Mohabbatein poster / YRF

A romantically haunting tune, Zinda Rehti Hain Mohabbatein, sang of undying love between the ethereal Megha and the lovelorn Raj Aryan Malhotra. Between them stood the rigid disciplinarian Narayan Shankar with his parampara, pratishtha, aur anushasan (tradition, honour, and discipline). As the millennium turned, a generation of moviegoers fell in love with the idea of campus romance.

And a film that defined it was Mohabbatein, released in 2000. But it wasn't just about vivacious youngsters Sameer (Jugal Hansraj) and Sanjana (Kim Sharma), Karan (Jimmy Sheirgill) and Kiran (Preeti Jhangiani), or Vicky (Uday Chopra) and Ishika (Shamita Shetty) finding love. 

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Shah Rukh Khan played the iconic music teacher with a sweater over his shoulders, glasses on his face, and a violin in his hand in Aditya Chopra's sophomore outing. His Raj Aryan taught students the true power of love, fighting two battles one against fear and another for compassion in Narayan Shankar's stone-cold heart. The ever-powerful principal of Gurukul banned love, threatening expulsion for those who dared to feel it. But Raj persisted, guiding his students to embrace emotion, pursue love, and find courage in their convictions. His presence in their lives was quiet yet transformative the guardian angel every student wished for.

A poignant story off-screen

Off-screen, however, Mohabbatein represented a far more poignant story one of survival, reinvention, and the triumph of the human spirit. It didn't just launch six fresh faces; it reignited the flame of a legend.
Amitabh Bachchan's return to the big screen with Mohabbatein has since been etched in Bollywood history as one of cinema's greatest comeback stories a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Bachchan's career has always been the stuff of legend- twice over. In the early '70s, he faced eleven consecutive flops before Zanjeer (1973) resurrected his career and gave Hindi cinema its first 'Angry Young Man'. Two decades later, the superstar found himself at another crossroads. His production company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL), went bankrupt, burdened with nearly 190 crore in debt and fifty-five legal cases. Films like Lal Badshaah, Sooryavansham, and Mrityudaata tanked. Offers dried up, and the man once synonymous with stardom found himself jobless.

His fortunes began to turn when he stepped onto television in July 2000 as the host of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), a move that would change Indian entertainment forever. But while KBC restored his visibility and saved him from the financial doom, it was Mohabbatein that restored his cinematic stature.

A second lease of life

There's rarely a mention of Mohabbatein without recalling how it gave Bachchan his second lease of life. In later interviews, he admitted candidly: "This was the time when I was jobless. Whether it was a transitional phase or closure, I didn't know. I had to start from the beginning again. My days as a conventional hero were over. I had two choices: retire, or reinvent myself."

When Bachchan learned that Yash Raj Films was mounting a grand production, he approached Yash Chopra directly for a role. Chopra agreed, believing Narayan Shankar was made for him, a character symbolic of authority, tradition, and eventual redemption. And so began Bachchan's remarkable second innings.

If KBC helped him pay off debts, Mohabbatein gave him back his place in cinema.

A bold and graceful reinvention

Bachchan's reinvention was both bold and graceful. He shed the trappings of the eternal hero and embraced roles that celebrated his age and experience. The stern yet emotionally layered Narayan Shankar set the tone for this evolution a man battling grief and rigidity, only to rediscover compassion through love.

His nuanced performance earned him a Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actor, opening the door to a new chapter of unforgettable roles. From patriarchal grandeur in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and the wronged Major Rampal in Kaante to the emotionally intense Black and Sarkar, Bachchan demonstrated a rare versatility.

He experimented fearlessly playing an eccentric chef in Cheeni Kum, a child with progeria in Pad (which won him the National Film Award), and the endearingly cranky Bhashkor Banerjee in Piku, which brought him yet another National Award.

Moving between genres

In the decades that followed, he moved between genres portraying a lively father in 102 Not Out, a powerful lawyer in Pink, and a miserly old man in Gulabo Sitabo. He even ventured into Hollywood with The Great Gatsby and continued exploring new terrains with Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva, Uunchai, and the epic Kalki 2898 AD. His voice will soon echo again in Ramayana: Part One as Jatayu.

At 82, Amitabh Bachchan continues to evolve, proving that resilience is ageless.

Back in Mohabbatein, Narayan Shankar ultimately learns to accept love, something Raj Aryan never gave up on teaching him. In a way, that redemption mirrors Bachchan's own journey. He, too, found his way back to love for his craft, his audience, and his place in an industry that had once moved on.

After all, as the film said, Zinda rehti hain mohabbatein.