''Aashiqui'' () is a 1990 Indian

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

romantic drama film Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...

directed by

Mahesh Bhatt Mahesh Bhatt (born 20 September 1948) is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter known for his works in Hindi cinema. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Mahesh Bhatt, a number of accolades, including four Nati ...

and starring

Rahul Roy Rahul Roy (born 9 February 1966) is an Indian actor, producer and former model known for his works in Hindi films and television. Roy began his acting career with the 1990 blockbuster '' Aashiqui'', a Mahesh Bhatt production as the lead actor ...

, Anu Aggarwal and

Deepak Tijori Deepak Tijori (born 28 August 1961) is an Indian film director and actor who works in Bollywood and Gujarati cinema, Gujarati films and is well known for his supporting roles in ''Aashiqui'' (1990), ''Khiladi (1992 film), Khiladi'' (1992), ''J ...

in pivotal roles. The first installment of the ''Aashiqui'' series, the film is known for its music, with composer duo

Nadeem–Shravan Nadeem–Shravan is an Indian composer duo in the Bollywood film industry of India. They derive their name from the first names of Nadeem Akhtar Saifi (born 6 August 1954) and Shravan Kumar Rathod (13 November 1954 – 22 April 2021). Nadeem� ...

establishing their careers along with that of singer

Kumar Sanu Kedarnath Bhattacharya (born 20 October 1957), professionally known as Kumar Sanu, is a leading Indian playback singer who primarily sings in Hindi film songs. He is widely regarded as the Melody King of Bollywood. He holds the record for winn ...

and the music label T-Series. Upon release, it received positive reviews and emerged as a commercial success. It was the best selling Bollywood album at the time of its release. The soundtrack album sold 20million units, making it the best-selling

Bollywood soundtrack Hindi film songs, more formally known as Hindi Geet or Filmi songs and informally known as Bollywood music, are songs featured in Hindi films. Derived from the song-and-dance routines common in Indian films, Bollywood songs, along with danc ...

album of all time. A cover version of one of its songs, " Dheere Dheere" was later performed by

Yo Yo Honey Singh Hirdesh "Honey" Singh (born 15 March 1983), known professionally as Yo Yo Honey Singh, is an Indian singer, rapper and record producer, music producer who commenced his career as a hip-hop record producer, music producer in 2003 with his unde ...

and released in 2015. At the

36th Filmfare Awards The 36th Filmfare Awards were held in 1991. '' Dil'' and '' Ghayal'' led the ceremony with 8 nominations each, followed by '' Aashiqui'' with 7 nominations, and '' Agneepath'' and '' Pratibandh'' with 5 nominations each. ''Ghayal'' won 7 awar ...

, the film received 7 nominations and won four awards in music. The film was remade in Kannada as ''Roja'' (2002). A sequel to the film, ''

Aashiqui 2 ''Aashiqui 2'' () is a 2013 Indian romantic musical drama film directed by Mohit Suri and produced by Mahesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt, Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar under the Vishesh Films and T-Series Films, with Mahesh Bhatt also serving a ...

'', with a completely new theme, directed by Mohit Suri with

Aditya Roy Kapur Aditya Roy Kapur (born 16 November 1985) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. After working as a VJ, he made his acting debut with the musical drama '' London Dreams'' (2009). Kapur had his first commercial success with the romance '' A ...

and

Shraddha Kapoor Shraddha Kapoor (born 3 March 1987)Rishita Roy Chowdhury (3 March 2022)"Happy Birthday Shraddha Kapoor! Tiger Shroff to Anushka Sharma, celebs wish the actress" ''India Today''. said she turned 35 on 3 March 2022"Happy Birthday Shraddha Kap ...

, was released on 26 April 2013.

