I came across a video of Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla from Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani earlier this month. The video showed Shah Rukh Khan exuding charm and Juhi Chawla succumbing to it. But it took me back and made me remember how Juhi Chawla effortlessly ruled the rom-com genre in the 1990s.
Romcoms abound in the 1990s. Juhi Chawla’s girl-next-door presence on screen, her comfortable chemistry with her co-actors, and her quick comic timing ensured that her dialogues never bordered on caricaturish made her characters stand out from the crowd.
Juhi Chawla effortlessly embodied all of her characters. She portrayed Shalu in Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi. Her character was written in a stereotypical David Dhawan-esque style as the millionaire’s daughter in a David Dhawan film. But the way she brought Shalu to life with her expressions and performance created magic on the screen.
Juhi Chawla made her film debut alongside Aamir Khan in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. Their jodi was adored and admired, and she quickly became a household name. However, it was as Vyaijanti Iyer in Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke that Juhi Chawla demonstrated her acting prowess. She is vivacious and free-spirited. Her character risks being stereotyped as a stereotypical Bollywood depiction of a South Indian woman, but Juhi Chawla balances her character beautifully. Many critics regard her performance in this role as one of her best.
She wowed us with her perfectly timed antics in Duplicate and Bhagyawan, which no other actor at the time could pull off with ease. My favorite is her chemistry with Shah Rukh Khan in Yes Boss. I am sure any song from that movie will make your heart melt into a puddle. Only she has the ability to flutter her eyes in front of Shah Rukh Khan.
There is an overused trope in Bollywood about how two people who are extremely comfortable in each other’s company end up falling in love with each other. This is a variation of the ‘best friends to lovers trope. This is a trope that is frequently used and overused in Bollywood romcoms. Juhi Chawla’s films fall into the same category, but they never feel cliche.
What truly distinguishes Juhi Chawla as the queen of romcoms is how her characters resemble that one couple we all know whose love language consists of teasing each other, playing harmless pranks on each other, and always laughing out loud to make each other smile. And this formula has always been successful.
Her characters are stereotypical, but they are also very different. Many actresses played roles that exuded a fiery and passionate romance at the time. However, Juhi Chawla’s characters were refreshing and always left you with a warm feeling in your heart. She avoided the typical loud declarations of love. She drew people in with her sparkling eyes, which always said more, and her giggle, which could fill an empty room.
