Seventeen years ago today, Hrithik Roshan and Ameesha Patel (playing Sonia Saxena) catapulted to superstardom with the release of the blockbuster hit “Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai,” which was the highest grossing Bollywood film of 2000.

[Read Related: Celebrating The Best Gift Hrithik Roshan Gave Us All: Dance]

While the former actor has achieved far more success and popularity in Bollywood since then, we can never forget the undeniable chemistry between Roshan and Patel, the unexpected yet pleasant surprise of seeing Roshan in a double role as Rohit/Raj Chopra, and the iconic dance moves that we still never hesitate to break into at desi parties today. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and revisit the 17 best moments of the Rakesh Roshan-directed film (warning, spoilers ahead)!

1. The Opening Scene: The God that is Hrithik Roshan is Revealed for the First Time

Who can forget the first time you saw Roshan turn around to the “Heyyyyy heyyyyy…” music and felt as if his beautiful green eyes were piercing your soul?! At this moment, there was no question that you were about to enjoy a heartbreaker with an undeniable screen presence for the next three hours. *swoon*

2. The Heartwarming Chemistry Between Rohit and Amit

Even though Abhishek Sharma as Amit, played Roshan’s little brother in the film, and had a minor role in the film, the relationship they shared formed a crucial detail in the plot line of the movie.

3. Ameesha Patel’s Debut Scene

[Image Source: Rozaana/Tumblr; Filmkraft Productions]

Patel gave us serious hair goals when she flipped her luscious locks that caught Roshan’s attention the first time he sees her. We’re not really sure about the fashion sense and accessorizing with the gold sticker, though. Nevertheless, this scene and instant connection between Patel’s and Roshan’s characters got us rooting and hoping for their love to blossom.

4. Hrithik’s Dancing Debut in “Chaand Sitaare”

The first full-length song and dance number in the film, “Chaand Sitare” got us all wishing we were the ones being serenaded by Roshan’s dancing and sweet lip-syncing to Kumar Sanu’s beautiful voice, telling us that we’re perfect just the way we are. #goals

5. Falling “Deeper” in Love in “Pyaar Ki Kashti Mein”

Fortunately for us, the movie doesn’t get very far without another song and dance for our viewing pleasure.

6. Hrithik’s Cute Magic Trick Scene

Roshan shows off his charming innocence as Rohit during this comedic scene in the movie and reinforces why he becomes India’s sweetheart after the film.

7. Rohit tries to Save Sonia’s life When They’re Stranded and Declares his Love, Which Leads to…

8…“Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai”

9. Commentary on Social Class Structure in India

Like many Bollywood movies, the main reason why the lovers in the film can’t be together is because they come from different socioeconomic classes. At this pivotal moment when Sonia chooses Rohit over her father (played by Anupam Kher), the film makes a powerful statement of how differentiating between people based on wealth is truly just a mental and social construct.

10. “Ek Pal Ka Jeena”

Few can argue that “Ek Pal Ka Jeena” is one of Roshan’s most iconic dances of all time. Although we got a taste of his dancing skills earlier in the film, the mysterious and sensual portrayal of Raj Chopra in this dance number has made millions of people go crazy and attempt to mimic Roshan’s signature “gas pedal” move.

11. “Na Tum Jaano Na Hum”

12. The Moustache Prank

The silent Sikh child from “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” (Parzaan Dastur) made his big screen return in this film by playing a prank on his mother using a fake mustache that Raj wears to disguise himself in front of Sonia. Too cute!

13. Johnny Lever’s Comedy Scene

You know you’re going to let out a few laughs when you see Johnny Lever on screen. Lever’s special appearance as Inspector Parab in the movie, to provide some comedic relief at a climatic moment, certainly doesn’t disappoint! Check out his brief scene above.

14. The Biggest Shocker…This was Secretly Kareena Kapoor Khan’s Debut, too!

Yes, you read that right! Kapoor was supposed to play Patel’s role until she backed out of the project, but until not after filming a few scenes. In fact, the production team accidentally kept a scene that she shot in the final movie, seen below!

[Image Source: India Today/Filmkraft Productions]

In the frame immediately after, you can see Patel wearing similar clothing, but it’s evident that this is Kapoor instead. Whoops!

