Play it again, Simran

DDLJ is so epic, they just put up a statue of Raj and Simran in London. Think you know every bit of it? Here are 10 Easter eggs you probably never noticed

- Kritika Kapoor

Raj isn’t just a name. It's a franchise. SRK has played a Raj at least eight times, but this first one was special: A nod to Raj Kapoor and his musical, romantic grammar.

Even the mandolin matters. Raj Kapoor often entered scenes to mandolin music.

Ruk Ja O Dil Deewane may sound like Bachna Ae Haseeno, but the real homage is in the vibes. SRK’s piano histrionics. The flailing limbs. The relentless flirting. Itis pure Shammi Kapoor energy. The Farah Khan choreography is 60s rock’n’ roll, with the Eiffel Tower in the background. It's like watch-

ing Shammi Kapoor dancing and flirting in the opening credits of An Evening in Paris — but with a ‘90s filter.

Raj's dad, Dharamvir Malhotra (Anupam Kher), wears a hat that's very similar to Yash Chopra's. It's clearly a tribute. Especially since his character is a rarity in "90s cinema: Emotionally available, gentle, nontoxic. He's the one who shapes Raj into the soft boi and green flag that he is. The kind of man who is secure, who helps with chores and who fasts with Simran on Karwa Chauth. Swoon.

A train is never just a train in an SRK movie. It's a motif, a metaphor. In DDLJ, it is destiny, adventure and self-discovery. In Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), it drives