Aditya Chopra’s Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, lovingly called DDLJ by Indians and South Asians across the globe, has been voted UK’s favourite 90s Bollywood song by BBC!
DDLJ is an all-time blockbuster in the history of Hindi cinema that made Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol India’s most-loved movie-stars for generations. DDLJ is still the longest running film in the history of Indian cinema and still shows every day at the iconic Maratha Mandir Theatre in Mumbai.
BBC’s Asian Network invited listeners to choose The Ultimate 90s Bollywood Song from a list of 50 contenders. A panel made up of the station’s presenters Haroon Rashid, Nikita Kanda, Gagan Grewal and Nadia Ali, plus industry experts Asim Burney, Amrita Tanna, and Karan Pangali chose the shortlist.
It included song and dance numbers such as Ole Ole from the film Yeh Dillagi, to ballads like Bahon Ke Darmiyan, from Khamoshi: The Musical.
However the winner was by unanimous choice – Tujhe Dekha To, from the 1995 blockbuster!
DDLJ, as we all know, tells the story of Raj, played by legendary actor Shah Rukh Khan, and Simran, played by actress Kajol. The two are Indians living in London who meet and fall in love against Simran’s family’s wishes.
Tujhe Dekha To plays over a scene featuring the couple dancing in a field full of yellow mustard plants – a visual that is iconic to India’s pop culture in the 90’s. This scene is still referenced by films that are being made in the country due to its huge nostalgic impact!
Tujhe Dekho To has been sung by Kumar Sanu and the legendary Lata Mangeshkar and is one of the most played songs across music streaming platforms for decades.