@iamsrk KKHH 15yrs of lov & friendship. Thanx Kajol, Rani, Karan & Tom Uncle for believing in ur son.

1 Rahul: Immortalised by Shah Rukh Khan, who was 32 then, Rahul was the boy every mom wanted as a son, every guy as his pal and every girl as her lover. We loved how he was forever ready with colourful friendship bands, delivered the same cheesy line to every skirt he came across in the college corridor, and that adorable dimpled grin on being ‘caught’ with the stack of bands in his back pocket. “Main ladkiyon ke peechhey nahin bhaagta… ladkiyan mere peechhey bhaagti hain”. Rahul made cocky cute.

2 Anjali: Kajol brought to life the no-nonsense tomboy who falls hopelessly in love with her best friend Rahul. “Mujhe ladki mat bulao,” was her one peeve. Together, Anjali and Rahul were dynamite, on the basketball court and off it. We loved the way she called him a “cheater” and he pulled her hair and mock-punched her nose. “They are best friends, ya!” was how Rahul and Anjali’s friendship was described. A fun friendship that turned into life-long love. Fast for her, slow for him.

3 The other Anjali: Played by Sana Saeed, eight-year-old Anjali was the motherless kid who single-handedly (re)united dad Rahul with his college pal Anjali. Precocious and pushy, Anjali was adorable in parts. Some of us cried our eyes out when she was called on to give an extempore talk on ‘Ma’.

4 The fashion: Rahul’s green-and-blue supertight Polo Sport tee and his COOL pendant became an overnight rage from screen to street. Tina Malhotra (Rani Mukerji) was the fashionista of the film. We tripped on that micro-mini shiny lavender dress and her poker-straight hair. Tomboy Anjali’s look was equally a rage. The red dungarees, the blunt hair tucked behind the hair band, the fun cap, and the white tees… sporty was smart. And then, of course, were her sexy chiffon saris in Half 2.

5 The music: Jatin-Lalit’s tunes were a big draw for lovers and lovers-to-be. From the title track to Koi mil gaya, Yeh ladka hai deewana to Ladki badi anjaani hai. And the Kuch Kuch… remixed Raghupati Raghav — remember a bunch of hippies singing it to Rahul at the back of a truck? — a good 15 years before Hrithik Roshan is dancing to RR in Krrish 3.

6 The images: Rahul stealing into Tina’s bedroom using a ladder, Rahul hugging a crying Anjali (Kajol) and yet not letting go of Tina’s hand, Anjali’s crestfallen expression when she realises that Rahul isn’t proposing to her but to Tina, Anjali tossing her red dupatta to Tina as her train pulls away from the platform, Rahul nearly walking out of home without his trousers before his daughter Anjali points it out, the misunderstanding in which Rahul and Aman (Salman Khan) end up speaking to the wrong Anjalis over the phone, the awkward meeting between Rahul and Kajol’s Anjali at summer camp after eight years, the ‘I Love You’ dumb charades session at summer camp, when Rahul gives Anjali back her dupatta….

7 Tussi ja rahe ho? Tussi naa jao: The cute Sardar kid (played by Parzaan Dastur) stole our hearts with his lone line in the film. When Kajol’s Anjali left Camp Sunshine, he wept. And we did too.

8 Daadi and Almeida: The tug-of-war between Anjali’s Daadi (Farida Jalal) and Almeida (Johnny Lever), the manager of Camp Sunshine was ROFL. The two were always at loggerheads, fighting over everything from flag-hoisting to group photographs, only to become allies in the Anjali-Rahul saga.

9 Words are all I have: How many of us were hooked to Kuch Kuch’s word association game? The Neelam Show (hosted by actress Neelam) was a key plot point, making Kajol’s Anjali realise that little Anjali is Rahul-Tina’s daughter.

10 The rain dance: She in a sheer red sari, he in a black shirt. With the rain outside and the passion within, Rahul and Anjali close-danced to an instrumental version of the title track. Till she spotted the engagement ring on her finger and tore away.

