Heart of London Business Alliance today announced a new statue will be joining the exciting ‘Scenes in the Square’ movie trail in Leicester Square, with the ‘King of Bollywood’ himself, Shah Rukh Khan and co-star Kajol, set to become the first ever statue honouring Indian cinema to be erected in London.
Having grossed over $32.24 million worldwide upon its initial release in 1995, the statue will depict the two Bollywood megastars in one of the most loved blockbuster Bollywood films of all time, the timeless and multi award-winning rom-com Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, the directorial debut of Aditya Chopra. Set to be unveiled in Spring, today’s announcement marks the start of the 30-year celebration of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, or DDLJ as it is often known, which became a global box-office smash hit.
A film beloved by the over five million strong British South Asian community, it has gone on to be the longest running Hindi film of all time, with the iconic romcom still playing at one of Mumbai’s cinemas today. Having attained iconic status, DDLJ is a pop culture milestone for India and South Asians globally.
Often dubbed the Romeo & Juliet of Bollywood cinema, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge follows two non-resident Indians, Raj and Simran, and their star-crossed love story across Europe and India, beginning on a train from King’s Cross Station.
The location couldn’t be more fitting, with Leicester Square featuring in DDLJ in a scene when Raj and Simran first cross paths, albeit unbeknown to one another, before setting off on their European adventure. Fittingly, the scene features two of the square’s cinemas prominently, with Raj seen in front of the Vue cinema, and Simran walking past the Odeon Leicester Square.
The new statue will be positioned along the eastern terrace, outside the Odeon cinema, honouring this scene. Other London locations featured in the film include Horseguards Avenue, Hyde Park, Tower Bridge and King’s Cross Station.
The film has left a lasting impact on Indian cinema, becoming such a global phenomenon that even Barack Obama, the then President of the United States, referenced it on his official state visit to India. In the UK, the film’s cultural significance remains, with a new musical based on DDLJ, Come Fall In Love – The DDLJ Musical, set to start at the Manchester Opera House on 29th May.
With over 140 million followers on social media, the film’s leading man Shah Rukh Khan went on to become the world’s wealthiest movie star, eclipsing Hollywood icon Tom Cruise, and appearing in more than 80 Hindi films, including twelve alongside Kajol, with DDLJ being their second collaboration.
The DDLJ stars Shah Rukh Khan & Kajol join the who’s who of international cinema at Scenes in the Square, alongside ten other film icons from the past 100 years. In October of last year, a statue of Londoner Daniel Kaluuya in a dramatic scene from the 2017 horror Get Out also joined the original line-up, while visitors can still encounter Harry Potter, Laurel & Hardy, Bugs Bunny, Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Mr. Bean, Paddington and iconic DC Super-Heroes Batman and Wonder Woman.
Mark Williams, Deputy Chief Executive at Heart of London Business Alliance, says: “It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to add to our trail Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, who are such titans of international cinema. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is one of the most successful and important Bollywood films of all time, and we’re excited by the prospect of bringing to the trail the first film that features Leicester Square as a location. The statue is a fitting tribute to the global popularity of Bollywood and a celebration of London’s rich diversity. We’re in no doubt it will attract fans from all around the world to Leicester Square, the home of film and entertainment.”
