18 June,2022 02:37 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Picture Courtesy: PR
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam completes 23 years today. Starring Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Ajay Devgn, this love triangle had sweep, soul, stunning songs, and a scintillating conflict at its core. Echoing the sentiments of the 1983 Woh Saat Din, this is a saga was indeed about some moments the lead characters and its audiences would never forget.
Salman was Sameer and Aishwarya was Nandini, driven by abandon and united by passion for music. The only thing that drives them apart is their persona. For all her feistiness and ferocity, Nandini was just as fragile. Sameer, on the other hand, was overtly and haplessly romantic, given he belonged to a foreign land. He was the ultimate Pardesi Babu who could never have the Indian girl. This is arguably the only love story that had not one but two conflicts at its core. The first one of course being cultural differences and boundaries.
The second one was Vanraj, played by a restrained Ajay Devgn. A priceless scene featuring the song Chingari Koi Bhadke is a hoot. That's the moment when the father of the bride and the audience know he's the man for Nandini. He's a lawyer but fumbles when it comes to expressing his emotions. As the film moves to Italy, we see this very man wanting to reunite his wife with the man she loves, little knowing all the love is soon coming his way.
Bhansali's triangle has no villains, barring the circumstances of the leads. No matter who Nandini chooses, the heart will pain with anguish. It does, equally for Sameer and Vanraj. Just like Rangeela, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam too had a happy sad ending. The only difference being the last two reactionary shot of the second lead. Jackie Shroff moves away from the frame flashing a smile. Salman Khan inconsolably breaks down. The film ends with fireworks, but Sameer's life is darkened again. Oh the irony! But a beautiful one at that.
