23 August,2024 07:48 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Still from Maine Pyar Kiya
It's almost two decades since the release of 'Maine Pyar Kiya', and as an audience, it's indeed hard to forget the impact this romantic musical love story has left on us. Starring Salman Khan and Bhagyashree in her acting debut, this Sooraj Barjatya directorial arrived as a fresh breeze of romance that celebrated the bond of friendship at its core. This was the time when an entire generation embraced the dialogue "No Sorry, No Thank You," which became the ultimate friendship slang.
'Maine Pyar Kiya' has redefined friendship. It brought a new wave among the youth. Salman Khan as Prem and Bhagyashree as Suman depicted friendship as unlike anything anyone had seen before. Consequently, it became a trendsetter in no time. The exploration of the friendship bond in the film was completely new for the people of the '80s and set the foundation for the early '90s. From "No Sorry, No Thank You" to the coolest FRIENDS cap worn by Salman Khan became immensely popular as a friendship gift - this was the aura of Salman Khan, who has consistently set trends with his films. Salman Khan's chocolate boy charm completely took over everyone's hearts.
With its release, 'Maine Pyar Kiya' not only arrived as a trendsetting film, but it also went on to rule the box office and set many records. Remarkably, the film was the biggest grosser of 1989. It was also the highest-grossing film of the 1980s, which was indeed a benchmark for any film to achieve. Notably, it became the second-highest-grossing film ever, after Sholay.
Moreover, while that era was dominated by the action genre, 'Maine Pyar Kiya' turned the tide and brought romance back into the mainstream. The entertainment industry witnessed a shift, giving birth to a new kind of love story. The film's popularity wasn't just limited to its region, as it was one of the few Hindi films to do well in its Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions too, making it a pan-India blockbuster of the time.
Now, after a long time, nostalgia is set to be revived as 'Maine Pyar Kiya' will be re-released in theaters on August 23.