Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in London

Filmmaker Karan Johar was in London this week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (KKHH) which took the box office by storm, not just in India but broke records in the UK. It’s been 10 years but seems like British Indians just can’t get enough of this blockbuster.

Surrounded by fans, posing for the shutterbugs Johar is as big a star as any of the leading actors in his films. And Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was the film that launched his career as a director 10-years-ago.

When it released in October 1998, It broke records, set trends and gave Bollywood a ‘designer’ look. It also tapped into the huge overseas market. In the UK, the film earned over £1.75 million, breaking every record for Hindi films until then.

“I think what connected at that point of time was the basic rootedness and the western exterior. The film had an Indian soul with a western blend and that’s the combination that worked well. In fact that’s what both DDLJ (Dilwale Duhaniya Le Jayenge) and KKHH did,” said Johar

And even after 10 years, it seems Indians in the UK just can’t get enough.

“I think I have seen KKHH 50 timese, now I also narrate the dialogues when I’mwatching the film which is quite annoying for the family,” said a KKHH fan.

“It was my son’s birthday which was a special occasion for the family. So I went with my mother and kids to watch the film. We were three generations watching the film together,” said another fan.

While the film evokes cherished memories for many, for its director, there is that one special moment.

“The scene where Kajol and SRK in the rain, that one moment in the gazebo, I remember watching it on the monitor and thought to myself - ‘I think I have a special film’,” recalled Johar.

The trend that began with DDLJ got a further boost with KKHH. It opened a huge NRI market for Indian films as Indians living abroad went back to the cinema theatres in droves. And 10 years on, it still remains one of the favourite and most successful films coming out of Bollywood in a decade.