New Delhi: It was a battle between love and ego. It was a confrontation of generations, legacies, and stardom itself. Two of Indian cinema’s biggest superstars, Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, stood on opposing sides, and that very face-off is what made Mohabbatein (2000) iconic.
However, the film held different kinds of significance for the two stars. For Khan, it was a golden opportunity to share the screen with his childhood idol. And Bachchan got to play a character that reflected his own age and stage in life.
After the phenomenal success of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Aditya Chopra took five years to make his next film. He gave moviegoers, who were entering a new millennium, yet another cult classic in the name of Mohabbatein.
Set up in a Gurukul with a story on student-teacher clash and young love, the film’s emotional core remained the same as DDLJ—the struggle between love and patriarchal authority.
As the film celebrates its 25th anniversary today, IMDb, in a collaborative post with Yash Raj Films (YRF), has shared an old video featuring SRK and Bachchan reflecting on their roles and the making of the movie.
Along with the video, IMDb noted that Mohabbatein sparked immense curiosity among audiences, as it was the first film to bring Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan together on screen. In the clip, SRK shares that the film holds a special place in his heart because it allowed him to work alongside Big B.
“I wanted to become a hero because I saw Mr Bachchan (Amitabh Bachchan) act in films, and for me just to stand in the same space as he is going to act in is a wonderful experience,” the actor said.
Bachchan lent his gravitas and aura to the character of Narayan Shankar, a role that ultimately marked his comeback in Bollywood.
The actor was facing a severe financial crisis in the late 1990s when he turned to his longtime friend and collaborator, filmmaker Yash Chopra, seeking work. Chopra offered him the role in Mohabbatein, and it went on to completely change Bachchan’s fortune.
“Mohabbatein is an opportunity for me where I can play a character as per my age. I must applaud Adi (Aditya Chopra) and Yash Chopra for finding this space and putting it in their script,” Big B said in the clip.
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“Most difficult film”
Mohabbatein is also remembered for its iconic background music, which was composed by Jatin-Lalit and was a key element of the film’s classic status.
In an old interview, the duo said that Mohabbatein was one of the “most difficult films” they created music for.
“Difficult because there are simultaneously 4 parallel love stories going on, they have a different mood and each song had to have antaras which were made for different couples, so the tunes had to be different too,” Lalit told India Forums.
The album included instrumental tracks like Mohabbatein Love Themes and Rhythms of Mohabbatein, which created a romantic and sometimes melancholic atmosphere with their gentle melodies and violin compositions.
For many viewers even today, the soundtrack has become linked with the themes of love and defiance.
Some popular tracks from the album include Humko Humise Chura Lo, Aankhein Khuli, Chalte Chalte, and Soni Soni.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)