24 years of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai: The Shah Rukh Khan- Kajol film explores the true meaning of love and friendship

Karan Johar gave us a cult classic with his 1998 directorial debut. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which stars Shah Rukh Khan (Rahul), Kajol (Anjali) and Rani Mukerji (Tina), recently marked 24 years of its release, and even after two decades, the film holds a special place in our hearts. It is a perfect mix of romance, tragedy, and grief, which finally culminates in a happy ending due to the efforts of eight-year-old Anjali (Sana Saeed).

The memories of this blockbuster film are still fresh due to its interesting plotline and the effortless performances by all the actors. The film, which begins with a college love triangle, takes the audience eight years ahead and explores the deeper meaning of love and friendship in an effort to mend lost relationships. Let’s revisit this Bollywood gem to explore what it is that makes it so special.

Unique plot and iconic characters

The opening scene introduces the audience to young Anjali who receives a bunch of letters from her late mother on her eighth birthday. The letter takes us back to the college days of Rahul and Anjali, who are. best friends. While Anjali is a tomboy who plays basketball, Rahul is the cool dude who flits from one girl to the next, until he finds his true love, Tina. A love triangle ensues, which leaves Anjali broken hearted.

The characters are popular with cinephiles. Rahul's baggy clothes, Anjali’s overalls and Tina’s short dresses became a big trend.

Cut to eight years later, and a young Anjali (Rahul and Tina’s daughter) fulfills her mother’s last wish of uniting Rahul and Anjali. What follows is a journey to Shimla where the duo reunites, only to realise their undying love for each other. The film closes with a happy ending, leaving everyone teary-eyed during the climax.

Everlasting melodies

Who can forget the iconic song, Koi Mil Gaya and Tina’s legendary entry on stage that took everyone’s breath away? The melodious theme song of the film in Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik’s voice fills one with nostalgia. The film also gave us the mandatory wedding song — Saajanji Ghar Aaye, which marks Salman Khan’s entry. The most intense song in the film has to be Tujhe Yaad Na Meri Aayi, which perfectly depicts the sentiments of a broken heart.

Humorous special appearances make the romantic drama wholesome

Along with the lead characters, the film also features Johnny Lever, Anupam Kher, Archana Puran Singh, Farida Jalal, Salman Khan and Parzan Dastur in supporting roles. They all add a dash of humour to the intense romantic drama. The constant bickering between Johnny and Farida’s character, or Parzan as a young Sikh boy counting stars became some of the most iconic scenes from the film. Who can forget Salman as Aman, who comes as a breath of fresh air — always joking around with both, young and older Anjali.

The unique depiction of lost relationships

Karan Johar did a fabulous job of depicting the charm of friendship. He effortlessly captured the emotions that come with reuniting with long-lost people. The film does not try to give a realistic portrayal of human emotions; it unravels those emotions within melodramatic scenes and unrealistic circumstances, but the formula clearly hit the bulls-eye, as this blockbuster has managed to capture our hearts over two decades later.