Chalte Chalte (2003 Film)

''Chalte Chalte'' () is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Aziz Mirza and produced by Dreamz Unlimited. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji, marking their first collaboration in leading roles. The narrative centres on Raj, a carefree truck company owner, and Priya, a fashion designer from a wealthy Greek-Indian family, who fall in love and marry despite class and personality differences. Their relationship is soon tested by conflicts rooted in lifestyle and temperament.

The film marked the final production by Dreamz Unlimited before the company was restructured and rebranded as Red Chillies Entertainment. Principal photography took place across various locations in India and Greece, with Ashok Mehta serving as cinematographer. The soundtrack was composed by Jatin–Lalit, Aadesh Shrivastava, and Lalit Sen, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar.

Chalte Chalte was released theatrically on 13 June 2003. It received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, who praised its music, performances, and mature handling of marital conflict, though some noted similarities with the 2002 film ''Saathiya'', which also starred Mukerji. The film emerged as a commercial success, grossing ₹43.28 crore (US$5.4 million) worldwide, ranking as the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year. It was screened at the Casablanca Film Festival. At the 49th Filmfare Awards, ''Chalte Chalte'' received five nominations, including Best Actress (Mukerji) and Best Music Director (Jatin–Lalit).

Plot

Raj Mathur, an engineering graduate, runs a small trucking company in Mumbai. He is cheerful but disorganized and often late. Priya Chopra, a successful fashion designer from a wealthy Greek-Indian family, lives with her aunt. The two meet after a car accident and initially clash but become friends after encountering each other again at a wedding. Their friendship gradually develops into a romantic relationship.

Priya is engaged to a family friend, Sameer. Raj travels to Greece and continues to pursue her. Priya ends her engagement and, after receiving approval from her family, marries Raj. They return to Mumbai to start their life together.

Over time, their contrasting backgrounds and financial strain create conflict. Raj struggles to meet the expectations of Priya’s family. Priya seeks financial help from Sameer without informing Raj, leading to a misunderstanding. Raj accuses her of disloyalty, and Priya leaves for her parents’ home.

Following an unsuccessful attempt at reconciliation, Priya decides to return to Greece. Raj goes to the airport to stop her but fails. He later sends her a talisman from their relationship. Priya changes her mind and returns to Mumbai. The couple reunites.

Cast

* Shah Rukh Khan as Raj Mathur
* Rani Mukerji as Priya Chopra
* Satish Shah as Manubhai Marfatiya
* Lilette Dubey as Anna Mausi, Priya's aunt
* Johnny Lever as Nandu, a roadside drunkard
* Jas Arora as Sameer Arora, Priya's former fiancé
* Vishwajeet Pradhan as Vivek
* Suresh Bhagwat as a Dhobi
* Aditya Pancholi as a Hostile businessman
* Dinyar Tirandaz as Irani
* Rajeev Verma as Kishore Chopra, Priya's father
* Jayshree T. as Mrs. Manubhai Marfatiya
* Meghna Malik as Farah Zafar
* Suresh Menon as a Shopkeeper
* Masood Akhtar as a Paanwala
* Gagan Gupta as Tambi
* Vani Tripathi as a friend
* Sushmita Daan as a flower girl
* Arun Singh as a vegetable seller
* Akhtar Nawaz as a milkman
* Kamini Khanna as female plane passenger
* Bobby Darling as a friend
* Madhavi Chopra as a friend
* Ashish Kapoor
* Jameel Khan as a traffic policeman

Production

Development

''Chalte Chalte'' was the third and final film produced by Dreamz Unlimited, the production company co-founded by Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla. The film’s publicity strategy was designed by the studio.

Casting

According to Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji was the original choice for the female lead but declined the role due to prior commitments with '' Saathiya'' (2002). Aishwarya Rai was subsequently cast but was later removed from the film following reported on-set disruptions involving her then-partner, Salman Khan. Kajol was then approached for the role but declined due to her pregnancy. The role was ultimately accepted by Mukerji after production delays.

Mukerji’s appearance in the film featured a new look styled by Mickey Contractor, director of MAC Cosmetics India. The makeup included a tanned complexion and smoky-eye styling, elements that became associated with her later roles in ''Hum Tum'' (2004), '' Veer-Zaara'' (2004), and '' Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' (2006).

Filming

Principal photography took place across India and Greece. Two songs were filmed in Athens and on the island of Mykonos.

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack was composed by Jatin–Lalit and Aadesh Shrivastava, with lyrics primarily written by Javed Akhtar; the song "Layi Ve Na Gaye" featured lyrics by Babu Singh Maan. The album includes vocals by Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Sukhwinder Singh, and the duo Preeti & Pinky.

Joginder Tuteja of ''Bollywood Hungama'' gave the album 3.5 stars out of 5, calling it "a romantic album that should go well with both class as well as mass." According to the trade website ''Box Office India'', the soundtrack sold approximately 1.8 million units, making it the sixth highest-selling Bollywood music album of the year.

Track listing

Reception

Box office

''Chalte Chalte'' grossed ₹30.15 crore (US$3.6 million) in India and $2.81 million (₹13.13 crore) in overseas markets, for a worldwide total of ₹43.28 crore (US$5.1 million), against a production budget of ₹11 crore (US$1.3 million). It had the third-highest worldwide opening weekend of 2003, collecting ₹12.38 crore (US$1.5 million), and earned ₹20.14 crore (US$2.4 million) in its first week. It finished as the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year worldwide.

India

Released on 13 June 2003 across 280 screens, the film earned ₹1.50 crore (US$180,000) nett on its opening day, ranking seventh among first-day earners that year. It collected ₹4.52 crore (US$530,000) nett over its opening weekend and ₹8.23 crore (US$970,000) in its first week. With a final domestic nett total of ₹19.44 crore (US$2.3 million), it ranked as the sixth-highest-grossing Hindi film of 2003. Adjusted for inflation, its total nett gross is approximately ₹69.68 crore (US$8.2 million). ''Box Office India'' declared the film a "hit."

Overseas

The film earned $1.15 million (₹5.37 crore) in its opening weekend outside India, the second-highest overseas debut of the year. It grossed $1.58 million (₹7.38 crore) in its first overseas week and ultimately reached a total of $2.81 million (₹13.13 crore), becoming the second-highest-grossing Hindi film internationally in 2003, behind ''Kal Ho Naa Ho''.

Critical reception

''Chalte Chalte'' received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. Taran Adarsh of ''Bollywood Hungama'' praised the screenplay and performances, particularly that of Shah Rukh Khan, writing, "''Chalte Chalte'' clearly belongs to khan, an actor par excellence. One actually runs out of adjectives and personifications if asked to describe this performance by the actor."

Vivek Fernandes of '' Rediff.com'', however, was more critical, describing the plot as "wafer-thin" and noting, "What could have been an interesting study of marital relations disintegrates into soppy fare. And the blame lies entirely with the exasperatingly predictable screenplay and tacky dialogue."

Accolades

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chalte Chalte (2003 Film)
Red Chillies Entertainment films
2000s Hindi-language films
Films set in Greece
2003 films
Films scored by Aadesh Shrivastava
Films scored by Jatin–Lalit
Indian drama films
UTV Motion Pictures films
Films shot in Greece
Films directed by Aziz Mirza
2003 drama films
Hindi-language drama films