The longest running film in Indian film history, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge has been exhibited at Mumbai's Maratha Mandir theatre ever since it was released in October 1995. At first glance, DDLJ seemed to capitalise on the revivalist vibe of Hum Aapke Hain Koun...! -- DDLJ was a romance premised on the assent of the lovers' parents.

But director Aditya Chopra's signature style soon emerged. Chopra charmed audiences with the intensity of his lovers' (played by Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol) passions, the lengthy but thought-provoking dialogue offset by a pace that just didn't let up. Most significantly, the 20-something director mirrored the dreams and the themes of India's youth, which was caught on the cusp between tradition and modernity.

DDLJ was that hitherto exceptional Hindi film with an NRI hero. Not only did this fact set a trend in Hindi cinema but the NRI angle also helped the film speak eloquently to the Indian Diaspora -- the film grossed a whistle-evoking five million dollars worldwide, opening the floodgates for Hindi films abroad.