DDLJ's mark goes beyond Hindi film. In the last 25 years, it has influenced how we dress and talk, rebel, and reconcile. Above all, it has left crumbs of wisdom to live by.

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25 Years of DDLJ: 10 life lessons we can learn from the modern classic

Team CE

Updated:1st Nov, 2020 at 5:28 PM

Here are 10 memorable moments from the film, and what we can learn from them...

Go-get(h)er: The ungainly title 4 words, 12 syllables, 24 letters is a boast of romantic confidence. It mirrors the assertiveness of the 90s, when love conquered all and social barriers could be leapt

Set your sons, and daughters, free: Anupam Kher's 'Pops' is the liberal foil to Amrish Puri's stern 'Bauji'. He shares a drink with his son, permits him on a holiday, and nudges him to live his life.

It feels a little unfair that Simran, equally deserving of those joys, has to come up the hard way.

Stock up on beer: Raj messes up when he lifts an 18-pack from Baldev's store. It leads to much embarrassment later on. The whole thing could have been avoided by stocking up in time.

Board on time: Raj and Simran miss their train to Zurich and are forced to travel together. In most cases, however, the outcome is least romantic. You'd likely be bugged or end up lost.

The Great Indian Passport Trick: Nothing fools the highway patrol like an over-enthused Indian couple. Raj perhaps pushes his luck by swearing in Hindi and naming 'Bon Jovi' and 'Al Pacino'.

Never do it: Raj pranks Simran by claiming to have slept with her. Though he quickly breaks it off and gives an impassioned 'Main Ek Hindustani..' speech, her discomfort is clear. Not funny, anymore.

Fortune smiles: Raj, goofing around in a church, asks nothing for himself, but hopes that Simran's wishes are fulfilled. It's only then that the church bells ring; fortune smiles on a selfless prayer.

Mum knows best: Returning to Punjab, Simran's mother (Farida Jalal) recounts the many sacrifices she's made as a woman. 'We aren't even allowed to make promises,' she says.

The scene ends with Simran consenting to forget Raj. Her mother, though, knows at what cost.

Friends and foes: DDLJ said the best way to infiltrate your girlfriend's wedding is by befriending her beau. Instead of socking Kuljeet in the eye, Raj earns his trust & charms his way into his house.

The trick was turned on its head by Alia Bhatt in Gully Boy: by framing a real friend as a suitor to get what she wants.

Be like Bauji (2.0): As much as we love the climax, it's a shame DDLJ doesn't end with a flash forward, with Raj and Simran happily settled.

It would also be fun catching up with Baldev, wearing baggy t-shirts, and telling his grandkids to go live their lives.

'My grandfather was a gentle giant,' Vardhan Puri told us in an interview last year. The image sits well with the memory of Amrish Puri, without whom there'd be no DDLJ, or even Hindi film.

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