As part of plans to mark 200 years of the modern railway in 2025, called Railway 200, Britain’s Railway has joined hands with India’s Yash Raj Films (YRF) for a unique UK-India cultural celebration to highlight the unifying power of love.
This year, YRF is celebrating 30 years of ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ – popularly called ‘DDLJ’ – one of the all-time highest grossing Hindi films in the history of Indian cinema and a pop culture milestone for Bollywood worldwide. The film was famously shot extensively in the UK, including the iconic King’s Cross Railway Station (pictured above) where the film’s lead stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol met for the first time.
Britain’s Railway and YRF announced their cultural collaboration as part of the Valentine’s Day celebrations this week, recognising the romance of train travel. YRF is currently also producing the musical adaptation of ‘DDLJ’, titled ‘Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical’ in the UK. The musical will open at Manchester Opera House on May 29 and plays through until June 21.
Suzanne Donnelly, Executive Director of Railway 200, said: “We’re very pleased to partner with Yash Raj Films and celebrate the enduring romance of rail and power of connection across the world.
“The railway has long inspired filmmakers and helped to shape our cultural landscape. Its bicentenary this year provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this hugely successful, rail-related Bollywood blockbuster, and its new musical opening in the UK this summer.”
Britain’s Railway and YRF want to celebrate how love can bring cultures together, including through ‘Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical’ with immersive activations being planned at Manchester and London railway stations.
Akshaye Widhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films, says: “We are delighted to collaborate with Railway 200, as part of the railway’s 200th anniversary. YRF has always stood for bringing stories that are rooted in India yet have a global footprint and ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ (DDLJ) is a testament to that. To celebrate 30 years of DDLJ; we are bringing the stage adaptation of the movie – ‘Come Fall In Love – The DDLJ Musical’ to the UK!
