<p>Rahul Khanna and Anjali Sharma are best friends in college. Unknown to Rahul, Anjali is secretly in love with him. When Tina Malhotra, the daughter of the college principal, joins the college, Rahul is instantly attracted to her. Anjali, heartbroken, leaves college and returns to her hometown. Rahul and Tina eventually get married. During her pregnancy, Tina develops complications and realizes she will not survive. She writes eight letters to be given to her daughter on each birthday. At Tina’s request, Rahul names their daughter Anjali. Eight years later, Anjali Khanna reads the final letter, in which Tina reveals that Rahul’s college friend Anjali had loved him, and asks her daughter to reunite them. With help from her grandmother, Anjali joins a summer camp where Anjali Sharma is conducting a dance workshop. Rahul later arrives at the camp and reunites with Anjali Sharma. Initially awkward, they gradually reconnect as Anjali Khanna tries to bring them closer. Rahul realizes he has fallen in love with Anjali but does not tell her after learning she is engaged to Aman Mehra. Anjali leaves the camp to return for her wedding. On the wedding day, Anjali Khanna goes missing, and Rahul searches for her. He finds Anjali Sharma instead and confesses his feelings. During the ceremony, Anjali is unable to continue. Aman calls off the wedding after realizing her feelings and encourages her to be with Rahul, whom she marries with their families present. After assisting and acting in ‘s (1995), was inspired to direct his own film. For , he aimed to reunite and in a romance film. Johar initially developed two separate storylines: one involving a college love triangle between a tomboy, a popular girl, and an insensitive boy; the other centered on a widower and his child. Dissatisfied with both, he merged them into a single narrative. In an interview with , he explained: “It was about the trauma of a widower and his little child… Then I thought: Why not bring a youth aspect to the story? Why not a flashback? That’s how the story got made.” Johar cited the 1995 romantic comedy as an influence for the film’s second half. He also stated in his 2017 autobiography that he wanted Khan to portray a role he had not attempted before, leading to the decision to cast him as a father. Others have noted thematic similarities with the starrer (1993). Johar has acknowledged retrospective criticism regarding the film’s portrayal of gender roles. He recalled that actress criticized a scene suggesting that a woman becomes desirable only after altering her appearance, particularly referencing Anjali’s transformation when she grows her hair. To construct a stylish and aspirational college environment, Johar collaborated with costume designer . They sourced outfits from , prominently featuring international brands such as and . The visual design of the college setting was heavily inspired by Western pop culture, including the television series and the . Johar instructed art director to model the campus on , later stating: “Shah Rukh plays , Rani Mukerji plays , and Kajol played .” The production team included as choreographer, as music composers, as cinematographer, and as associate director. assisted Malhotra with costume design. Johar was certain about casting and in the lead roles. The role of Tina, however, proved more difficult to fill. It was initially written for , who declined the offer. Other actresses, including , , , , , and , were also approached but turned it down. and Shah Rukh Khan recommended (Kajol’s cousin), after watching her performance in (1996), and Johar subsequently cast her in the role. Mukerji later stated that she was seventeen years old during production and found portraying a mother particularly challenging. In a 2023 interview, she stated, “I was 17 years old, I played a mom in . I was Tina. But luckily, I was a ghost mum in that film.” Despite limited screen time, her performance received positive attention and contributed to her early career success. The character of Aman Mehra was initially offered to and , both of whom declined. accepted the role following a meeting with Johar at the home of his sister, . Although there were initial concerns regarding his remuneration, he eventually agreed to join the cast, completing the film’s principal ensemble. commenced on 21 August 1997 and lasted for approximately nine and a half months. The film was shot across multiple international and domestic locations. The college scenes were filmed at the in , while the summer camp sequences, set in , were filmed at Wenlock Downs in , . The title song was shot over ten days in various scenic locations in , including , , , and . Due to the relative inexperience of the crew, frequently assisted with technical aspects during filming. Johar later acknowledged his own limited knowledge of direction and production techniques at the time. During the filming of the song “Yeh Ladka Hai Deewana”, lost control of her bicycle, resulting in a fall that injured her knee and rendered her briefly unconscious. She later described the accident as her most memorable moment from the shoot, as she had no recollection of it. For the emotional reunion scene between Rahul and Anjali after eight years, Johar encouraged the actors to rehearse and improvise their reactions. He secretly recorded the rehearsal and was so impressed by the result that he included the footage in the final cut of the film. The soundtrack for was composed by , with lyrics written by . It marked the duo’s first collaboration with director and was released by on 19 August 1998. Initially, lyricist was contracted to write the songs and had completed one track, “Koi Mil Gaya.” However, upon learning the film’s title, he objected, describing it as “mediocre, obscene, and vulgar.” Akhtar subsequently withdrew from the project. He later expressed regret over his decision, acknowledging the film’s popularity and cultural impact. The album became the highest-selling Bollywood soundtrack of 1998, with an estimated eight million units sold in India. The title song remained on the Indian music charts for over a year, and the album peaked at number two on the Malaysian Albums Chart ( ) in 1999. Sony Music Indonesia reported additional sales of 300,000 units, bringing combined sales in India and Indonesia to approximately 8.3 million. In a 2012 audience poll conducted by , the title track was voted the most popular Hindi film song of the preceding decade. In a similar poll conducted by the , the full soundtrack ranked second, behind that of (1995), which