Himani Shivpuri revisits DDLJ memories: 'It brought a smile on my face'
Synopsis
Himani Shivpuri's social media post sharing a DDLJ clip with Anupam Kher is a small but warm reminder of how deeply the 1995 classic still resonates — not just for audiences, but for the cast itself. Thirty years on, with a Guinness record and a bronze statue in London, DDLJ has long outgrown being just a film.
Key Takeaways
Himani Shivpuri shared a clip from DDLJ on social media, saying watching it 'brought a smile' to her face.
The clip features a scene between Himani's character and Anupam Kher , who plays Shah Rukh Khan 's father in the film.
DDLJ was only Himani's second film, after 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!' (HAHK) .
The film completed 30 years of release last year and holds a Guinness World Record as the world's longest-running film.
Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan unveiled a bronze statue of their DDLJ characters at London's Leicester Square to mark the milestone.
Veteran actress Himani Shivpuri has shared that revisiting a clip from her landmark film 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' (DDLJ) left her flooded with nostalgia — and smiling. The actress took to social media to post the clip, calling it a reminder of the freshness and innocence of her early career.
What Himani Shared
The clip, sent to Himani by a fan, features a memorable scene between her character and Anupam Kher, who plays Shah Rukh Khan's father Raj in the film. In the scene, Kher's character flirts with Kajol's character Simaran's paternal aunt — played by Himani — in a moment that became one of the film's lighter, beloved sequences.
In her post, Himani wrote: 'Someone sent this clip to me, I thought I will share it with you. Pardon the audio, I think you must have also seen it a number of times, but watching it brought a smile on my face, it was my second film after HAHK, the freshness, the innocence…nostalgia..'
DDLJ's Place in Film History
DDLJ completed 30 years of its theatrical release last year, cementing its status as one of Indian cinema's most enduring cultural landmarks. To mark the milestone, lead actors Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan unveiled a new bronze statue of their iconic characters at London's Leicester Square.
The film holds a Guinness World Record as the longest-running film not only in India but in the world, having played continuously at Mumbai's Maratha Mandir cinema for decades.
Kajol on DDLJ's Global Legacy
Speaking at the London event, Kajol reflected on how the film's global reach was never anticipated during its making. 'I don't think we planned for DDLJ to become a global phenomenon for Indians and South Asians. I think somewhere down the line that DDLJ has become kind of a touchstone for Indians living abroad,' she said.
She added: 'It's been 30 years, and we are happy to say it's the longest running film not only in India but in the world, and it's actually gone into the Guinness Book of World Records, so super kicked to be a part of it.'
Himani's Career Connection to DDLJ
Himani Shivpuri noted that DDLJ was only her second film, following 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!' (HAHK) — itself a blockbuster of the 1990s. Her back-to-back association with two of Hindi cinema's most iconic films of that era underscores the significance of the mid-1990s as a defining period for mainstream Bollywood. The nostalgia she expressed resonates with an entire generation for whom DDLJ remains a defining cinematic experience.
Point of View
But it points to something larger: DDLJ's cast remains emotionally tethered to the film in a way that few productions sustain across three decades. The film's Guinness record and the London statue signal a conscious effort by its principals to institutionalise its legacy — a legacy that, notably, was never engineered but emerged organically from diaspora audiences who made it their own. That Himani describes it as only her second film, and yet one that defines her career, says as much about the film's gravitational pull as it does about the era it captured.
NationPress
17 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What clip did Himani Shivpuri share from DDLJ?
Himani Shivpuri shared a fan-sent clip of her scene with Anupam Kher from 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', in which Kher's character flirts with her character — Kajol's paternal aunt. She posted it on social media, saying it 'brought a smile' to her face and evoked nostalgia for the film's freshness and innocence.
What is Himani Shivpuri's connection to DDLJ?
Himani Shivpuri played Kajol's paternal aunt in DDLJ. The film was only her second, following 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!' (HAHK), making her early career closely linked to two of the biggest Hindi films of the 1990s.
What milestone did DDLJ mark recently?
DDLJ completed 30 years of its theatrical release last year. To commemorate the occasion, lead actors Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan unveiled a bronze statue of their characters at London's Leicester Square. The film also holds a Guinness World Record as the world's longest-running film.
What did Kajol say about DDLJ's global impact?
Kajol said the film's global reach was never planned during its making, describing it as a 'touchstone for Indians living abroad'. She expressed pride in its Guinness World Record status and called it a phenomenon for Indians and South Asians worldwide.
Why is DDLJ considered a landmark film?
'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', released in 1995, is widely regarded as one of Hindi cinema's most iconic films. It ran continuously at Mumbai's Maratha Mandir for decades, earned a Guinness World Record as the world's longest-running film, and has become a defining cultural touchstone for the Indian diaspora globally.
