The timeless appeal of Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta’s Veer Zaara

Main qaidi number 786. Jail ki salakhon se bahar dekhta hoon. Din, mahiney, saalon ko yug mein badalte dekhta hoon. Is mitti se mere bauji ke kheton ki khusboo aati hain. Yeh dhoop mere maatey ki thandi chaas yaad dilati hain. Main qaidi number 786…
A quivering Shah Rukh Khan. A yellow paper. A punishment. A courtroom.
When filmmaker Yash Chopra made Veer Zaara 20 years ago, starring SRK and Preity Zinta, little did he know that the film would transcend through generations. It was a film that redefined romance. A film that didn’t go by any rulebook of love but, became a genre of its own. As they say, a Veer Zaara kind of love story.
It was more than just a movie; Veer Zaara was an ode to love, sacrifice, and the enduring power of the human spirit. It was a film that redefined cross-border romance like it was, without stretching or deriving unnecessary conclusions. It was a film about two people who were, truly, passionately, and madly in love — the kind of love where the term ‘unconditional submission’ isn’t limited to the torn pages of a romance novel.
Veer Zaara released on November 12, 2004. Celebrating its 20 years recently, actor Preity Zinta, who played Zaara Hayaat Khan in the film, rightly said, it feels just like yesterday.
“Wow! It’s been 20 years since #VeerZaara! Still feels like yesterday! This film taught me about love that’s selfless and timeless. I’m so grateful to have been a part of this beautiful love story that touched hearts across the world. Thank you for all the love you’ve given to #VeerZaara. Much love to my amazing co-stars, the wonderful crew, and of course, to YOU, the fans, who made this movie so special! Here’s to timeless love, unforgettable memories, and 20 years of Veer Zaara! #20YearsOfVeerZaara #Memories #Ting (sic),” read the actor’s complete note.
Here is her post:
Zaara was incomplete without Veer, but it was Shabbo who stood by her during all the highs and lows. Divya Dutta played a key role in the film – covering the bridge between Veer and Zaara, the one who remained loyal to her dear Zaara until the very end.
In an exclusive interview with India Today Digital, Divya shed light on her experience and mentioned the film’s journey of completing 20 years. She said, “It’s euphoric to belong to a film which is cult. The film has been spoken about for decades. 20 years is like a beautiful timeline, and the thing is all these generations, Z or X, Veer Zaara has been in their minds. Wherever I go for my shoots or motivational chats, the film comes with me everywhere. It is like an identity for me. It is the film that gave me my first tryst at commercial success.”
To celebrate its legacy, the makers have re-released the film in theatres. Despite limited screenings, it has crossed Rs 100 crore worldwide.
The idea of having an Indo-Pak romance was at the heart of Veer Zaara. It, in fact, has been a popular genre over the years in Bollywood. But, this was probably that rare film where the filmmaker chose to let go of the hardcore politics with a total focus on the emotions. In hindsight, what the legendary Yash Chopra did with Veer Zaara was not just beautiful but also timeless in every sense.
To think of Veer and Zaara’s first meeting, the way he holds her close on a trolley over a running water stream, removes that curly strand of hair from her nervous face, and gazes deeply in her eyes – Chopra simply painted his imagination on the big screen and nothing more romantic was written or seen ever again. That’s probably one of the reasons why the film resonated with audiences worldwide. After all, love is the universal language.
Yash Chopra, in a throwback interview with Subhash K Jha summed up his whole creation briefly. He said, “Though it’s a film about cross-border love, there isn’t a word of politics in it. Forget politics, there isn’t a slap, not even a raised voice in Veer-Zaara. It’s a very intense, humane and emotional story.”
If Zaara and Veer had many romantic scenes expressing love and longing, there was one that took all our breaths away. Another strong emotion that Chopra carved out quite smartly – the relationship between a mother and a son. That’s when Kirron Kher as Mariam Hayat Khan came into the light. Sample this:
Mariam: “Tere Mulk ka har beta tere jaisa hai kya?”
Veer: “Ye to nahi pata par haan, mere desh ki har Maa aap jaisi zaroor hain”
While speaking to us in an interview, Kirron admitted that out of all the films she’s done so far, Veer Zaara is “closest to her heart.” She said, “The story touches your heart — an Indian boy and Pakistani girl fall in love. And then, being in love and spending one’s whole life in prison and finally meeting when they are old. It was an extremely wonderful film to be a part of, and I am very proud to be a part of the film.”
Divya, too, reflected on the Indo-Pak angle, and shared, “The film has trailed through generations. The love, the Indo-Pak love story, the purity of that love, the music, the cast, the direction, the lighting, you name it, and it was magic.”
Another element that worked for Veer Zaara was its dialogues. When Mariam (Kirron Kher) tells Zaara, “Ek aurat ki mohabbat aur ek mard ki mohabbat mein bahut fark hota hai (There’s a difference between how a man and a woman love)”, the latter refuses to accept it. And how could she? She had already met a man who made her believe in love that transcended borders. There was a man who could give away his life for her. And so he did, for 22 years. — “Sarhad paar ek aisa shaks hai, joh aapke liye apni jaan bhi de dega.”
Kirron shed light on the same scene from the film. While explaining where Maryan came from, she drew a parallel between the mother who wanted to believe in her daughter and the mother who was tied by social expectations, the idea of prestige and honour.
The 72-year-old said, “These are the traditional things that a mother says to her daughter. I am sure they say such things in today’s times too. They came from a background where men very often got married or fell in love again. In any way, the emotional core of a woman is stronger than a man. I don’t know how it works these days (laughs), but in those days, things were like that. So, the scene was simple – just a mother explaining how the world works to her daughter.”
The legendary filmmaker once admitted that Veer Zaara was one of his most difficult films. Speaking to journalist Subhash K Jha, Chopra once said, “We had no time to think of anything else but how to complete the film. We needed to shoot in Punjab during a particular season. By the grace of God, we got all the stars’ dates. When we returned, we completed the indoor shooting.”
And then there was a debate about the film’s title. They first thought of calling the film, Yeh Kahaan Aa Gaye Hum. “But, Veer-Zaara went better with the mood of the film. My film’s lovers are not bothered by the stress and strife around them. For them, love is the only religion. We never knew it would evoke such curiosity,” a confident Chopra had said.
In another interview with India Today Digital, actor Manoj Bajpayee talked about playing Razaa Shirazi, Zaara’s fiancé, in the film. He only had gratitude to express to the director, who cast him in a small but significant role. Bajpayee recalled, “Mera toh chota role tha. Mere liye yaadgar ye hain ke main Yash Chopra ke direction maine kaam kiya (I had a small role in the film. However, what was notable for me was that it was directed by Yash Chopra). That was quite an honour for me.”
“Veer-Zaara is a humble tribute to my home in Punjab. It’s my tribute to the one-ness of people on both sides of the border. Every religion preaches peace. Then why the bloodshed for the sake of religion? Why are we destroying each other?,” Yash had told Jha in the interview.
Not every cross-border love story needs to reek of politics. In case you’re wondering why, you need to watch Veer Zaara again. The film is a testament to everlasting love; one that can conquer the odds, even the most insurmountable obstacles.
But has any contemporary cross-border romance matched Veer Zaara’s league? Well, Divya Dutta “won’t make comparisons”.
“Veer Zaara is a kind of film which cannot be compared. It’s a classic, and the love that it has received across the world; I have personally seen how this love story has moved people and overwhelmed them,” she said, further adding, “It’s difficult to have such a film made again and again. This is something so beautiful that Yash ji and Adi [Aditya Chopra] created. It feels great to belong to this kind of cinema, and I don’t think we can get it being compared to anything else.”

