Dil Chahta Hai—Of Life Like A Ship

At one point in Dil Chahta Hai, the three friends, Aakash, Sameer and Sid are enjoying the beautiful view of the sea from the ramparts of the Chapora Fort during their trip in Goa. The scene became so iconic that the fort came to be called as Dil Chahta Hai fort, and any trip to Goa is considered incomplete without a picture taken at the fort. The three of them see a ship sailing through the sea and Sid remarks that they all are like that ship, and sooner or later, they will start sailing to their respective destinations and it might be possible that their destinations might not the same. The ship seems to have a particular significance because it appears to be deliberately added in the sequence as its shot looks different from the normal view from the fort. 

Sid is the most mature of the three friends, and this scene yet again shows his ability to understand reality better than Aakash and Sameer. At this stage, their friendship is strong but it has not faced any dire and testing times. The three of them have recently graduated and are still trying to find their aim in life. It is one of the most realistic scenes of the film and it would resonate with anyone who watched it. All of us when we were in school or college would have had the same discussion with friends whether they will remain friends for the rest of lives. There is a feeling of doubt and uncertainty about being friends forever. However, more often than not, we lose touch with some of our friends. Whether it is ending up in different cities or the commonly used excuse of lack of time, or the tyranny of distance—emotional and physical—crops up in friendship and it falls apart. It is this feeling that the scene effectively portrays and brings out something relatable. We can never be sure of what lies ahead in the future but for now, we have our friends. Immediately, after this scene, the magical lyrics in the voice of Shankar Mahadevan reiterate the feelings in words. We also see the three of them sailing together in a ship after this fort scene, because the three of them are together and their journeys have been the same till now. In addition, the song sequence is splendidly shot, and it is the perfect song placement which accentuates the mood at that moment.

 Kaisa Ajab Yeh Safar Hai, Socho To Har Ik Hi Bekhabar Hai, 

Usko Jaana Kidhar Hai, Jo Waqt Aaye, Jaane Kya Dikhaaye

How strange is this journey, 

Each of us is so unsure of where he is destined to go, 

Who knows what the future has in store for us?

On a related note, it is worth mentioning to observe the distance between the three of them in this particular scene, and compare it with the another scene at the same place during the final moments of the film when they reunite. Earlier, the three of them are sitting somewhat farther from each other. However, during the climax when they reunite, the distance between the three of them has reduced and they seem to be sitting more closer. The reduction in the physical distance among the three of them in the two scenes is related to their emotional closeness. Their friendship went through an arduous time but it has come out stronger and deeper. During that scene, Aakash also remarks, “Woh dekh tera jahaaz. Do saal pehle itna chhota tha, ab kitna bada ho gaya,” conveying that like the ship that has grown in size, the three of them have also matured and grown up and so has their friendship. It is their coming of age and the ship is a befitting metaphor for it.

Dialogue of the Day:

"Lekin har dosti me ek hadd hoti hai jise paar nahi karna chahiye, tune aaj vo had paar kar di hai."

—Sid, Dil Chahta Hai