Kapil S Joshi

A television channel recently showed that Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge was being shown at a cinema hall in India for the 500th week. It not only came as a surprise to me but also unleashed an avalanche of memories since the movie was first released. Nearly ten years to the day I first watched the movie, I feel it was only days ago.

I was in the tenth standard when DDLJ hit the cinema halls. Our term exams were about to be over and we were dying to see the Shahrukh- Kajol starrer featuring our favourite matinee idols.

The realisation that so many weeks have gone by has left me wondering how fast time flies. In fact, there have been numerous changes since then, though a few things still remain the same. Some of my friends with whom I went to see the movie are already married and are leading a responsible life. Even its heroine got married to Ajay Devgan, breaking my heart. Other changes have also taken place, changes I cannot describe.

But during this period some things have remained intact. Shahrukh is still a crowd puller and the hot favourite in Bollywood. My friendship hasn’t dwindled a bit with the group after going through lots of ups and downs. The movie is still running in one cinema hall as it was 499 weeks ago.

A period of five hundred weeks means nearly 3500 days, which is almost 10 years — a decade. A decade in which I evolved from a nasty teenager to an adolescent; a young man. A decade in which I made so many new friends and relations. A period in which I lost some people who were very close to me.

This decade taught me many invaluable lessons too. This was the decade in which I completed my SLC, my diploma, graduation and my masters. I realised it all after seeing the clipping of DDLJ playing for 500 weeks non-stop.

The sweetest moments of this period bring a smile on my face and the saddest moments make my heart sink. I have gone through many ups and downs. Another five hundred weeks, thousand weeks and many more similar weeks will pass but this five hundred weeks will remain special to me as I am celebrating as many weeks of growing up and as long a period of knowing myself.