Bollywood film? then DCH is the best place to start.

Rating:

DCH is like a breath of fresh air. It shows how bringing youth into an
industry is always a good thing. Just compare this film with Yaadein, from
Bollywood veteran Subash Ghai.

Where as Yaadein is probably one of the worst things to come out of a
camera, DCH is one the best. It's just one of those films you'll find hard
not to like, basically because it's exactly how the medium of Indian films
should be used.

Rather than just cut and paste a song into the film, the filmmakers have
done very well to make each song feel wanted, visually interesting, and they
never drag. The result is a near 3hr film that just flies by. Comedy, Drama,
Great Songs, love stories that work, and some truly excellent casting.
Everyone carries the film, and the 3 guys, Safi, Akshay and Aamir are too
good together!

Hopefully this film is a wake up call to the rest of Bollywood, who seem to
be obsessed with unoriginality. Technically DCH can easily stand up against
anything from the West. Editing, Directing, Cinematography, lighting, set
design — everything just works so well.

Sometimes Bollywood can produce some truly great films, and this is most
definately one of them!! You must watch it.