Retro Review: Deewana

June 25th marks a special day to many, as it has been 23 years since the release of Shah Rukh Khan's debut film as a protagonist. Guddu Dhanoa's Deewana was released on the 25^th of June, 1992, and this blockbuster film ultimately changed Khan's life, and gave us a true superstar. As a tribute, BollyCurry chose to feature the film in our monthly section, Retro Review.

Khan was paired opposite the late Divya Bharti, with the supporting starcast including the likes of  veteran actors like Amrish Puri, Mohnish Behl, andRishi Kapoor as the parallel lead. Directed by Raj Kanwar, the romantic drama revolved around the lives of Kajal (Bharti), Ravi (Kapoor), and Raja (Khan). Kajal is married to the successful Ravi, who is unfortunately killed by his greedy relatives. In a bid to get over the traumatic death of her husband, Kajal moves to a different city where she meets Raja (Khan). Raja falls in love with Kajal, something that doesn't go well with his father, as she is a widow. Consequently, Raja leaves his family for Kajal. Eventually, her mother-in-law persuades her to marry Raja and settle down in life. Raja opens a garage with his friend, and promises to treat Kajal like a friend until she falls in love with him. Over a period of time, Kajal does fall in love with Raja, but this is short-lived, as Ravi reenters their lives. The rest of the movie focuses on Ravi's relatives extracting revenge from his family, and how Kajal and Raja fit into this equation.

Deewana's music was composed by the legendary duo Nadeem Shravan, and its album went on to become the highest selling album of the year. It earned them their third Filmfare Award for Best Music, whilst Kumar Sanu won a Filmfare Award for the popular song "Koi Na Koi Chahiye", picturised on Khan.

Subsequently, the film became the second highest grossing film of 1992 and won a number of accolades, including Best Lyricist for Sameer, Filmfare Best Debut (Male) for Khan, and Lux Fresh New Face for Bharti. Deewana remains as one of the most popular films of all times among critics and film enthusiasts. Only recently, #23YearsOfDeewana was trending on Twitter, with Rishi Kapoor personally thanking people for all their love and support over the years.

 

Did You Know?

1. The character of Raja was originally supposed to be played by Armaan Kohli of recent Bigg Boss fame. However, he opted out of the film due to creative differences, and the role eventually went to Shah Rukh Khan. The rest, as they say, is history.
2. Divya Bharti, despite having an immensely successful career, passed away within a year after the release of this film.
3. A sequel to Deewana is currently in the pipeline, with a completely different cast and storyline. It has been rumoured that Nadeem-Shravan will reunite and make a return to the Bollywood music circuit with this film.

Movie buffs would forever be grateful, especially all of King Khan's loyal fans, to the team ofDeewana. Not only did the movie bring to life a beautiful romantic story, but it paved the path for many involved. BollCurry congratulates the entire team and hopes that the sequel will be just as exciting and beautiful.

 

Author: Ritchelle C.

Editor/s: Pooja B. and Mohini N.

Graphics: Shikha A.

 

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