Welcome To A Summer Of Their Lives You Will Never Forget
Overview
Three inseparable childhood friends are just out of college. Nothing comes between them - until they each fall in love, and their wildly different approaches to relationships creates tension.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.8/10
Letterboxd: 3.66/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
TMDB: 6.9/10
Director
Farhan Akhtar
Production
Excel Entertainment
Cast
Aamir Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Dimple Kapadia, Sonali Kulkarni, Ayub Khan, Rajat Kapoor, Samantha Tremayne, Suchitra Pillai, Suhasini Mulay, Bomi Doctor, Anjula Bedi, Ahmed Khan, Kannu Gill, Rakesh Pandey, Mandala Tayde, Beatrice Gibson, Deepak Malhotra, Asad Dadarkar
Curator Review
Verdict
A stylish, influential coming-of-age friendship drama with strong chemistry, a memorable soundtrack, and a modern urban sensibility that helped redefine mainstream Hindi cinema for its era.
Best for
viewers who like friendship-first ensemble dramas
fans of early-2000s romance and coming-of-age stories
people drawn to nostalgic, music-driven films
audiences interested in landmark Bollywood style and tone
Skip if
you want a tightly plotted drama with little digression
you dislike glossy, youthful, metropolitan romance
you prefer understated realism over heightened emotional beats
Overview
Dil Chahta Hai feels like a generational reset: a film about friendship, adulthood, and the messy way love changes both. Its appeal comes from the easy chemistry of the trio, the breezy structure, and the sense that the characters are drifting into real life just as their bonds are being tested.
Worth noting
What still stands out is how fresh it looks and sounds. The film’s urban polish, playful humor, and iconic soundtrack give it a lived-in nostalgia without feeling dusty. It is very much a movie of its moment, but the emotional core remains recognizable.
Bottom line
It is not perfect, and some of its romantic ideas are more charming than deep. But as a landmark of modern Hindi cinema, it has genuine warmth, style, and rewatch value. The friendship dynamic is the hook, and the film knows exactly how to make that matter.
Top Letterboxd reviews
maheen (4★) · 539 likes
taking one star off solely for aamir khan's facial hair
Nakul (4.5★) · 404 likes
Ya toh dosti gehri hai , yaa phir yeh movie 3D hai.
Nikhil Dash (4.5★) · 306 likes
In my friend circle I'm the Sid for sure. Quiet, zoned out, keeping to myself mostly and falls in love with milfs.
Oliver Swift (4★) · 222 likes
Dear Aamir Khan,
Please eradicate your soul patch.
Sincerely, The World
Manish Mathur (4.5★) · 215 likes
sameer, sid, and akash all have personal revelations while consuming film, art, and opera.
2003 · Comedy, Drama, Romance · 3h 7m · PG · Curator 5.8/10 (126.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix Standard with Ads, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
For viewers who like emotional Hindi dramas with romance, friendship, and a strong urban backdrop.