Exclusive | 25 Years Of 'Dil Chahta Hai': Farhan Akhtar Reveals What He Would Change About the Film Today

Three friends went on a road trip to Goa and changed Indian cinema forever. Filmmaker Farhan Akhtar recently reflected on his groundbreaking directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai, which marks 25 years since its theatrical release on August 10.

Speaking at the closing night of the Monsoon Film Festival — curated in collaboration with The Hollywood Reporter India and Nilaya Anthology —the actor-filmmaker revisited the legacy of his 2001 classic, which followed the lives of three close friends: Akash, Sameer, and Siddharth, played by Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Akshaye Khanna, respectively.

When asked what he would alter about the film if he were making it today, Akhtar revealed two specific plot beats he would approach differently, starting with the climax of the romantic arc between Aamir Khan and Preity Zinta.

"One is to resolve the Aamir-Preity relationship slightly differently than how I did in film. I feel the drama of the moment is effective in the film, but it was a bit overplayed in the way I constructed it as a director. I feel like I constructed it a little bit away from the drama of the film, so for me the (wedding) scene stands out a bit. Maybe I wouldn't pitch it so high on drama today."

The second adjustment, Akhtar noted, involves how he chose to wrap up the narrative arc for Akshaye Khanna’s character, Sid, following his tragic, unfulfilled relationship with Tara (Dimple Kapadia).

"I would have left Sid alone at the end. I think giving that little hope of a happy ending for his life... I mean, he was happy regardless. He didn't need to see one girl in the end and think maybe there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for him. Those are the two thing when I look back now that I think I'd change slightly," he added.

Meanwhile on the film's 25th anniversary today, Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani also announced their latest initiative titled Excel Origins, aimed at discovering, developing, and backing Indian filmmakers under 30.