'Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein' turns 20: 4 reasons behind the Madhavan-starrer's cult status

It was a remake of R Madhavan's Tamil movie 'Minnale', which released the same year

Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein is inarguably one of Bollywood's most popular romantic dramas. The Gautham Menon-helmed flick enjoys a cult status because of its engaging storyline and timeless music. The movie was a remake of the Tamil hit Minnale and revolved around what happens when the lives of its protagonists get intertwined following a lie. It catered to a younger audience and created a buzz in the industry but didn't do as well as expected at the box office. On Tuesday, as Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein turns 20, here is a look at its legacy.

A good launchpad for Madhavan

The film marked actor R Madavan's official Bollywood debut and proved to be a good launchpad for the heartthrob as he emerged as a sensation due to his charming looks and crackling chemistry with Dia Mirza. 'Maddy' would go on to act in popular Hindi films such as Ramji Londonwaley, Rang De Basanti, Guru, and the Tanu Weds Manu, emerging as a forced to be reckoned with. Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein also marked Dia Mirza's debut. She made her presence felt in Hindi cinema, acting alongside the likes of Salman Khan, Emraan Hashmi and Arjun Rampal.

Timeless tunes

Musician Harris Jayaraj made his Bollywood debut with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein , adding a new dimension to his career, The title song and Zara Zara became immensely popular due to their effective musical arrangement and memorable lyrics. He later recreated Dil Ko Tumse in Tamil as Ondra Renda Aasaigal, which was used in Kaakha Kaakha.

Effective dialogues


Memorable dialogues are the hallmark of a classic romantic drama. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, for example, featured lines such as 'bade bade deshon mein..' and 'palat..' that soon attained cult status. Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein followed the formula quite well and hit the right notes with lines such as 'kuch mulakatein yaadein..' and 'saccha pyar kabhi khali haath wapas nahin aata', which were touching and simple in equal measure.

Keeping it simple

Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein was an example of formula-based storytelling as the plot had pretty much everything-- right from a 'bad boy' as prince charming to an innocent female protagonist-- that one expects from a Bollywood romantic drama. The premise reached its potential as the screenplay was as compelling as can be and followed the 'show don't tell' method to the 'T'. The chemistry between the three main characters was explored in detail, which made it easier for the viewers to relate to the film.