15. Amit is Reunited with his “Brother”

After thinking his brother Rohit has come back to life, Amit confides in Raj about what happened on the night of Rohit’s accident and provides some crucial information that carries the plot forward for the rest of the film. Seeing Amit in such a shocked state was heartbreaking, and this moment pulls at your heartstrings when you see just how much Amit missed his brother when he was gone.

16. “Dil Ne Dil Ko Pukara”

A final dance number with Roshan wearing a sparkly t-shirt and shiny pants? Yes, please!

17. Happily Ever After

Of course, Sonia realizes that she loves Raj, her knight in shining armor, and all is right at the end. Perfection.

What was your favorite part of “Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai”? Let us know in the comments below!

[All Images (unless specified) Courtesy of Screenshot/Filmkraft Productions]

Tina Lapsia is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and studied political science and economics with a minor in Spanish. She is passionate about politics, feminism, and women’s rights, and wrote her senior thesis on the impact of the 2012 Delhi gang rape case in India. Tina is a fervent Bollywood fan and dance enthusiast; when she’s not listening to Hindi music, you can find her dancing to it. She aspires to have a career in public service in the future.

By Tina Lapsia

Tina Lapsia is an attorney working and living in NYC. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law … Read more ›

From receiving his MBA from Harvard business school to being the CEO of Asia’s largest music festival brand Sunburn, Karan Singh combined his interests to push his passion for music! Singh received his bachelor’s degree in management from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He worked as an investment banker for three years at Ambit Corporate Finance before working at Sunburn which is a part of his family’s business. Sunburn started providing the music festival experience starting in the year 2007. The first festival was in Candolim, Goa. The music festival brand has put on over 5,000 events over the past 15 years. In 2022 The Sunburn Festival will be in it’s 16th year. Continue reading to learn more about Karan Singh’s journey with the Sunburn music festival!

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What does the Sunburn brand offer and what made you have the festival in Goa as opposed to other parts of India?

We believe that Sunburn offers a really unique experience and is a melting pot of diverse people & cultures from not only across India but around the world. Goa is the ideal setting for this as there is something magical about Goa in the winter-time and truly enables us to tap into that global audience.

Safety at live events has always been a concern among concert goers. Considering recent, events more individuals have asked brands and artists to do more to ensure audience safety. What are you doing to ensure safety for live concerts?

Safety is a huge priority for us. We work with the best-in-class security agencies as well as closely with the police and requisite authorities. For anyone in the crowd a Sunburn safety officer will always be close by and easily visible. We also run an awareness drive on both social media and on ground.

What was the first Sunburn Festival like and what did you learn from this experience?

The first ever Sunburn Festival was in December 2007, and I had actually attended it as a fan, not part of the crew. However, it was absolutely eye-opening as the first proper music festival on Indian shores and opened up our minds to a world of possibilities.

As Sunburn houses so many electronic dance musicians who have been your favorites throughout the years?

It is difficult to pick from the list however the favorites for Sunburn, in no order and because of the amount of love they have shown Indian audiences, are Martin Garrix, DJ Snake, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Hardwell and Armin van Buuren.

Do you plan to expand the festival to add other genres into the mix as well as more activities?

We have already expanded into different formats like Arena, Campus, Club, Reload and things like merchandize & academy. In terms of genres, we have been dabbling with genres like rap, hip-hop and pop, however our focus remains on electronic dance music.

What can someone expect from the festival as first-time goers?

Apart from a state-of-the-art production & line-up, one can expect a special experience, meeting interesting people from all over the world, and embarking on a creative journey of the theme for the year.

How does the festival help local musicians from Goa as well as the surrounding areas in India?

This year we had set up for the first time a special stage and village in the festival only for Goa which gave a platform to local Goan artists. But beyond that a huge focus for us has always been to showcase domestic home-grown talent and indeed 60-70% of the line-up each year is locally sourced.

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A post shared by Martin Garrix (@martingarrix)

What was the experience like this year in 2022 and how is it different from previous years?

The biggest difference was that this was the first time the festival was back to its full scale since the pandemic hit after 3 long years. It was a fantastic release for everyone there. Our theme was “the future is now” and this was reflected across the festival experience and particularly in the main stage design – termed “Cyberpunk City” which received rave reviews from all.

