Customer Reviews

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have to say that watching this movie was an amazing introduction into Bollywood! It easily made its way into my Top 10 favorite movies of all time, and as an indie filmmaker, my list of favorites is huge!

I hope that tells you something about the quality of the film - the performances, cinematography, script/storyline, editing, and score are almost flawless. This is one of those movies that made me laugh and cry more than once during the first and subsequent viewings. There's a reason why it has run for 800 consecutive weeks in India!

If you're looking at buying this movie, I'll assume you know how awesome it is and/or have read other reviews, so I'll just add a comment on the DVD itself.

I bought the one that said it had English subtitles, not knowing whether or not the original had any. I did not know at the time DDLJ is on Blu-Ray, or I would have just ordered that instead.

The video quality was acceptable, although I would have liked to see such a famous film remastered. The DVD menu is animated and cute. There is an option just to play the songs, which is nice, as sometimes that's enough to relive the experience without watching all three hours of it again.

The one problem I would note is that the subtitles disappear during the scene where she breaks her fast for the Karwa Chauth (right when they are putting the candles in the water). The titles do return a few minutes later, but I do wish that wasn't a problem.

The movie's great, though, so I have to give it five stars anyway. My love for it trumps any technical glitches.

But bottom line - if you like the movie enough to consider a purchase, just go ahead get it on Blu-Ray. That's what I'm going to do now. :)

[EDIT]

We did wind up buying the BluRay version, and I can't tell you how blown away I was by the difference in quality. You still have the occasional interlacing that you may notice at times, but the clarity of and the details you can see in the video are amazing, and the color pops with intensity! It's really, really a much better quality product than the regular DVD, and completely worth it if you love the movie.

My one complaint, I guess, is the quality of the bonus DVD that came with it. The special features are not BluRay - they are only standard definition DVD. And there are no subtitle options. True, they speak in English about half of the time, but I'd really like to know what they're saying for the rest of it, too. So if you get this one, buy it for the quality of the movie and not the bonus features.

Otherwise, I thought it was great, and I feel good about this purchase, even after having the other version already. It actually made me appreciate the BluRay more...

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge is just one of those must-see films for the Bollywood lover. It is also a great starting point for someone who has never seen a Bollywood film before. The story is sweet and very funny at times. The scenery is gorgeous as they trek across Europe and India. The main characters (Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan) are very appealing.
For those new to Bollywood be forewarned:
The films are usually very long compared to the feature films of the rest of the world (think length like musicals "South Pacific" or "Oklahoma"); singing and dancing are a must; drama is also a must and is usually way over the top; no steamy love scenes (although some "new" Bollywood goes that way, kissing, etc. in public is a no-no).

This is my favourite Bollywood movie. The acting is excellent. Kajol is my favourite. Also, the movie has some of my favourite musical scenes. Futhermore, for myself being American and not knowing the movie's language, the subtitles were good and I found the movie followable and understandable. I highly recommend this movie especially to anyone who has never watched a Bollywood movie.

Worst BLU-RAY ever made for one of the best movie classic.
If you are buying the blu-ray for image quality, you will be most likely disappointed.

You can see the poor and inconsistent image quality starting with the opening credit with movie title and throughout the movie. I believe this has to do with the master source used for the blu-ray and poor processing. The blu-ray version is several steps backwards in terms of the image quality and the title & index organization. Throughout the movie, the image sharpness go in and out of focus, many many grainy spots, poor contrast/exposure, and the color saturation fluctuates, resulting into poor quality image. Honestly I have seen much sharper DVD quality of old 60's and 70's movies made by Shemaroo, even when they are played on 120 inch screen without up-converting them(not trying to promote them, but just to give you a fair comparison).
I cannot understand how one can go several steps backward with the new technology and not realize it?
I feel this to be a complete insult to the blu-ray technology and a Bollywood classic with great location, superb cinematography, songs, and story.

I will keep my hope alive for the Yashraaj films to re-release this movie with improved master source and processing, as I know they are capable (e.g. Dhoom blu-ray version to be a good example). In general, buying Bollywood blu-ray, we are taking chances, as there is no guarantee of the image quality, they are little overpriced (especially in US and UK), and in most cases they would put the same source with little or no processing to improve the picture quality/resolution to take advantage of the blu-ray technology.

A great watch from beginning to end with memorable characters, good music, and some beautiful settings. Not the best Bollywood has to offer, but pretty darn close!

This movie is one of the classics of Bollywood and will always remain a fan-favorite for a very long time for this movie has the love story that binds in the Indian Culture and traditions along with memorable music and beautiful cinematography. Also this blu-ray has the behind-the-scenes and making of the movie which you will find very interesting.

