On Monday, Maine Pyar Kiya will turn 25. t2 lists some reasons why Prem and Suman, kabootar and cap, still remain favourites.

♦ The opening credits with S.P. Balasubrahmanyam — Salman Khan’s voice of choice for years —  going “I love you”, followed by the sensuous dance in the dark by a couple as Aate jaate hanste gaate plays out. 
We loved: The line in the credits: “Everyone falls in love with someone... somehow.” 

♦ Just a year earlier, Aamir Khan had become the nation’s heart-throb as the chocolate boy and intense lover in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. But that first shot of Salman Khan in MPK, dressed in trademark leather jacket, sporting his ‘Friend’ cap and glares and sipping on a cola even as he drives a red convertible, floored an entire generation. Salman the superstar was born. 
We loved: Salman as Prem… the ideal son, friend and boyfriend. The man who could romance with as much intensity as he could land a few punches.

♦ A shirtless Salman, his pants hanging loosely at his waist, was enough to give us many sleepless nights. And yes, he rocked chest hair (right) long before Fawad Khan.
We loved: That shot of him, flaunting taut abs, opening the revolving door to his room.

♦ Though her saccharine sweetness may have grated sometimes, Bhagyashree’s Suman became the quintessential Bollywood heroine. A woman who was willing to take on the world — but not let go of her loved ones — for the man she loved. 
We loved: That first glimpse of Suman — in green and pink salwar kameez and white cardigan — bouncing down the stairs, her face becoming visible from behind a pile of red chillies laid out to dry — remains memorable. 

♦ The iconic lines: “Cigarette peena sehat ke liye haani kaarak hota hai” to “Ek ladka aur ek ladki kabhi dost nahin hote” remain at the tip
of our tongue.  
We loved: “Dosti mein ek usool hai... no ‘sorry’, no ‘thank you’.” We’ve all used this line at some point of time in a friendship.

♦ The firm friendship between Prem and Suman turning into a tender love story hooked generations. 
We loved: How he would apply medicine on her injured leg with his eyes closed... how she would wait up nights to serve him dinner. 

♦ The kabootar (pigeon) became the messenger of love, entrusted with the task of delivering the “pehli pyaar ki pehli chitthi”. The whole suspense of whether the winged messenger would deliver the love letter to the one it was meant for, was thrilling. We all still remember the lyrics: Kabootar ja ja ja….
We loved: The restlessness of the lovers, their pain as they are separated by distance... and that moment when he drives in and stretches out his arms and she runs into them.

And a few reasons to the contrary…
l At three-hours-plus, it’s just too long, with each song running close to eight to 10 minutes.
l Suman’s Ms Goody-two-shoes act grated. That voice did nothing to make it better.
l Dipped in over-sentimentality and melodramatic with a capital M in parts, many moods and moments in MPK have aged badly (make that disastrously).

♦ The motifs — the ‘Friend’ cap that Prem gifts Suman to the red boxing glove hanging from the door of his room to his patched leather jacket. 
We loved: The moonwalk-like dance step that became a symbol of the Prem-Suman friendship… and then, their love story. 

 ♦ The foundation may have been laid in the TV series Buniyaad, but Alok Nath became Babuji with this film. As Karan, the doting father and emotional friend. 
We loved: Karan’s bond with daughter Suman. But we also hated him when he made Prem undergo physical hardship just to prove he was worthy of Suman’s love. 

♦ Reema Lagoo became the go-to Bolly mom — the one who could play a game of darts as easily as she could rustle up a hot meal.
We loved: The mother-son bond, from whipping up yummy laddoos to supporting him in love. 

♦ Laxmikant Berde as Prem’s best buddy Manohar was a riot, giving MPK its comic moments.
We loved: When Prem’s dad catches Manohar in his room trying to steal cigarettes, a petrified Manohar says he’s been sent to borrow a book. When asked which one, he blurts out: “Hamare priye Papaji… Papaji nahin Dadaji… Dadaji nahin Nanaji… Nanaji nahin Vivekanandaji!” ROFL.

♦ The Antakshari scene — 10 minutes long — that made the game popular once again. 
We loved: How Suman used the game to say “I love you” to a moping Prem, breaking into the Mr India hit Kaate nahin kat te.... Lo aaj main kehti hoon…. I love you.

♦ Raam-Laxman’s evergreen tunes: Aaja shaam hone aayi to Dil deewana to Mere rang mein... 
We loved: Prem in red shirt and trousers dancing on the rooftop with Suman in Mere rang mein as she changed from bridal to evening wear to a bling bedsheet. Yes, we all wanted to be romanced on a terrace. By Prem.

What does Maine Pyar Kiya mean to you today? Tell t2@abp.in