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A post shared by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike (@dimitrivegasandlikemike)

What was it like having the legends Black Coffee and Afrojack this year as well as the DJ duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike?

Afrojack and DVLM are both Sunburn & India veterans, it was amazing having them back crushing the main stage after very long. Black Coffee for us was something very new and exciting, to have a special artist and a unique sound like that close the main stage on day 2. However it was very well-received and took our experience to the next level.

As you have had the artist Avicii back in December 2011 how do you feel he revolutionized Electronic Dance Music?

Avicii is one of my all-time favorite artists and his show in December 2011 was actually my first one working on Sunburn so will always be extra special. There is no doubt that he revolutionized EDM by taking massive risks and introducing an entirely new sound which a lot of others then followed, but no one as well as he did.

How does it feel to be in charge of one of Asia’s biggest Electronic Dance Music Festivals?

It feels great, we have a very young but ambitious and hard-working team and our primary focus is to continue delivering the best possible experiences for our fans, artists and partners. India is such a vibrant and exciting market that I cannot help but be pumped about what the future holds.

Do you feel Electronic Dance Music is a misunderstood genre?

More so in a country like India possibly yes, where people who are not exposed to these experiences sometimes have preconceived notions about EDM festivals and the like. Oftentimes those people are also in a decision-making capacity and can directly affect the industry. However, things are certainly improving as the industry overall gets bigger and gets more acceptance.

What does music mean to you, Karan Singh?

Music provides a sound-track to life, it is something which is always there!

How do you choose to react when you receive negative comments about the Sunburn Festival?

Well, you have to be able to differentiate between those which are just trolling and those which are constructive or fair criticism. The latter is very important as it helps us to look at ourselves and continually improve, we are still a long way from where we eventually want to be.

Lastly, what do you hope individuals take away from this interview with Brown Girl Magazine?

I hope it allows us at Sunburn to reach a wider audience of the desi community around the world and hopefully get some more people to fly down to Goa for Sunburn Festival 2023 which I can promise you all will be the best one yet!

Artist Testimonials:

Dimitri Vegas Like Mike

We have had a long connection with India. The first time we played here was more than a decade ago. Going from clubs to being a regular feature at one of Asia’s biggest electronic music festivals which is now an institution in itself. It’s been an exciting evolution to see how Sunburn has grown over the years. The fans at Sunburn are some of the most insane and every show is a special one. We’ve always had an incredible experience at Sunburn.

DJ Snake

Honestly, the energy I feel when I am in India is one of the most amazing things. I would say the culture and energy is what keeps me coming back! India is like a second home to me, just like Sunburn. I feel so comfortable and welcomed here. I’m always excited about coming to India and playing at Sunburn, experiencing new cities, meeting more of the people, hearing more of the music, and seeing more of the country that has influenced me so much.

Afrojack

Sunburn has helped dance music artists world over to tour India and connect with their Indian fans and I’m always excited about performing at the festival.

Hardwell

I’ve a long history with the Sunburn team. They are a great team to work with and they also give the fans amazing experiences. As an artist, I want to be a part of providing fans with lifelong memories and so we all share the same vision.

Alan Walker

Sunburn is one of the pioneers of the dance music festival scene in India and has been instrumental in creating a truly world class platform that supports the dance music industry and all of its stakeholders. I’m always excited about touring India with Sunburn.

Photo Courtesy of DNH Media

By Arun S.

Arun fell in love with music at a young age by way of his middle school music teacher Mr. D. … Read more ›

Weddings, huh? Talk about a stress fest. And for the bride, it’s like a 24/7 walk on eggshells. However, add in a paranoid and overprotective sister, and you’ve got a recipe for a completely different degree of drama. In “Polite Society,” Ria Khan (Priya Kansara) and her gang of clumsy pals take the phrase “till death do us part” to a whole new level as they plot to “steal” the bride — aka Ria’s own sister, Lena (Ritu Arya), during her shaadi reception. But with a wedding hall packed with guests, a mother-in-law from hell, and a groom with more shades of fraud than a rainbow, this heist is anything but smooth sailing.

It goes without saying but “Polite Society” comes with a cast of wacky characters, gut-busting one-liners, and an action-packed heist sequence, making it a must-watch for anyone who loves a good comedy. I mean who hasn’t dealt with some serious wedding drama, am I right?