11 Salman’s Aman: Cool and handsome, Aman was a sweetheart. The man who gave away his bride to her lover with a smile and a moist eye.

12 Principal Malhotra and Ms Braganza: We LOL-ed at the fun flirting between Principal Malhotra (Anupam Kher) and the sexy teacher Ms Braganza (Archana Puran Singh). The two were a riot.

13 Letters from a mom: Tina’s letters to her daughter telling her to reunite Rahul and Anjali brought a lump to the throat.

14 Heart-to-heart: When Rahul meets Anjali the bride in her room. No words are spoken, yet so much is said as he holds her hand, presses it against his heart and then presses it on her heart. He walks away, wiping a tear.

15 The final hug: Anjali walks into Rahul’s arms, he kisses her on the forehead, she laughs and cries at the same time, he envelopes her in a bear hug. Sigh….

The kuch kuch hota hai effect 15 years after it bowled ’em over

Why it was cool then:

Fancy classrooms, cool desks, smartly-dressed students, student-run radio, fun professors, skateboards in corridors, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai gave us some impossible dreams when it came to college life.

For all the students about to step into college when the movie hit the theatres, KKHH defined what ideal campus life should be:

Thanks to Anjali, being a tomboy had become cool and not someone to snigger at.

The college principal was expected to be a friendly chap, like Mr Malhotra, who wouldn’t mete out punishments no matter what.

Cool professors like Miss Braganza, who you could charm into overlooking your transgressions, were a must.

Basketball became everyone’s favourite game even if they couldn’t dribble a ball to save their life.

Everyone wanted to wear GAP or DKNY outfits, never mind that they weren’t available in Calcutta.

College fests took on a larger-than-life image and you had to be in it.

College field trips meant going to the beach and playing volleyball (remember Yeh ladka hai deewana?). That at least has come true for many in the present generation!

Hostel wardens were as kind and caring as Himani Shivpuri’s Rifat Bi.

Oh, and all colleges were meant to be in exotic locations with rolling meadows and snow-capped mountains within running distance.

Well, suffice to say, none of the above came true for most of us, but it still remains for many one of the most iconic campus films of Bollywood.

Why it is not so cool now:

Rahul the overgrown campus dude. Anjali his intolerable best pal who forces us to reach for the mute button on our remote every time she screams out: “Rahul is a cheater… Rahul is a cheater”.

Anjali the paaka and nyaka (sorry, these Bong words have no worthy English translation) daughter who often oversteps her limits to get her dad to marry his college friend.

Which college in India has students as well as teachers walking about in skirts that barely cover their thighs?

• Which college teacher flirts shamelessly with the principal?

• And Archana Puran Singh’s thunder thighs under that teeny-weeny skirt are ouch.

• Cute Rahul then is chauvinist Rahul now: insensitive to Anjali when she loved him, he returns years later to tell her he loves her at her wedding?!

• Cool Rahul ko kuch kuch kab hota hai? Only when Anjali’s pallu goes flying in the air. You can almost hear him go... “OMG she too has those things there... !” Bottomline? A Bolly hero’s dil (or is that aiming too high?!) can only do kuch kuch when he discovers that the lady in question has a cleavage! Girl in tracksuit is a buddy, girl in a sari is a babe!

Oh, those Bolly cliches. From Karva Chauth to wedding scenes.

Rahul keeps saying “Pyaar ek hi baar hota hai”, but falls in love more than once. So much for the hero keeping his word!

lBack then, our hearts broke to see Rahul sniffling at the door while Anjali prepared to marry Aman. Today, we just want him to get a move on. MARD, anyone?

What don’t you like about Kuch Kuch Hota Hai? Tell t2@abp.in' t2@abp.in

15 years after its release, here are what present college-goers have to say about the kkhh dream campus

The campus we saw in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai seemed to represent a dream campus for every teenager during that time. The whole vibrancy and energy of college students was never represented better before this in Indian cinema.

