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Forgotten 1980 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' Predates Iconic Bollywood Classic
18 Oct
Summary
- 1980 film 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' predates the 1995 classic by 15 years
- 1980 film had a different cast and crew, including director Rajendra Singh 'Atish'
- 1980 film received censor clearance, indicating it was released, but has been largely forgotten

In a surprising twist, it has been revealed that the beloved Bollywood classic 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' had an earlier version released in 1980, a full 15 years before the iconic 1995 film starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.
The 1980 version of 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' was directed by Rajendra Singh 'Atish' and featured a different cast, including Beena Banerjee, Tariq Shah, and Desh Gautam. The film received censor clearance on January 30, 1980, indicating that it was indeed released, though it has since been largely forgotten.
According to the film historian SMM Ausaja, the 1980 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' was a social drama, with some religious elements, as suggested by the song 'He Mere Bhole Bhandari'. This is in contrast to the 1995 version, which was an out-and-out romantic blockbuster.
The 1980 film's cast and crew also included Devender, Ashok Nath, Parvez Malik, Madhumita, Kavita Kiran, and Vandana, among others. The music was composed by Cuckoo Singh, and the cinematography was handled by H Laxminarayan, who had worked on several other well-known films.
Despite the existence of this earlier 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge', the 1995 version directed by Aditya Chopra and starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol went on to become a landmark in Indian cinema, cementing its place as one of the most beloved and iconic Bollywood films of all time.