Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) is, without a doubt, one of the most iconic Indian movies of all time. With the movie clocking 30 years since its release, the movie’s leads, Shah Rukh Khan/SRK (Raj) and Kajol (Simran), are celebrating the anniversary with a twist. Bollywood fans will be surprised to know that London’s Leicester Square unveiled the statue of Raj and Simran in what can be considered a milestone for an Indian film. Let’s dive deep into the exact details of this milestone achievement for an Indian production that has put India on the global map.
SRK Kajol Statue Unveiled: All The Details You Need To Know
SRK-Kajol Statue At The Scenes In The Square Trail In Leicester Square, London
Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol visited London to unveil the statue of their DDLJ characters, Raj and Simran. They unveiled the statue positioned in London’s iconic Leicester Square. The statue is made of bronze and depicts Raj and Simran posing together in their iconic DDLJ looks.
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Bollywood mega icon SRK attended the grand opening in a black dapper suit while his long-time co-star Kajol stunned in a powder blue saree. He wrote, “Bade Bade Deshon Mein, Aisi Chhoti Chhoti Baatein Hoti Rehti Hain, Senorita!” on his Instagram post. The actor-producer thanked everyone in the UK for making this milestone possible.
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Leicester Square: Scenes In The Square Trail
DDLJ earned the title of being the first Indian film to be honored with a statue in the interactive Scenes in the Square trail in Leicester Square. SRK took to his Instagram account to announce the unveiling, captioning the photographs with his iconic DDLJ dialogue.
For those unversed, the statue trail pays homage to the cinema icons from around the globe. The interactive trail was inaugurated in 2020 and depicts some of the United Kingdom’s best-loved characters and iconic film scenes. If you’re keen on interacting with the different statues and installations here, there is a free audio walking tour available for tourists. Other statues gracing Leicester Square are Looney Tunes’ Bugs Bunny, Gene Kelly, Mary Poppins, Batman, and a few others.
Why DDLJ Is So Iconic
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was released in 1995, starring an ensemble cast of Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Amrish Puri, Anupam Kher, Farida Jalal, and others. Since its release, the movie has earned a cult status among fans of Indian cinema. In fact, it holds the world record for being the longest-running film in Indian cinema: still playing in Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir Theater for 30 years as of 2025!
The reason why DDLJ is so famous even after 30 years of release is because of its star cast and universal themes of love, self-identity, and Indian family dynamics. It appealed to a wide audience because it catered to an Indian traditional family system that was somewhere between ‘progressive’ and ‘conservative’ at the same time.
The movie was also groundbreaking for its portrayal of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), which made the movie more palatable to a wider, global audience. With exotic locales in Switzerland as well as endearing locations within India, the movie essentially took movie audiences on a global tour. The dialogues, the performances, the music, the costume design, and the screenplay were all quite effective individually. And this is why they also worked well in harmony, lending the film a cult status.
How To Reach Leicester Square?
Leicester Square is well-connected to many parts of London, thanks to an efficient network of tube lines (underground rapid transport system) and bus routes.
Here are the tube line stations closest to Leicester Square:
- Leicester Square: 1-minute walk
- Piccadilly Circus: 4-minute walk
- Charing Cross: 6-minute walk
Here are the bus stations that are located close to Leicester Square:
- Liverpool Street Station: Bus number 8
- Paddington Station: Bus number 23
- Kings Cross/ St. Pancras Underground Station: Bus numbers 10, 73, 390
- Victoria Station: Bus number 38
- London Bridge: Bus number 15
- Waterloo Station; Bus numbers 139, 176
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Summing Up
DDLJ, in all its aspects, is an iconic Indian production without a doubt. The movie put Indian cinema on the global map with its universal appeal, star cast, plot, music, and dialogue. Defining the culture of the 1990s, especially in post-liberalization India, the movie remains a milestone in Indian cinema. Now the statue unveiled in London’s Leicester Square is only immortalizing the cult status of this Hindi movie that stars two of India’s brightest superstars.
