Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
Plot
Dil Chahta Hai (transl. The Heart Desires) is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language coming of age comedy drama film written and directed by Farhan Akhtar in his directorial debut, and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani under the newly formed Excel Entertainment banner. The film stars Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Akshaye Khanna as three inseparable college friends navigating adulthood, relationships, and diverging life paths. It also features Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni, and Dimple Kapadia in pivotal supporting roles. Set in contemporary urban India, the film explores themes of friendship, love, and self-discovery among upper-class youth. Akhtar wrote the film based on personal diaries detailing his experiences travelling to different cities, with inputs on the story from creative associate Kassim Jagmagia. Shot on location in India and Australia, Dil Chahta Hai was one of the first Hindi films to use sync sound. Cinematography was handled by Ravi K. Chandran, with sound design by Nakul Kamte and H. Sridhar. The music was composed by the trio Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. Released theatrically on 10 August 2001, Dil Chahta Hai received widespread critical acclaim for its mode
Dil Chahta Hai details
| Industry | Bollywood (Hindi) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2001 |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama |
| Runtime | 3h 5m |
| Rating | Not rated |
| Director | Farhan Akhtar |
| Status | Released |
| Language | hi |
| Record verified | 2026-09-21 |
| Source | Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) · images: TMDB |
Where to watch Dil Chahta Hai
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Dil Chahta Hai cast & crew
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Dil Chahta Hai — questions
What is Dil Chahta Hai about?
Dil Chahta Hai (transl. The Heart Desires) is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language coming of age comedy drama film written and directed by Farhan Akhtar in his directorial debut, and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani under the newly formed Excel Entertainment banner. The film stars Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Akshaye Khanna as three inseparable college friends navigating adulthood, relationships, and diverging life paths. It also features Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni, and Dimple Kapadia in pivotal supporting roles. Set in contemporary urban India, the film explores themes of friendship, love, and self-discovery among upper-class youth. Akhtar wrote the film based on personal diaries detailing his experiences travelling to different cities, with inputs on the story from creative associate Kassim Jagmagia. Shot on location in India and Australia, Dil Chahta Hai was one of the first Hindi films to use sync sound. Cinematography was handled by Ravi K. Chandran, with sound design by Nakul Kamte and H. Sridhar. The music was composed by the trio Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. Released theatrically on 10 August 2001, Dil Chahta Hai received widespread critical acclaim for its mode
Who is in the cast of Dil Chahta Hai?
Dil Chahta Hai stars Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni, Dimple Kapadia and is directed by Farhan Akhtar. The full credited cast is listed above.
Where can I watch Dil Chahta Hai online?
We currently have no streaming platform listed for Dil Chahta Hai. It may be between rights deals, or only available on a service we do not track yet. This page was last checked on 2026-09-21.
How long is Dil Chahta Hai?
Dil Chahta Hai runs 3h 5m (185 minutes).
Who directed Dil Chahta Hai?
Dil Chahta Hai was directed by Farhan Akhtar.
Can I download Dil Chahta Hai?
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