Plot

Rahul is angry with his dad for marrying a second wife, while his mother is still alive. In rage and in fury he pays an uninvited visit to the

wedding A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicity, ethnicities, Race (human categorization), races, religions, Religious denomination, denominations, Cou ...

where he throws his mother's

mangalsutra A mangala sutra (), or tali (ISO: ''tāḷi''), is a necklace worn by married Hindu women. During a Hindu wedding, the mangalasutra is tied around the neck of the bride by the groom. The ceremony is known as the . ''Mangalasutra'' literally ...

and all the other household items she preserved. He breaks the windows of the wedding car and is hence arrested and sent to the nearest police station. Meanwhile, Anu runs away from an oppressive girls'

hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory sleeping 4–20 people, with shared use of a lounge and usually a kitchen. Rooms can be private or shared - mixe ...

run by Arnie Campbell, who immediately reports to the

police station A police station is a facility operated by police or a similar law enforcement agency that serves to accommodate police officers and other law enforcement personnel. The role served by a police station varies by agency, type, and jurisdiction, ...

that she is missing. The police catch her and keep her at a nearby police station (which happens to be the same one where Rahul is held). While waiting for Arnie, Rahul offers Anu his jacket, which she accepts. Arnie then arrives and takes her back to the oppressive hostel, promising the

police inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia The rank of Inspector is present in all Australian police forces excep ...

that this will not happen again. After they leave, the inspector turns to Rahul and offers him some advice, then releases him to return to his broken home. Rahul can not stop thinking about the beautiful Anu. The very next day, Rahul goes to the hostel area wishing to meet her and spots his jacket hanging outside. Since she lives in a girl's hostel there is no way he can enter. Hence, he plays

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

with his friend and deliberately hits the ball into the compound. The security lets him inside to retrieve the ball. Rahul goes inside and sees Anu climbing a ladder. She is very surprised by his presence and falls off the ladder. Rahul is unable to express his feelings for her so he writes a note on the

electricity bill Electricity pricing (also referred to as electricity tariffs or the price of electricity) can vary widely by country or by locality within a country. Electricity prices are dependent on many factors, such as the price of power generation, gover ...

his mother told him to pay that very day. Anu takes the note and leaves. His mother becomes upset that Rahul did not pay the bill and asks his 'Master' (

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

) to help get the bill back. The tailor helps Rahul retrieve the bill, along with a reply from Anu requesting him to meet her at the main city library the following Saturday. He arrives on time eagerly, where Anu tells him she has nothing to give him except a "thank you", but Rahul says no one can stop him from loving her, not even herself. Soon after he leaves, Arnie catches her and takes her to

Ooty Ooty (; officially Udagamandalam (), Anglicisation, anglicized: Ootacamund , abbreviated as Udagai, ) is a town and municipality in the Nilgiris district of the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. It is located north ...

(another town) to be admitted to another hostel. Rahul employs a spy to eavesdrop and see where Anu is going. The spy learns about Anu's travel plans and informs Rahul, who goes along with his friend to search for Anu and finds the place she is staying. They find out that Arnie actually planned to get Anu

married Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

and lied to her about transferring her to a new hostel, because she would not have agreed. At the hostel, Arnie organises a farewell party for Anu and Anu invites Rahul, who promises to attend the party. After the party they plan to

elope Elopement is a marriage which is conducted in a sudden and secretive fashion, sometimes involving a hurried flight away from one's place of residence together with one's beloved with the intention of getting married without parental approval. A ...

. At the party, he runs away with Anu and then Arnie catches them by using the police. Anu has to return with Arnie and go to Ooty, while Rahul returns to his home. After a few months, Rahul approaches Mr. Arnie as he can not forget his friend Anu, who he knows is unhappy. Rahul then finds out from Arnie that Anu is an

orphan An orphan is a child whose parents have died, are unknown, or have permanently abandoned them. It can also refer to a child who has lost only one parent, as the Hebrew language, Hebrew translation, for example, is "fatherless". In some languages ...

