Mohabbatein

Mohabbatein (transl. Romances) is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film written and directed by Aditya Chopra, and produced by Yash Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films. The ensemble cast is led by Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai, with supporting roles by Uday Chopra, Shamita Shetty, Jugal Hansraj, Kim Sharma, Jimmy Sheirgill, and Preeti Jhangiani. Loosely inspired by the American film Dead Poets Society (1989), the narrative centres on Narayan, the authoritarian principal of Gurukul, a prestigious all-boys college, who strictly forbids romantic relationships. After his daughter Megha takes her own life due to his opposition to her romance with a student, Raj, the latter returns years later as a music teacher and inspires three students to challenge Narayan’s rules and pursue love.

Originally intended to mark Aditya Chopra’s directorial debut, Mohabbatein became his second film following the success of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). The film was shot primarily in the United Kingdom between October 1999 and July 2000, with cinematography by Manmohan Singh. The sets were designed by Sharmishta Roy, while Karan Johar handled costume design. The soundtrack was composed by Jatin–Lalit with lyrics by Anand Bakshi.

Released theatrically on 27 October 2000, Mohabbatein received mixed-to-positive reviews, with praise directed at its performances, music, and production design, although its length and pacing were critiqued. The film went on to become a major commercial success, grossing ₹900 million (US$20 million) worldwide, and emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi film of the year. At the 46th Filmfare Awards, it won four awards including Best Supporting Actor (Bachchan) and Best Actor (Critics) (Khan). It also received accolades at the IIFA Awards, Zee Cine Awards, Screen Awards, and Sansui Viewers' Choice Movie Awards.