was also composed by Jatin–Lalit. On 2002, Sony Music India also released in Sinhala version. received generally positive reviews upon its release, with praise for its lead performances, emotional resonance, and youthful tone. On , the film holds an audience approval rating of 80%, based on over 5,000 user ratings. On , it has a rating of 7.6 out of 10, based on over 73,000 user votes as of April 2025. Katherine Singh of described it as “a love triangle for the ages,” adding that the film “still holds up” decades later for its blend of youthful nostalgia, strong performances, and iconic fashion. In India, of gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, calling it a sentimental romance with “ ambience” and “ flavours.” She especially praised ’s performance, while noting that “the second half gets drowned in a sea of emotions. Too many people begin to cry a bit too much.” Nandita Chowdhury of described the film as “slick, urbane and predictable,” but appreciated ’s ability to nearly recreate the chemistry of and from (1995). She concluded it was “a good distraction” that would resonate with its target youth audience. Conversely, Sujata C. J. of criticized the film’s overuse of clichés and sentimental storytelling, though she praised ’s cinematography and ’s art direction for elevating its visual appeal. gave the film a favorable retrospective review, highlighting its “sweet and wholesome story of friendship and love,” though it noted that certain cultural references may be less accessible to international audiences. was a major commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing Hindi film of 1998 in both domestic and international markets. It was also the third highest-grossing Indian film of the 1990s, behind (1994) and (1995). According to , the film grossed ₹80.12 (US$19.4 million) in India and $6.3 million (₹26.61 ) overseas, for a worldwide total of approximately ₹106.7 (US$25.7 million), against a production budget of ₹10 (US$2.4 million). It earned ₹8.06 (US$1.95 million) globally in its opening weekend and ₹15.13 (US$3.7 million) in its first week. The film was released on 16 October 1998 across 240 screens, alongside . It collected ₹87 lakh (US$211,000) nett on its opening day and ₹2.74 (US$664,000) nett during the opening weekend. In its first week, it earned ₹5.64 (US$1.37 million) nett, the second-highest of the year after . went on to gross ₹46.86 (US$11.4 million) nett in India, with a distributor share of ₹29.88 (US$7.2 million). It was declared an “All-Time Blockbuster” by and became the . The film had a strong debut in international markets, earning $800,000 (₹3.38 ) during its opening weekend and $1.3 million (₹5.49 ) in its first week. It became the first Bollywood film to cross the $5 million mark overseas, eventually grossing $6.3 million (₹26.61 ). According to the book , its total overseas earnings reached $8 million. It became the second Bollywood film to enter the UK box office Top 10, following (1998), and grossed $2 million in the United Kingdom. In Indonesia, the film reportedly outperformed at the Indonesian box office during its theatrical run. At the , received a leading 18 nominations and won 8 awards, including , , , and . It became the third film in history to win all four top awards, following (1965) and (1995). Subsequent films to achieve the same distinction include (2002), (2005), and (2019). has been the subject of extensive critical analysis and cultural commentary since its release. Film critic described it as “a simple, stylish, sensuous and ambrosial love story,” highlighting the chemistry between the lead actors as “unbeatable.” A reviewer for noted that while the second love triangle extended the narrative, the film’s performances, cinematography, storytelling, and musical numbers were “energetically colourful.” In 2004, Meor Shariman of called the film a “must-watch” for both Bollywood enthusiasts and newcomers. Conversely, some critics have pointed out the film’s portrayal of idealized characters and settings; director has acknowledged this, stating that the film was intended as a form of escapism. The film’s enduring popularity has led to various homages in Indian cinema. The 2012 romantic comedy featured promotional materials and a musical number, “Ramba Mein Samba,” that paid tribute to . In 2010, magazine included the film in its list of “Five Essential Bollywood Movies to Netflix,” recognizing its significance in the genre. Critic also featured the film in her book , citing its impact on the industry’s narrative and stylistic approaches. In 2018, Johar hosted a commemorative event in to commemorate the 20th anniversary of , attended by lead actors , , and . During the event, the cast shared memories from the production, and Khan humorously admitted that he initially found the script confusing but agreed to do the film out of faith in Johar’s vision. Johar had expressed interest in creating an animated adaptation of the film; however, as of October 2012, the project was placed on indefinite hold due to the limited success of animated films in the Indian market. In January 2023, ranked as the top available on globally, ahead of titles like (2010) and (1999). Critics Kate Erbland and Alison Foreman described it as “a bittersweet and bubbly story of young love, missed opportunity, and female friendship,” noting its memorable “romantic scene.” The film is frequently cited as a cultural touchstone in Hindi cinema, influencing fashion trends, musical compositions, and contemporary romantic storytelling. It was ranked 46th in ‘s list of “The 100 Best Bollywood Movies,” praised as “a landmark of ’90s Bollywood” for its emotional depth and widespread appeal. In a 2012 audience poll by , the title track was voted the most popular Hindi film song of the preceding decade, while a poll ranked the soundtrack second among Bollywood albums, following (1995). A few years after its theatrical release, acquired the satellite broadcasting rights for for ₹4 crore. The film was subsequently released on and formats. A edition was issued in India on 19 February 2011, featuring resolution and sound. As of 2025, the film is available for streaming on platforms including and . It is also offered for digital rental and purchase through . continues to receive frequent television broadcasts, often paired with ‘s subsequent film (2001), and consistently achieves high viewership ratings. Reflecting on the lasting popularity of both titles, Johar remarked, “It’s gratifying to know that they’ve aged well and passed the test of time.”</p>