What are you dressing up as on Bollywood day? Geet from ‘Jab We Met‘. Duh! Said every filmy girl ever. You must have been living under a thick rock to not know the chokehold this movie has on every generation. All the girls wanted to be her (Geet) for all good reasons or maybe they just wanted her man, like me.
At the time when Bollywood was famous for its ‘I can fix him’ trope, the lover girlies found a man like Aditya Kashyap. He wasn’t just another brooding angry young man; he was the benchmark, our definition of green flag in a rom-com film.
Even though Jab We Met is celebrating its 17th anniversary today, the story is still fresh among the fans. If you look closely, the movie’s story is simple yet so endearing, powered by its cinematography, the actors, the song… the list goes on, making it what it is today. Kareena Kapoor Khan‘s once-in-a-lifetime performance as Geet made sure that all the girls not just left saying “Main apni favourite hoon (I love myself)” but feeling it to their bones.
It wasn’t just her infectious joy that drew people to her, both in the film and beyond. Geet is portrayed as a complex character unafraid to take risks, and willing to gamble everything for love and life, ultimately leading to her self-discovery. By the end, she understood her true self and recognised who was worthy of her love.
For a nine-year-old who barely had any idea of love or a life partner, Jab We Met showed me how my older self wouldn’t settle for anything less than Aditya and let men like Anshuman make me feel less.
So, to celebrate Jab We Met’s milestone, we are listing down 17 reasons why this film will always be our go-to comfort watch:
1. Kareena Kapoor Khan’s spectacular performance ensured that Geet will be an iconic character.
2. Those glasses! Shahid Kapoor’s nerdy look was a sight to behold.
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3. The music of Jab We Met was all things banger, especially Mohit Chauhan’s Tum Se Hi. And according to Shaeroy Chinoy, ELLE India’s Jr. Fashion Editor, this tune brings back memories always. The melodious tune and the meaningful lyrics make so much sense. A classic that I can enjoy listening to even today. I feel I should ask him why these lyrics are hitting home so much.
4. Self-love, baby! Geet was the definition of self-love for our beauty writer Krishika Bhatia, as a kid, and her dialogue Main apni favourite hoon stuck with her.
5. Kareena and Shahid’s chemistry was hotter and yummier than your burger and french fries. These two made us cry and blush along with them. And let me tell you, they were almost married in my head.
6. The film is filled with witty dialogues and funny situations that keep the audience entertained.
7. Nahi dekhna mujhe gaane ke khet, kyun dekhu main gaane ke khet. The film has so many iconic dialogues. Many lines from the film have become iconic, often quoted by fans. I can list almost all of them with full theories and use them in my daily life.
8. The supporting cast: They’re like a reality show waiting to happen; let’s name it Keeping Up with the Dhillons. With their dramatic flair and over-the-top reactions, you can’t help but laugh as they navigate love and chaos like seasoned soap opera stars.
9. Geet’s guts to do anything. She is the level of confidence or delusion I want to achieve. Sis really said ‘Delulu is the Solulu’
10. Mauja hi Mauja is my fight song on the dance floor. While Tum Se Hi might be Shaeoy’s favourite, mine is this song where Shahid is moving like Jagger.
11. Kareena Kapoor Khan lip-syncing the male part of the song; she doesn’t need aura points, she is the aura.
12. Imtiaz Ali’s narration is something that I live for; the fellow Bihar-born (P.S. we share the same birthdate) brought his own style, which is now a hit formula for Bollywood rom-coms.
13. The first shot of the film is itself peak cinema for me, where Geet is running for life to catch the train. P.S. This was the first time Kareena Kapoor ever stepped on a train.
14. The Kissing—name a better kissing scene in a Bollywood film, I bet you. Geet and Aditya finally giving in to all that tension was my Roman Empire.
15. Geet’s wardrobe was the real fashion trendsetter. Designer Manish Malhotra really made those patiala salwars, and short kurtas an equivalent to Regina George’s pink look. Each element of her looks is still on the runway and the fashiongram.
16. The film’s power to skillfully balance light-hearted moments with emotional scenes, touches the heart.
17. Special mention to the phone call scene. Do I even need the explain why?
