Lalit Pandit recalls Anand Bakshi’s creative process for DDLJ song

ByEnigma 808

Lyricist Anand Bakshi challenged the Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge creative team to write 25 verses for Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhna before selecting his preferred version, composer Lalit Pandit revealed. The Jatin-Lalit member discussed the 1995 film’s music creation process alongside singers Udit Narayan and Neeti Mohan on a Spotify podcast marking the soundtrack’s 30th anniversary. Bakshi distributed books and instructed each participant to work independently for two hours before director Aditya Chopra acknowledged the difficulty.

The late lyricist also created the song’s opening section to accommodate Shah Rukh Khan’s entrance. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge launched Chopra’s directing career and established Khan and Kajol as a celebrated screen partnership. The production helped transform Yash Raj Films into a major studio after Chopra insisted his father finance the project without outside investors, leading to subsequent releases like Pathaan and War.

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