The iconic pair of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) will appear in Leicester Square’s ‘Scenes in the Square’, the Heart of London Business Alliance announced on Monday.
The statue is set to be unveiled in the spring of 2021, with organizers hoping that Khan and Kajol, who play Raj and Simran in the film, will travel to unveil the statue in a special celebratory event.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is one of the most successful and important Bollywood films of all time, and it is exciting to be able to track Leicester Square as a location. It is a fitting tribute to the cultural bridges we do, and we have no doubt that it will attract fans from all over the world, ”said Mark Destination Marketing Director Mark Williams of the London Business Alliance.
It is the first Bollywood statue in the United Kingdom. The announcement marks the 25th anniversary of DDLJ’s most beloved film in Indian cinema, and coincides with the 50th anniversary of Yash Raj Films.
Avatar Panesar, vice president of special projects at Yash Raj Films, said: “When Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was released 25 years ago, it changed the face of the industry and caught the hearts of everyone who saw it. We are thrilled to announce this statue and will be the first image of Indian origin represented in ‘Scenes in the Square’. We are honored that these Bollywood superstars have been recognized with Hollywood celebrities from Jean Kelly to Laurel and Hardy, and this is a great way to express the international appeal of cinema. ”
The statue will join nine other film icons over the past 100 years, eight of which were unveiled at the end of February, and most recently Westminster Council granted a long-term residency in Leicester Square until at least July 2023.
Raj and Simran’s love story began by train from King’s Cross Station and traveled all over Europe and India. Raj and Simran were the first cross paths, though not known to each other, as the location was more appropriate than the one seen in Leicester Square DDLJ.
Led by debutant Aditya Chopra, DDLJ shattered all box office records and is one of the greatest blockbusters of all time in the history of Indian cinema. It turned out to be a Hindi movie of all time. DDLJ has won 10 Filmfare Awards.