This was the first Bollywood Movie I looked at and found it to be funny and entertaining.
Has all the components that make a fantastic film. There is good chemistry between the two lead actors.

"Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" is one of my favorite Bollywood romances. The superior acting by both Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) and the talented Kajol as well as the melodious songs makes this a classic Bollywood romance/musical. It has withstood the test of time and remain a favorite of many till today. It's been a long time coming, but I'm glad to see this movie released in Blu-ray at last.

The story is classic Bollywood - young Simran (Kajol) is being brought up in London together with her younger sister Chutki. Her father (Amrish Puri), runs a convenience store, and is a devout Hindu who pines for his hometown in Punjab, India. He is determined that his children be brought up with traditional Indian values and abhors Westernized ways. Simran is disappointed when her father insists she marry a stranger, a man who is the son of her father's oldest friend back in India but accepts it like a dutiful daughter. As a compromise, she begs her father to allow her a one-month tour of Europe with her gal friends. Her father agrees, albeit reluctantly, secure in the knowledge that his eldest daughter will always toe the line and be loyal to him.

Well, Simran meets the carefree and free-spirited Raj (SRK) on the train to Europe and though they get off to a bad start (Simran is convinced that Raj is nothing but a playboy and wastrel), the pair end up forming a true friendship along the journey and a close bond which Raj recognizes as love, but Simran only realizes this later. Unfortunately, Simran's father has other plans for her and whisks the family back to India for the engagement ceremony. Simran feels at a loss as she comes to the realization that the man she truly loves is Raj - what is she to do? Then, things get even more complicated when Raj turns up in the Indian village where Simran and her family are, presumably with a plan to set things right.

The story may be a tad predictable but what makes this movie truly special is the excellent cast which deliver remarkable performances. SRK and Kajol make a lovely on-screen couple as their chemistry is altogether credible, and they have lately been teamed up in My Name Is Khan (New Shahrukh - Kajol Hindi Film / Bollywood Movie / Indian Cinema DVD), attesting to their reputation as a crowd-drawing cinematic "jodhi" (couple). The cinematography is simply gorgeous - the beautiful European countryside, as well as the glorious colors of the Indian villages.

Then of course, there's the memorable music - there are many songs in this movie with catchy and memorable tunes. My particular favorites are "Tujhe Dekha To", "Mehndi Laga Ke", "Mere Khwabon Mein", and many more. Fans of DDLJ will appreciate having the Blu-Ray version of this classic.

I own about a hundred Bollywood movies on DVD, and I'm not even Indian.

To be honest, I thought that this movie is not only the worst Yash Raj film I ever saw, but to me, it's the worst Bollywood film that I've ever seen, and only for one main reason. Shahrukh Khan (who I usually do appreciate) was very annoying in this film. (Worst than Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace) And although I do love Kajol, however, she couldn't save this film because of Shahrukh Khan's embarrassing behavior of his character.

But, I generally watch a Bollywood film because I love to watch good looking people on film. A good story is only secondary as my intention to be entertained.

If you an English speaking American, and are new to Bollywood films, let me give you a breakdown of how I interpret and ingest the Bollywood experience:

First of all, you will most always be reading English subtitles.

The average Bollywood film is about 3 hours long.

Bollywood films are very colorful. All their beautiful fashion, and colorful dance floors. In High Definition, just the scenaries alone make you appreciate what High Definition is all about.

About 30 percent of the film will be music videos (with Yash Raj films, it's more like about 45 percent). I personally wish there were less music videos if the movie is already over three hours long.

About 30 percent of most Bollywood films have some rather silly, really unfunny, and downright annoying comedy scenes (which is usually in the first half of the film), then the film will start to become more serious, as it moves along.

One of the main reasons why you will watch a Bollywood film, is because you already chose to fall in love with one of their many beautiful actresses, or handsome actors. (I personally try to see all Rani Mukherji films, and Shah Rukh Khan is the one actor known to be one of the biggest box office sellers of Bollywood.)

So, I guess I can honestly say that I have about 10 Blu-Ray Bollywood films which about 7 of them are Yash Raj releases. Though I have about 100 Bollywood films on DVD, all I really care to get on Blu-Ray now is "Lagaan" which was the first Bollywood film that I saw about 10 years ago. And perhaps "Mann" with Aamir Khan, and "Rangeela" which stars the enchanting Urmila Matondkar. Oh, and I guess it would be truly appreciated if "Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai" starring Amisha Patel and Hrithik Roshan would ever be released in High Definition Blu-Ray. The scenes in India and New Zealand were all just so beautiful on the screen.