‘Dil Chahta Hai’ at 25: Aamir, Saif, Farhan reunite as Akshaye misses out - Gulf News

Released on August 10, 2001, Dil Chahta Hai marked Farhan Akhtar’s directorial debut

Twenty-five years after Dil Chahta Hai changed the way friendship was portrayed in Hindi cinema, the film’s team reunited in Mumbai — but one of its three central stars was missing.

Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and director Farhan Akhtar came together on Friday to mark the silver jubilee of the 2001 cult classic. Dimple Kapadia, Sonali Kulkarni and producer Ritesh Sidhwani were also among those who attended the celebration.

Akshaye Khanna, who played the introspective Siddharth ‘Sid’ Sinha, was notably absent, prompting fans to ask why the trio was incomplete. The reason has since emerged. Reunion host Nikhil Taneja confirmed that Khanna had fallen ill and was unable to attend. Preity Zinta, another key cast member, was also unavailable as she was in Paris.

Fans flooded social media with playful comments about Khanna’s absence, with many asking, “Where is Rehman Dakait?” — a reference to Khanna’s character in the film Dhurandhar .

Released on August 10, 2001, Dil Chahta Hai marked Farhan Akhtar’s directorial debut. The film followed three friends — Aamir’s carefree Akash, Saif’s Sameer and Khanna’s thoughtful Sid — as they navigated love, friendship and adulthood.

Preity Zinta, Dimple Kapadia and Sonali Kulkarni rounded out the cast, while the film’s Goa sequence, contemporary dialogue and memorable soundtrack became defining elements of its appeal.

The film was a commercial success upon release and gradually developed a cult following, particularly among younger audiences. Made on a reported budget of Rs 13 crore, the film emerged as a box-office hit, collecting Rs 38 crore worldwide. Over the years, it has attained cult-classic status. The film’s music, composed by Shankar, Ehsaan, and Loy, has also been part of popular culture. Twenty-five years later, its portrayal of friendship and growing up continues to resonate, with the Mumbai reunion bringing its stars together once again — even if fans were left wishing Sid were there to complete the picture.

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