who has a distant relative in Ooty named Uncle Peter who is an

alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

. Long long ago, Peter had signed the documents to have full custody over her. Rahul asks Arnie about Anu's whereabouts and other details so that he could help her settle (and be more happy) and Arnie (wanting to help Anu) reveals everything. They both find Anu in a miserable state with Uncle Peter and bribe the uncle for a sum of 20,000

rupees Rupee (, ) is the common name for the currencies of India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Afr ...

on the condition that he signs documents giving up his legal guardianship of Anu. After Anu is finally free from Arnie, the hostel and Uncle Peter, she wishes to become self-reliant and seeks admission in a

typing Typing is the process of writing or inputting text by pressing keys on a typewriter, computer keyboard, mobile phone, or calculator. It can be distinguished from other means of text input, such as handwriting recognition, handwriting and speech ...

institute. One day, she comes across a job advert searching for a model to run for "Jean Cardin" brand of clothes in

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

who requests Anu to audition. Anu agrees and wins a sum of 10,000 rupees along with a free tour of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and a secured residence. She thanks Rahul for all his help, but Rahul tells her that he loves her deeply and wants to marry her as soon as possible. Anu agrees, but she says she will need some time to prepare. Rahul's mother, on hearing their story visits Anu and offers some advice, as she knows Anu is a lonely orphan, advising her not to marry him until he achieves something in life as equality of status between partners is essential for a healthy relationship. The next day, Rahul comes to the place where Anu is having a

photo shoot A photo shoot is the process taken by creatives and models that results in a visual objective being obtained. An example is a model posing for a photographer at a studio or an outdoor location. A photo shoot is a series of images that are taken, ...

session. He hears the man in charge telling her to change into a swimming costume, to which Rahul objects. He tells him that they were planning to get married soon and he disapproves of such revealing clothes. He is even more shocked when he learns that Anu already signed a contract promising she would not get married for two years. Rahul is heartbroken by her decision and pens Anu a letter written with his blood. As the years go by, Rahul establishes himself as a singer while Anu is also successful as a model. Rahul plans to meet Anu now, but Padamsee reveals to Rahul that it's thanks to Anu that his debut record was released to market, which hurts Rahul deeply as he now doubts his own mettle and talent. Hence, Rahul cancels their marriage plans. Anu, grieved by Rahul's decision, decides to further her career under director Padamsee, who persuades her to accompany him to Paris. Rahul's mother enlightens him that Anu had refused to marry him earlier because of her suggestion, and that Anu was only a medium for his talent to reach the public - it was his singing that made him successful and popular. She urges him to go back to Anu, his true love. When Rahul comes to stop her from boarding the flight, Anu agrees to abandon the director and stays behind to renew their relationship.

Cast

as Rahul Roy * Anu Aggarwal as Anu Verghese *

as Balu *

Avtar Gill Avtar Gill (born 14 May 1950) is an Indian actor who appears predominantly in Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the De ...

Police Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia The rank of Inspector is present in all Australian police forces excep ...

Deshpande *

Tom Alter Thomas Beach Alter (22 June 1950 – 29 September 2017) was an Indian actor. He was best known for his works in Hindi cinema, and Indian theatre. In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India. Early life Born in Mussoorie ...

as Arnie Campbell *

Reema Lagoo Reema Lagoo (born Nayan Bhadbhade; 21 June 1958 – 18 May 2017) was an Indian theatre and screen actress known for her work in Hindi and Marathi cinema. She began her acting career in the Marathi theatre, after which she became a household na ...

as Rahul's mother *

Homi Wadia Homi Wadia (22 May 1911 – 10 December 2004) was an Indian film director and producer in Bollywood (Hindi cinema). He was the co-founder of Wadia Movietone productions, established in 1933 and later after the closure of Wadiatone, he founded Ba ...

as Padamsee *

Mushtaq Khan Mushtaq Khan (born December 31, 1959) is an Indian film and television actor and comedian who has worked in several Bollywood, Hindi films in a career spanning three decades. He is best known for his roles in films like ''Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke ...