Lead actress Kansara agrees wholeheartedly. “I definitely have!” she chuckles, as I catch up with her at Soho Hotel in London. Despite the rubbish weather outside, Kansara is a ray of sunshine with her infectious enthusiasm.

The minute I read the script, I thought to myself…wow, playing Ria is going to be one wild ride!

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And wild is definitely the right word to describe her character. Ria is a British-Pakistani martial artist-in-training from London, determined to become a professional stuntwoman. Her sister, Lena, who dropped out of uni, often ends up being the guinea pig for filming Ria’s stunts for YouTube, including one lovingly dubbed “the fury.” She reveals

I’d never done martial arts before this film. The stunt training started from the day I got the role, and it was three to four times a week all the way until we finished filming. It was a seven-week period in total, and boy, was it physically demanding. Oh my God, I think I can add a whole new skills section to my CV! But on a serious note, it was so much fun and we had an amazing stunt team. They, including my stunt double, taught me so much. It was important to me to do my own stunts as much as possible, but also strike a healthy balance.

For South Asian women, who are often expected to be quiet and agreeable, all that punching and kicking on set must have been cathartic, right?

Honestly, it was like anger management at work! I got to kick and throw things around — it was the perfect balance.

 

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What sets Kansara apart from other actors starting out in the industry is her ability to draw from her own life experiences to bring authenticity to her characters on screen. Her career began with a degree from UCL and a communications job at a pharmaceutical company. But today, her versatile range and unwavering commitment to her craft have propelled her to the forefront of British comedy, portraying defiant South Asian women we’d love to see in real life.

From my own experience as a South Asian woman, I’ve always been told to do what’s ‘proper’ and think twice before speaking up. Playing a character like Ria and putting myself in her shoes, I felt like I was doing and saying things that I wish I had done at her age. It was almost like living through her and speaking my mind about things I never did.

Without a doubt, every South Asian woman on this planet wishes she cared more about herself and less about what other people think.

Ria totally inspired me. If only I had her mindset when I was younger, my career path would have taken off way sooner instead of worrying about other people’s opinions.

The chemistry between the cast members on and off-screen is so apparent, especially the sisterhood between Ria and Lena. The wild adventures of a bride, and her paranoid maid of honour navigating through family drama, are bound to create some unforgettable moments on set.

[Read Related: ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’: A Modern-day Exploration of Love Across Cultures]

We both confess our love and admiration for Nimra Bucha’s portrayal of Raheela, Lena’s evil mother-in-law and share a teenage fangirling moment:

I’m obsessed with that woman. There’s something terrifying yet ultra sexy about her character in “Polite Society” that’s mesmerising. I absolutely loved the dance sequence. As South Asians, we’ve all grown up watching Bollywood films and idolising Madhuri Dixit’s iconic dance moves. “Polite Society” gave me my Bollywood heroine moment, and it was a dream come true with the costumes and jewellery.

It’s definitely a unique experience for Kansara, considering her former career was worlds apart from entertainment. So, what advice does she have for aspiring actors who may secretly wish to pursue the same path, but are unsure of the next steps? Kansara advises, drawing from her character’s heist-planning skills.

I believe starting small and honing your craft is an underrated superpower. If you’re passionate about acting, make short-form videos, and build your portfolio. You never know who might be watching.

So, grab your popcorn and your sense of humour, and get ready for “Polite Society” — the film that proves that sometimes, the most polite thing to do is kick some butt and save the day. It released in cinemas on April 28th, and I highly recommend it.

Photo Courtesy: Universal Pictures

By Queenie Shaikh

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Photo Courtesy of Varsha Panikar

“After so Long” is a poetry film created for Simha’s EP, which is streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. The poem was collaboratively written by Simha, a U.S. native, and Jae, who is based in India, during the 2020 lockdown. “After so Long” was recited by Simha and their parents. In 2022, I directed and produced the film through my studio, Star Hopper. “After so Long” premiered on Nowness Asia in March 2022.

By Varsha Panikar

Varsha Panikar (they/he) is a filmmaker, writer and multi-disciplinary artist from India. They are the co-founder of Star Hopper, a … Read more ›