‘Dil Se’: Rejoicing 22 years of the Shah Rukh Khan-Mani Ratnam-AR Rahman masterpiece

Bollywood films, majorly act as an escape for the viewers but, there are some films that linger on the mind and leave an impact. ‘Dil Se’, directed by Mani Ratnam is one such film that acts as a food for thought and even after 22 years of its release, the film feels fresh because of its content. The film recently completed 22 years of its release.

So today, we decided to travel down memory lane and take a look at, ‘Dil Se’ and the things that make it so special.

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The Mani Ratnam directorial starred Shah Rukh Khan, Manisha Koirala, Preity Zinta, Zohra Segal, Raghubir Yadav and Sanjai Mishra. Set in the backdrop of insurgency, the film tells the story of a radio broadcaster’s attraction to a mysterious girl which opens the doors to a dark world.

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Oh, and by the way, this was the film where the world first saw the glimpse of Preity Zinta.

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The film holds an unusual storyline and was quite ahead of its time. While SRK played the character of the radio broadcaster, Manisha Koirala featured as the mysterious girl.

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The lead character may seem problematic but, Mani Ratnam portrays it in such a way that one still feels empathetic with the character. Mani Ratnam’s direction was complemented by the legendary Santosh Sivan’s cinematography. The national award-winning cinematographer perfectly captured the nuances of the story and the universe that it was set in be it the sequences inside the radio station where he plays with the cool and warm shades of light, the wide-angle shots or the scenic shots. Santosh Sivan’s cinematic vision gave an enigmatic depth to the broad strokes of Mani Ratnam’s storytelling.

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Well, it would be a criminal offence if we don’t talk about the music of this film. The soundtrack and the background score by Oscar and Grammy winner, AR Rahman, are truly magical and timeless in every sense of the words. To add to it, Gulzar’s lyrics turn the Rahmanian melodies into an experience that embraces your soul to never let it go. Songs like, ‘Aye Ajnabee, ‘Dil Se title track’, ‘Jiya Jale’, ‘Satrangi Re’ and the iconic ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ can still take you to another dimension.

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The way ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ was executed makes it one of the best shot songs in the history of Indian cinema. The fluid camera movement of Santosh Sivan when clubbed with the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack and Gulzar’s words hypnotise you and completely takes over your mind. Each song of this album feels better than the other, leaving you flummoxed over a concrete choice.

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‘Dil Se’ is a film that has aged like a fine wine and holds a special place in the hearts of cinema lovers.

Also Read: Preity Zinta takes us down the memory lane by sharing a picture of SRK and hers from ‘Dil Se’

Ramesh Modi

Consulting Editor @ BollywoodBubble.
You can also find me on – https://twitter.com/RameshPModi