The BBC has chosen Tujhe Dekha To from Aditya Chopra’s Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, affectionately known as DDLJ by South Asians and Indians worldwide, as their greatest 90s Bollywood song!

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol were the most beloved movie stars in India for many years after their breakthrough success in DDLJ, one of the biggest blockbusters in Hindi film history. Currently the longest-running picture in Indian cinema history, DDLJ continues to screen daily at Mumbai’s venerable Maratha Mandir Theatre.

A list of fifty finalists for The Ultimate 90s Bollywood Song was provided by BBC’s Asian Network to its listeners. The shortlist was selected by a panel consisting of industry professionals Asim Burney, Amrita Tanna, and Karan Pangali, as well as station presenters Haroon Rashid, Nikita Kanda, Gagan Grewal, and Nadia Ali.

It included songs like Ole Ole from the film Yeh Dillagi, and Bahon Ke Darmiyan, from Khamoshi: The Musical.

Nonetheless, Tujhe Dekha To from the 1995 hit movie was the clear winner!

The characters Raj, portrayed by Shah Rukh Khan, and Simran, portrayed by Kajol, are the subjects of DDLJ. Despite Simran’s family’s objections, the two Indian residents of London fall in love.

Tujhe Dekha To is playing over a scene that is iconic to 1990s Indian pop culture, in which a couple is dancing in a field filled with yellow mustard plants. A lot of current American films still refer to this scene because of its enormous nostalgic value!

One of the most-played songs on music streaming sites for decades is Tujhe Dekho To, performed by Kumar Sanu and Lata Mangeshkar.

Priyanka Dutta