as Rafoo Master * Javed Khan as Uncle Peter *

Anang Desai Anang Desai (born 4 May 1953) is an Indian film and television actor. Desai has appeared in more than 100 television shows and 70 films, known for his portrayal of the character Babuji in the television series Khichdi and its eponymous film. H ...

as Mr. Paul *

Virendra Saxena Virendra Saxena (born 23 November 1961) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi theatre, film, and television. He is an alumnus of the National School of Drama. Saxena is known for his character roles as well as his unique voice. He has acted i ...

as Street Singer * Sunil Rege as Vikram Roy

Soundtrack

The music for ''Aashiqui'' was composed by the duo

(Nadeem Akhtar Saifi and Shravan Kumar Rathod) and lyrics were written by Sameer, Rani Mallik and Madan Pal. The soundtrack largely falls under the filmi-ghazal genre, based on the

ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...

style. The soundtrack album sold 2crores units. This made it the best-selling

album of all time, as well as one of the best-selling albums of any genre in India. The soundtrack was #4 on the list of "100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks of All Time", as compiled by ''Planet Bollywood.''

Dheere Dheere

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of the song "Dheere Dheere Se" was later performed by Indi-pop artist

, released as "Dheere Dheere" in 2015. The song's music video features actors

Hrithik Roshan Hrithik Roshan (; born 10 January 1974) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He has portrayed a variety of characters and is known for his dancing skills. One of the highest-paid actors in India, he has won many awards, including si ...

and

Sonam Kapoor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja (; born 9 June 1985) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Sonam Kapoor, several awards, including a National Film Awards, National Film Award and a Filmf ...

. As of November 2023, the song has received over 700million views on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

Awards and nominations

Sequels

A sequel titled ''

'' was released on 26 April 2013 with

and

in the lead roles, which was directed by

Mohit Suri Mohit Suri (born 11 April 1981) is an Indian film director. He directed the films '' Murder 2 '' (2011), the musical romance '' Aashiqui 2'' (2013) and the romantic thrillers '' Awarapan'' (2007), ''Ek Villain'' (2014) and ''Malang'' (2020). He ...

. Commercially, the sequel surpassed the collections of ''Aashiqui'', becoming a blockbuster. After the success of the first two installments, the producers announced a third installment, as ''Aashiqui 3'' directed by

Anurag Basu Anurag Basu (born 8 May 1970) is an Indian director, screenwriter, actor and producer in Hindi cinema. He is best known for films that tackle bold themes of passion, envy, and adultery. After initial setbacks, he achieved his breakthrough with ...

with

Kartik Aaryan Kartik Aaryan (; born 22 November 1990) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi cinema. While pursuing a degree in engineering, he made his acting debut with Luv Ranjan's buddy film ''Pyaar Ka Punchnama'' (2011). He went on to star in ...

and

Sreeleela Sreeleela (born June 14, 2001) is an American and Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu cinema, with appearances in other languages. She began her career as a child artist, before making her lead debut in the 2019 film ''Kiss''. She then ...

in the lead roles. The movie is set to release on Diwali 2025.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1990 films 1990 romantic drama films 1990s Hindi-language films 1990s Indian films Fictional portrayals of the Maharashtra Police Films about father–son relationships Films about modeling Films about mother–son relationships Films about orphans Films about remarriage Films about runaways Films about singers Films directed by Mahesh Bhatt Films scored by Nadeem–Shravan Films set in Mumbai Films set in Tamil Nadu Films set in boarding schools Films set in prison Films shot in Mumbai Films shot in Ooty Films with screenplays by Akash Khurana Films with screenplays by Robin Bhatt Hindi films remade in other languages Hindi-language romance films Indian family films Indian film series Indian musical drama films Indian romantic drama films Indian romantic musical films Indian teen drama television series Indian teen romance films T-Series (company) films