INDIA’S BIGGEST ROMANTIC BLOCKBUSTER, ADITYA CHOPRA’S ‘DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE’, TO OPEN RED SEA IFF’S PUBLIC SCREENINGS!

Jeddah, 24 November 2022
The second edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival (RedSeaIFF) in partnership with VOX Cinemas, and the MBC GROUP, today announced that Bollywood’s iconic romantic blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), directed by Aditya Chopra, will be the first public opening film on Thursday, December 1 at 20:30. The beloved classic that has influenced India’s pop culture for generations, will kick off 10 days of screenings and concerts hosted at the Red Sea Corniche, the Festival’s new outdoor free venue, where movies will be screened for free.

Local audiences are invited to come and fall in love all over again with the 1995 classic film under the stars on Thursday, December 1 at 20:30. Audiences will also be able to arrive early and catch all the action live from the Red Carpet on the Corniche big screen as it unfolds on the Festival’s opening night.

When Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) and Simran (Kajol) first met on an interrail holiday in Europe, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight ... but when Simran is taken back to India for an arranged marriage, love makes its presence felt. This story of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, (popularly called DDLJ), resonated across Indians living in every corner of the world and the film became a roaring success. It is still the longest running film in the history of world cinema as it still daily plays at a theatre in Mumbai, 27 years after its release!

Aditya Chopra is one of the most revered and successful filmmakers in India. At just 23 years of age, he directed Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Following DDLJ, he directed the blockbusters Mohabbatein, and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, becoming the only director then to have three back to back blockbusters. Aditya’s vision for cinema in India has shaped and reshaped pop culture as he directed and produced some of the biggest cult classics that the country has ever witnessed. He is the head of Yash Raj Films which is considered the Disney of India, and is the biggest movie production studio in the country.

Akshaye Widhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films, commented, “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is not just our biggest IP, but it’s one of India’s biggest IP that has spread love and joy to millions of people across the world. We are delighted that our film, 27 years after its release, is still one of the most loved films in the history of world cinema. It is our pleasure that DDLJ will be the first film to open public screenings at this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival.”

Mohammed Al Turki; CEO of the RedSeaIFF added: “We are delighted to screen one of the world’s most beloved classics Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) for Jeddah's film fans at the opening of our Red Sea Corniche screening venue. This is the perfect opportunity for people to come together to celebrate films and promises to be a great experience for everyone with a line-up that will run throughout the Festival, ensuring that we make great films and events accessible to all."

The Red Sea Corniche, the Festivals outdoor screening venue will host a line-up of free screenings and concerts throughout the Festival which runs from 1-10 December.

Screenings at the Red Sea Corniche include:

Dec 1 at 20:30: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), directed by Aditya Chopra

Dec 2 at 21:00: Bend It Like Beckham; directed by Gurinder Chandha

Dec 4 at 21:00: Khali Balak Min Zouzou (Watch Out for Zouzou); directed by Hasan Imam

Dec 6 at 21:00: Gharam Fil Karnak (Love in Karnak); directed by Aly Reda

Dec 8 at 21:00: Lion of the Desert; directed by Moustapha Akkad

Dec 10 at 21:00: Sambizanga; directed by Sarah Maldoror