‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’: Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol’s statue to be unveiled in London to mark 25 years of the film

A bronze statue of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol will be unveiled in London’s Leicester Square. It depicts a scene in the longest-running Hindi film of all time, ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ (DDLJ), which featured a scene in Leicester Square. It will be unveiled in Spring 2021. It will be the first-ever Bollywood film statue to be put up in the United Kingdom.

The announcement, thus, marks the 25th anniversary of Indian cinema’s most loved film, ‘DDLJ’, and also coincides with the big 50th year celebrations of Yash Raj Films.

.@iamsrk and @itsKajolD's #DDLJ Statue to be unveiled in Leicester Square Statue to mark the film’s 25th Anniversary. #DDLJ25
Read more – https://t.co/7aLxUOVAmr pic.twitter.com/eUF0cfWN9P

— Yash Raj Films (@yrf) October 19, 2020

Written and directed by debutant Aditya Chopra, ‘DDLJ’ shattered all box office records and is one of the biggest all-time blockbusters in the history of Hindi cinema. It also went on to become the longest-running Hindi film of all time! ‘DDLJ’ is also the winner of a record-breaking (at the time) 10 Filmfare Awards and the film literally changed the face of Bollywood globally.

The film was made at a budget of 4 crore and the blockbuster, in 1995, collected 89 crore in India, 13.50 crore in overseas markets. Thus, total collections stood at 102.50 crore worldwide in 1995! In today’s inflation-adjusted value, ‘DDLJ’s collection stands at a staggering 455 crore in India and 69 crore in overseas territories, taking the total worldwide collections to a phenomenal 524 crore!

‘DDLJ’, often dubbed the Romeo & Juliet of Bollywood cinema, is about two non-resident Indians, Raj and Simran, and their star-crossed love story across Europe and India, beginning on a train from King’s Cross Station. The new statue will be positioned along the eastern terrace, outside the Odeon cinema, honouring this scene. Other London locations featured in the film include Horseguards Avenue, Hyde Park, Tower Bridge and King’s Cross Station.

Also Read: Aditya Chopra remembers late father Yash Chopra on 50 glorious years of Yash Raj Films