‘Veer-Zaara’ at 20: 10 reasons Yash Chopra movie remains an all-time Bollywood classic

LEGENDARY filmmaker Yash Chopra was rightly regarded as the king of Bollywood romance.

One of the ace director’s finest works in this genre was cross-border love story Veer-Zaara, which was released on November 12, 2004, and became the highest grossing Bollywood movie of that year. The timeless love story starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji was filled with great moments, memorable dialogues, deep emotions and unforgettable music.

Eastern Eye decided to mark the 20th anniversary of the movie by revisiting it and presenting 10 reasons why it remains an all-time Bollywood classic.

Great cast: The filmmaker assembled a superb cast led by Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji, who were all big box-office stars. They were surrounded by a strong supporting cast that included Manoj Bajpayee, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Divya Dutta and Kirron Kher.

Direction: This was the last truly great movie directed by Chopra, who is considered one of Bollywood’s greatest ever filmmakers. Veer-Zaara had all the signature hallmarks associated with the iconic director including eye-catching locations, beautiful music and a glittering star cast. By balancing romance, drama and social commentary, Chopra brought the wonderfully written story to life in the way that only he could, and filled it with memorable moments from start to finish. He also got the entire cast, in their varied roles, to elevate the material with their performances. It resulted in a visual and emotional spectacle.

Magnificent music: In what became a Bollywood first for a major commercial movie, the songs were composed by a music director who had passed away long ago (in 1975). That masterstroke of taking unused tunes of late composer Madan Mohan resulted in superb songs like Tere Liye, Main Yahaan Hoon and Do Pal. His son, Sanjeev Kohli, helped recreate the music and combined it with soulful lyrics by Javed Akhtar. The music is not only entertaining, but it enhances the emotional impact of the film. Not surprisingly the soundtrack filled with diverse musical influences including Punjabi folk and Sufi won multiple awards and became the highest-selling Bollywood soundtrack of that year.

Strong performances: The story-driven film based on real human emotions demanded the cast be on top of their game. Khan and Zinta delivered perfectly pitched performances as starcrossed lovers from different sides of the border, including in their older age. Their multi-layered performances won praise. The strong supporting cast led by Mukerji added depth to Veer-Zaara, while Bajpayee, Bachchan, Malini, Anupam and Kirron and Irani all gave the film further gravitas.

Cinematography: Although Veer-Zaara is very much about deep emotions, it is also visually spectacular. Anil Mehta confirmed just why he is one of the greatest Bollywood cinematographers from the modern era as he captured the beauty of the eye-catching sets, whether it was inside a palatial mansion or in rural Punjab. He helped create a vivid and immersive setting that enhanced the storytelling, making it a feast for the eyes.

Strong women: The movie may have been headlined by Khan, but what really gave it power was the strong female characters. Zaara, played by Zinta, was far removed from the stereotypical subservient woman, and was shown as a strong, independent woman who makes significant choices for her life, which reflected modern values within a traditional setting. Mukerji’s strong crusading lawyer character, Saamiya Siddiqui, fights against all odds for justice. Even the older female characters have their own steely determination, all of who offered a collective fresh perspective of females in Hindi cinema.

Writing: Perhaps the biggest hero of Veer-Zaara was the writing. With his well-crafted screenplay, Aditya Chopra offered up a timeless love story that could quite easily have been made in any era of Bollywood, including today. The cross-border romance about an Indian Air Force pilot and a Pakistani woman delivered universal themes of love, sacrifice, hope and going against outdated traditions. Everything from the protagonists to the poignant emotions were relatable to audiences of all ages. The story was also filled with memorable dialogues and important social commentary.

Messaging: Although Veer-Zaara gained popularity for being a musical romance, it has a lot of important messaging, including cross-border unity between warring neighbours India and Pakistan. This is cleverly done by focusing on the personal stories of the characters rather than long-running political tensions between the two nations. It also promotes messages of peace, understanding, religious tolerance, and the futility of political and social barriers.

In addition, Veer-Zaara was a film about justice and the triumph of humanity over prejudice and hatred, which led to discussions about love, peace and unity. The various themes added extra layers to the film, which definitely made it more than just a love story.

Culturally respectful: Most movies on both sides of the border usually represent the other country and culture in a discourteous way. Veer-Zaara was notable for being a respectful portrayal of both Indian and Pakistani cultures. This included Pakistani and Muslim customs, traditions and lifestyle. Great care was taken not to alienate viewers from either side of the border, which remains rare in Bollywood and Lollywood. This balanced representation was rightly praised for fostering a sense of mutual respect and resulted in the film becoming globally popular.

Emotions: The great narrative structure of setting Veer-Zaara over two time periods and stitching it together with an unforgettable interval, resulted in a film that tugged at the heartstrings from start to finish. Whether it was the deep love, sacrifice, hope, heartbreak or a touching reunion, ace director Chopra ensured audiences connected with those emotions, and having a rainbow of feelings consolidated their connection to the film. Instead of trying to shock audiences, the filmmaker allowed them to emotionally experience the immersive film and those feelings remain to this day.

Did you know?

Shah Rukh Khan was first choice to play his role. When Kajol refused the role of Zaara, it was offered to Preity Zinta, who took lessons in Urdu in order to improve her diction.

The role of lawyer Saamiya Siddiqui was based on Pakistani human rights activist Asma Jehangir. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was the first choice to play that character, but an earlier falling out with Shah Rukh Khan on the sets of Chalte Chalte led to Rani Mukerji being cast in that role.

The film’s costumes were masterminded by fashion designer Manish Malhotra, except for Shah Rukh Khan’s, which were specifically created by filmmaker Karan Johar.

Yash Chopra described Veer-Zaara as a humble tribute to his home in Punjab, and to the feeling of togetherness of people on both sides of the border.

The initial title that was considered was Yeh Kahaan Aa Gaye Hum, which is a song title from Chopra’s movie Silsila (1981).

There are several deleted scenes that didn’t make it to the final cut, but were later included in the DVD release.