‘Dil Se..’ Isn’t a Love Story. That’s the Point.

Dil Se.. opens with a nervous Shah Rukh Khan in the back of a taxi. He’s trying to get to Haflong, a hill station in Assam, and is running late when police stop him to check his car. “There’s no bomb in your trunk, right?” Khan asks his driver. “No, if you want bombs, you’ll see them 20 kilometers ahead,” the driver says. He’s not really joking. This moment sets up the entire conflict of the film: a militarized region, bomb threats, hidden agendas, and state vs. individual control. 

Made on a roughly $2.8 million budget, the movie — the third installment of Ratnam’s trilogy after Bombay and Roja — made only $6.9 million at the box office, underperforming for a Shah Rukh Khan film. But it did well abroad and is today considered a cult classic. Many are familiar with Dil Se..’s haunting music by A.R. Rahman, stunning cinematography by Santosh Sivan, and unforgettable performances by Shah Rukh Khan, Manisha Koirala, and Preity Zinta. But, arguably, the best part of the film is director Mani Ratnam’s screenplay and story. And this is precisely why Dil Se.. deserves another watch.