Twenty-five years after Dil Chahta Hai arrived in theatres, filmmaker Farhan Akhtar has reflected on one of the film’s recurring criticisms: the limited screen time given to its female characters. While the 2001 film primarily follows the friendship and growing-up journey of Akash, Sid and Sameer, Akhtar acknowledged that the women did not occupy as much space in the narrative.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Akhtar agreed with the observation but maintained that the female characters were written with agency and were not intended to be passive figures.
“I agree. The film is about the three boys and they predominantly are on screen. But none of the female characters was written as weak woman,” Akhtar said.
Dimple Kapadia’s Tara had an impact on the friendship
Akhtar pointed to Dimple Kapadia’s Tara as an example of a character whose importance extended beyond her screen time. Tara’s relationship with Sid becomes one of the emotional threads in the film and also affects the friendship between the three protagonists.
“Dimple’s Tara, to me, had probably the strongest in terms of her effect on the relationship of the three boys. She, in a way, drives Sid and Akash away from each other,” he said.
The filmmaker was referring to the conflict that develops between Akash and Sid after Akash disapproves of Sid’s relationship with Tara. Their disagreement becomes an important turning point in the friendship.
Farhan Akhtar highlights Pooja and Shalini
Akhtar also discussed Sonali Kulkarni’s Pooja, who is in a relationship with Sameer. He described her as an independent character who influences Sameer’s understanding of love and marriage.
“Pooja, played by Sonali Kulkarni, is an independent woman, who instills the confidence in Sameer that one should marry the person one loves,” he said.
He also pointed to Shalini, played by Deepannita Sharma, whose relationship with her fiancé involves a different kind of conflict. According to Akhtar, Shalini’s response to his objections is expressed through her actions.
“Shalini has her own way of fighting back by doing the things that her fiancé is kind of upset about. It’s almost like a silent protest,” he said.
Dil Chahta Hai was ultimately about friendship
Despite the different relationships and romantic storylines, Dil Chahta Hai remained centred on the friendship between Akash, Sid and Sameer. Akhtar said the film was designed around their emotional growth as they moved beyond their youthful immaturity.
“At the heart of it all, it is a celebration of friendship. It’s also about growing up together. What Dil Chahta Hai really does is it takes the friends from a place of immaturity to a place of maturity,” he told the publication.
The film, starring Aamir Khan, Akshaye Khanna and Saif Ali Khan, went on to become one of the defining Hindi films about urban youth and friendship. Its portrayal of relationships, conversations and changing priorities continues to be discussed decades after its release.
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