Throwback to the golden era of the silver screen when the camera zooms on to Shah Rukh Khan as he quietly breaks fast for a restless Kajol reluctantly prepping for her marriage. Now return to the present-day where women of all ages queue Infront of mehendi designers ahead of Karwa Chauth to get their hands decked up and engrave the name of their partner with herbal colours.
Bollywood has had an endless influence on Indian lives before social media happened. From choosing their fashion sentiments to qualities in a life partner, movie buffs have followed cinema, and observing festivals is one of them. So, when Aditya Chopra made Karwa Chauth a troupe for romance in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, an age-old tradition found renewed interest among the newer generation, duly stamped by the most romantic on-screen couple of the 90s, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.
Celuloids create a desire among individuals to live life like their favourite actors, characters, which in turn creates a market to fulfill these needs. Hence from sporting mehendi to wearing traditional attire and heavy jewelry, women make their best efforts to participate in the festival. Not just the materialistic parts, it becomes a way for a couple to rekindle their romance. This way Karwa Chauth went beyond states as it was predominantly celebrated in north India.
After DDDLJ, here are some of the iconic Bollywood scenes that made Karwa Chauth a pan-India phenomenon
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
It is interesting, how Bollywood most of the time manages to create a dilemma for the actress observing Karwa Chauth who reluctantly keeps a fast for one but longs for another person. The film had a whole song dedicated to Karwa Chauth. The song is a dream sequence where Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) is fasting for her love Sameer (Salman Khan) while she is unmarried.
Kabhie Kushie Kabhi Gam
The lengthy song sequence (Bole Chudiya) where the youngest member of the family pictures the entire family reuniting remained a festival anthem for long. The movie also explains the entire tradition of receiving sargi from mother-in-law and its significance, making it a prep material for young brides.
Hum Aapke Hain Koun
Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan brought a lot of mischief and playfulness to this Karwa Chauth scene. From the start of Maye Ni Maye the two constantly exchange winks, flirty glances and dreamy eyes towards each other, making their feelings grow even stronger as the night goes on.
Baghban
The Karwa Chauth sequence from the movie was more about separation than romance interspersed with a soothing song. For a film that stars legendary actors, Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini, you know that you will get some expressive emotions. Even when the lead pair is separated by miles they don’t forgo the traditions and in an emotional moment, the two break their fast after expressing their love for one another over the phone.