Mumbai, Jan. 7 -- The late 90s and early 2000s were undoubtedly one of the most significant eras in India, marking a major revolution across almost every sphere of life. Trends were changing, and so was the vision of the generation. In this period of transformation, films played a crucial role in shaping the cultural landscape of the new era. And that's when two young men entered the world of entertainment with their inventive storytelling and gave the generation a film that would go on to become a cult, youth-defining classic.

Those two young men were Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, and the film was Dil Chahta Hai, the debut film under their banner, Excel Entertainment, released in 2001. It wasn't just a film; it was the beginning of...