As Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol’s landmark film, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, turns 25, a bronze statue of the actors is set to be unveiled in London’s Leicester Square. The statue will be put to display at Leicester Square as a part of ‘Scenes in the Square’ movie trail. DDLJ statue will be one of the many cinematic moments which has been immortalised as a bronze statue in that area. This will be the first ever long-term Bollywood statue erected in the UK. The announcement, thus, marks the 25th anniversary of Indian cinema’s most loved film, DDLJ, and also coincides with the big 50th year celebrations of Yash Raj Films. Directed by debutant Aditya Chopra, DDLJ shattered all box office records and is one of the biggest all-time blockbusters in the history of Hindi cinema.
It also went on to become the longest-running Hindi film of all time! DDLJ is also the winner of a record-breaking (at the time) 10 Filmfare Awards and the film literally changed the face of Bollywood globally. The film was made at a budget of Rs 4 crore, and in 1995, it collected Rs 89 crore in India and Rs 13.50 crore in overseas markets. Thus, total collections stood at Rs 102.50 crore worldwide in 1995! In today’s inflation adjusted value, DDLJ’s collection stands at a staggering Rs 455 crore in India and Rs 69 crore in overseas territories, taking the total worldwide collections to a phenomenal Rs 524 crore! The statue is set to be unveiled in the spring of 2021, when organisers hope that Shah Rukh and Kajol will be able to travel to unveil the statue in a special celebratory event. Avtar Panesar, vice president of Special Projects at Yash Raj Films, says, “We’re thrilled to be able to announce this statue, and to be the first film of Indian origin to be represented in ‘Scenes in the Square’