— Ratul Biswas, third year, St. Xavier’s College

The best thing about the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai campus was the basketball court and the auditorium! It looked so cool and with a concert-like feel it had a very GenX vibe.

— Apurva Ghoshal, second year, St. Xavier’s College

The best thing about the campus in this film is the completely nonchalant attitude of all the students and the extreme friendliness between the students and the professors. Karan Johar sure is an expert when it comes to campus films it seems!

—  Abhinanda Datta, third year, Jadavpur University

I think what I liked best about the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai campus was the indoor hall/stadium they showed in the first part of the movie during the filming of the song Koi mil gaya. The massive dance floor and the stage, to have something like that on campus would sure lead to many fun events.

— Meghdut Roy Chowdhury, fourth year, Techno India

The thing I like about the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai campus is definitely the buzz. The campus is bubbling with different kinds of people. The hipster, the nerd, the geek, the dude, the chick and the tomboy.

— Debdeep Banerjee, second year, St. Xavier’s College

Since the basketball court showed the formation of a friendship that led to one of the most epic loves of Bollywood, that is my favourite part of the KKHH campus. Most of the colourful song Yeh ladka hai deewana happened on that court. The energy in that song thanks to the students piling in with basketballs — marvellous.

—  Sanjana Ray, second year, Presidency University

FACEBOOK

We asked our t2 Facebook followers and fans about their favourite scene from the movie. Here’s what they had to say:

Each and every scene! Specially, “Pyar dosti hai, agar woh meri sabse achchhi dost nahin ban sakti to main usse pyar kar hi nahin sakta... pyar dosti hai!” My all-time fave movie.

Ananya Ganguly

“Aaj hum Romeo aur Juliet ke baarey mein padhenge” scene. All Miss Braganza and Mr Malhotra scenes.

The recorded-singing-gig-going-wrong scene, where Rahul and Anjali are left with no option but to mock sing Tum toh thehrey pardesi.

Also, the train scene, where Anjali gives her dupatta to Tina as a parting gift.

“Tumhara naam Anjali kyun hai” scene at the summer camp.

Rahul and Anjali’s dance in the rain!

And the final scene where Aman (Salman Khan) says: “Maine hamesha tumharey aankhon mein jo pyaar dekhna chaaha hai, woh aaj mujhey dikhai diya hai. Par woh mere liye nahin... kisi aur ke liye hai...”

Well, in fact, every frame, every scene from this movie is special!

Annesha Ghosh

The scene where Rahul and Anjali meet again after the Raghupati Raghav song.

Sayani Sarkar

“Kuch kuch hota hai Rahul, tum nahin samjhoge”.

Tajalli Nasil

The rain-dance sequence between SRK and Kajol.

Tanvir Hasan

Every scene!

Biswajit Chakraborty

It’s a milestone in Bollywood films.

Anirban Mondal

Sunset time beside the sea, Rahul and Anjali’s hug scene.

Pavel Srkian Banerjee

I love this film till date.

Sneha Verma

There are so many memories associated with this movie. The best is the picturisation of the Kuch kuch hota hai song itself.

Sudip Chatterjee

Heart-touching and superb movie!!

Devleena Halder

When Kajol and SRK meet at the summer camp and their reactions.

Irphana Akhtari

The scene in which SRK explains to Rani the character of the principal of their college (who was Rani’s father).

Stuti Kanodia

Entire movie is awesome. Just loved the concept!!

Shail Priya

It is my fave movie and all the scenes are very touching

Ritesh Sharma

All the scenes are fab. It’s difficult to choose only one. It’s my fave film. I have watched it over 100 times.

Souradip Chakraborty

Each and every scene! Love this movie.

Pritha Nath

Forever fave. Love this movie.

Swarna Delicate Mandi

The happy-ending scene.

Farha Rahman

Why do you love Kuch Kuch Hota Hai? Tell t2@abp.in