DIL CHAHTA HAI, directed by Farhan Akhtar, is one of the most eagerly-awaited films. Starring Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni and Dimple Kapadia, the film has music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and lyrics by Javed Akhtar.

Farhan Akhtar, son of Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani, started his career as an assistant to Pankaj Parashar in HIMALAY PUTRA (where he first met Akshaye). It was followed by a three-year stint in a television software production house.

Thereafter, he co-directed Shankar Mahadevan’s music video ‘Breathless’ and Pentagram’s ‘Price Of Bullets’ with sister Zoya. It was during this period that he started work on a script, tentatively titled HUM TEEN. Two years later, the script was called DIL CHAHTA HAI.

Ritesh Sidhwani, who started his professional career by joining the family business ‘Marlex’, a renowned name in home appliances, is the producer of DIL CHAHTA HAI.

DIL CHAHTA HAI was completed within the specified 108 days at locales of Sydney, Mumbai and Goa. It tells the story of three friends ­ Akash (Aamir Khan), Sameer (Saif Ali Khan) and Siddharth (Akshaye Khanna).

Akash is a non-believer. He thinks the concept of love is created to ruin perfectly healthy relationships.

Sameer is a believer. He wants to be in love. He loves being in love. Unfortunately for him, he hasn’t quite grasped the concept of it just yet. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, he is out there persevering, believing that he will find that ‘special her’, as long as he keeps searching.

Siddharth is mature, sensitive and understanding. Siddharth aka Sid knows the true meaning of the word ­ love. He feels it everyday, every hour, every minute. For his friends, his acquaintances, for the stray dog living outside his gate, for the tree that’s just been planted next door. He has reached modern day enlightenment.

DIL CHAHTA HAI is a film about these three distinct characters, their individual relationships and the effect that those relationships have on the three of them.

DIL CHAHTA HAI is scheduled for release on August 10, 2001.