Maratha Mandir screens last show of iconic 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'

Mumbai: The credits rolled for a final time on Thursday for the Bollywood classic "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" as it ended a record-breaking 1,009-week run at a cinema in Mumbai. The romantic comedy, which translates as "The Brave-Hearted Will Take The Bride", first began screening at Mumbai's Marathi Mandir cinema on October 20, 1995 when its star Shah Rukh Khan was still a relative unknown.

The movie went on to become one of the best-loved of all Bollywood blockbusters and matinees at the Marathi Mandir continued to attract steady audiences, with many fans coming back again and again.

A statement from DDLJ makers Yash Raj Films read, "Post the 1000 week celebrations last December, the theatre had requested YRF to prepone the DDLJ morning show to 9:15 AM instead of 11:30 AM as it was becoming difficult for the cinema to accommodate multiple new releases every week with just 3 regular shows. Of course YRF obliged from Feb 13 2015. However, while the theatre management was happy to continue the film for as long as it continued to draw in the audiences, owing to logistical issues of their staff having to work inordinately long hours to accommodate an additional early morning show, it was mutually decided to end the films historic & record breaking run. After playing for 1009 uninterrupted weeks, the films unprecedented performance has come to an end at the Maratha Mandir. The film played out in the 9:15 AM show today for the last time at the theatre.”

The nearly twenty-year run obliterated all previous records for Bollywood movies and even US President Barack Obama quoted one of its lines during a speech in India last month.

Speaking during the 1,000-week celebrations last year, Khan told of his pride at having appeared in such an iconic movie. "It's been 20 years for this film and I feel honoured that I was part of this film," he said.

The film tells the tale of two expatriate Indians living in Britain who meet and fall in love on a trip to mainland Europe. After various plot twists in cities including London and Paris and a few picturesque musical numbers, the pair get together and convince their families of their union, an important factor in conservative Indian society.