SHAH RUKH KHAN’S MOVIE ROMANCES WITH ENGAGED WOMEN
by ASJAD NAZIR
Romantic hero Shah Rukh Khan has swooped in over the years with characters that have won the hearts of already engaged women.
In fact, he has an enviable record when it comes to playing a romantic lead, who wasn’t the first groom choice, but ends up with the woman in the end.
With a fun feature, Eastern Eye decided to present seven movies where the king Khan’s character didn’t let the small thing of an engagement block him off from wooing the woman he loves.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: Raj falls in love with Simran during a European holiday, but she is engaged to marry someone else in India. Raj then lands up in Punjab to win over the family, while the arranged wedding is going on and eventually departs with Simran on the train with permission from her father (after getting badly beaten up).
Pardes: Ganga is a traditional Indian girl who gets engaged to an America-based guy named Rajiv, thanks to an arranged marriage. Unfortunately, for Rajiv his foster brother Arjun, played by Shah Rukh Khan, is put in charge of organising everything and in the process, wins the heart of Ganga.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai: A widowed Rahul is a single father devoted to his young daughter. Then one day, he is unexpectedly reunited with his long lost best friend Anjali, who is, of course, engaged to someone else. It isn’t long before Rahul works his magic and wins over Anjali on her wedding day.
Veer Zaara: Pakistani girl Zaara visits India and forms a deep connection with air force officer Veer, but, of course, she is engaged to someone else and returns home to get married. Veer risks his life and visits Pakistan to win her over, but is thrown in jail. Decades later, he is reunited with Zaara, who had broken her engagement and was waiting for his return.
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi: The mild-mannered Surinder falls in love with the already engaged Taani, but doesn’t make an attempt to woo her. When her fiancé is killed, Surinder steps in and marries her. He then has to figure out how to make his new wife love him, which he eventually does with a cunning plan.
Chennai Express:Rahul bumps into Meena, who is fleeing a forced marriage. The two of them eventually fall in love with each other and Rahul has to overcome challenges to convince her family she shouldn’t be engaged to a ruffian.
Jab Harry Met Sejal: Tour guide Harry falls in love with Sejal, who is retracing her steps in Europe in an attempt to find a lost engagement ring. As the characters played by the actor have shown in the past, a simple thing like an engagement won’t stop him from falling for the woman. He follows her to India and they get together.
Second year in a row for the British Indian model on the VS runway.
Only Indian face in the line-up.
She wore a blush pink set with a sheer skirt.
The show itself featured a pregnant model, athletes, and the overall diversity push.
It happened in New York, with performances, the usual big production.
So Victoria's Secret dragged its wings out of storage for another show. And in the middle of that whole glittery circus, one face felt particularly significant. Neelam Gill was back again for the second time. In a sea of models, she is the sole Indian representative. That’s a pretty stark fact when you consider it. The show took place in New York, with all the expected glitz, but Gill's presence is what truly resonates.
Neelam Gill walks the 2025 Victoria’s Secret runway in a blush pink look during the brand’s much-hyped diversity comeback. Getty Images
What does her presence mean?
One model, one spot, in 2025. On the surface, it feels almost pathetic. But then you see a photo of her there, in that specific context, and it somehow feels huge. This isn’t about a headcount. It’s about her, specifically her, standing in a spot that was off-limits for so long. Gill herself has spoken about not seeing anyone who looked like her in these spaces while growing up. She is now that image, and it is significant.
Right, the look. This year it was a departure from last year’s icy blue. She wore a dreamy, almost dusty pink lingerie set. The bottoms had a slight shimmer. They placed a sheer, floaty skirt over the set that trailed a bit. It was less about the typical angel wings and more of an ethereal, graceful vibe. It worked. It felt sophisticated, a bit quieter than some of the other looks, but it certainly made you look.
Neelam Gill’s ethereal pink ensemble captured attention as she represented South Asian beauty on the global stageGetty Images
The wider show context
The show around her was, well, busy. Jasmine Tookes, honestly, you couldn't miss her, gliding down the runway nine months pregnant. It was actually pretty powerful. The Hadid sisters did their thing, obviously. The entire cast seemed designed to make a statement, throwing in some curve models and an athlete or two. It’s all part of the new playbook and they are clearly ticking boxes.
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