A still of (L-R) Kirron Kher, Preity Zinta, Divya Dutta from Veer Zaara. (Photo: YRF)

Bollywood films are known for their music. And Veer Zaara’s music shattered the ceiling with its quality, tunes, and lyrics.
“Look at the music of Veer Zaara. Where will you find such haunting melodies in other cross-border romances?”, said Kirron Kher. She continued, “Nowadays, spy thrillers and all have come in, but the cross-border romance was a highlight. I find Veer Zaara the most evocative of all Yash Chopra’s films. He made a beautiful film.”
Take, for example, the number Main Yahaan Hoon. The song is merged into the tune of Laung Gawacha, a Punjabi folk song, in which a woman complains about losing her nose pin while delivering lunch to her husband. The phrase Laung Gawacha literally translates to “the nose pin is lost.” However, it also has a deeper meaning, roughly translating to “the nose pin is irreplaceable.” This signifies that the love of her life, her husband, is irreplaceable, and she loves him truly.
The song is used during Main Yahaan Hoon, moments after Zaara is engaged to Razaa. Simultaneously, she is coming to the realisation that she never really loved Razaa and Veer is her one true love. The kind of love ‘jo uske liye khushi khushi apni jaan de dega (the one who will readily die for her).’
Hence, Laung Gawacha being used symbolises that Veer, just like the nose pin, is irreplaceable.

As Veer Zaara completes 20 years this year, it serves as a reminder that this SRK-Preity Zinta-starrer was never just a film — it was, and will always be an emotion.
Not that cross-border romances weren’t made before. But, there is none quite like Veer Zaara. And there will never be!