Sometime in 2015, it was a warm evening in New Delhi when then US president Barack Obama borrowed a Shah Rukh Khan dialogue — Bade bade deshon mein — in his farewell address at a gathering at Siri Fort Auditorium before ending his three-day trip to India.
We look back at some of the most iconic dialogues of Shah Rukh, including this legendary one from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
Haar ke jeetne waale ko…
This dialogue is from the 1993 action-thriller Baazigar, which was a huge commercial success and propelled Shah Rukh to fame. He won hearts with his portrayal of a cold-blooded killer seeking revenge on a businessman who destroyed his family. His dialogue Kabhi kabhi jeetne ke liye kuch haarna padta hai. Aur haar ke jeetne waale ko Baazigar kehte hai resonates with the audience even today.
Bade Bade deshon mein…
Aditya Chopra’s directorial debut Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) cemented Shah Rukh’s place as the quintessential romantic hero in the Bollywood pantheon. His chemistry with Kajol became the talk of the town. Raj (Shah Rukh) and Simran’s (Kajol) love story swept the nation off its feet. Though Shah Rukh had several memorable dialogues in the film, here’s the most memorable among them: Bade Bade deshon mein aaisi choti choti baatein hoti rehti hain... Senorita!!
Pyaar dosti hai…
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai hit the cinemas 1998 and reunited Shah Rukh Khan with Kajol. The mushy college romance didn’t leave any pair of eyes dry in the theatres. Shah Rukh Khan’s definition of love, from the iconic film, has become legendary: Pyaar dosti hai. Agar woh meri sabse achi dost nahi ban sakti toh main usse kabhi pyaar kar hi nahi sakta. Kyunki dosti bina toh pyaar hota hi nahi.
Agar zindagi mein kuch banna ho…
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) belongs to a special category of films that are so bad that they become good. Most of us binge on this guilty pleasure of a movie for two reasons — Poo (played by the charismatic Kareena Kapoor) and Shah Rukh’s parting advice for his younger brother (played by Hrithik Roshan): Zindagi mein kuch banna ho, kuch haasil karna ho, kuch jeetna ho toh hamesha apne dil ki suno. Aur agar dil se bhi koi jawaab na aye, to apni aankhen band karke apni maa aur baba ka naam lo. Phir dekhna, har manzil paar kar jaoge, har mushkil asan ho jaegi. Jeet tumhari hogi. Sirf tumhari.
Babuji ne kaha…
Devdas and Paro’s love story is immortal and has been adapted for the screen innumerable times. Shah Rukh added his own flair to the character of Devdas in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2002 period drama, which also starred Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit. The anti-climactic scene where Devdas sets fire to his father’s office and leaves his ancestral home will always be remembered for the superb punchline: “Babuji ne kaha gaon chhod do, sab ne kaha Paro ko chhod do, Paro ne kaha sharab chhod do, aaj tumne keh diya haweli chhod do, ek din aayega jab woh kahenge, duniya hi chhod do.”
Sattar minute…
Shah Rukh broke his romantic image in Chak De! India (2006) and delivered a knock-out performance as the coach of the Indian women’s national hockey team. His inspirational monologue before the final match left a lasting impact on the audience: Sattar (70) minute, sattar minute hai tumhare paas. Shayad yeh tumhare zindagi ke sab se khaas sattar minute hai. Aaj tum aacha khelo ya bura khelo, yeh sattar minute tumhe zindagi bhar yaad rahegi.
Puri kayanat usey tume milane ki…
In Farah Khan’s supernatural comedy Om Shanti Om (2008), Shah Rukh plays a struggling actor who aspires to win the Filmfare Award some day. In a memorable scene, Shah Rukh’s OM and his friends pretend to have won the award as he shares a deep philosophical thought in the acceptance speech: “Itni shiddat se maine tumhe paane ki koshish ki hai, ki har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki koshish ki hai. Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaaho to puri kayanat usey tumse milane ki koshish main lag jaati hai.”
