ZNMD clocks 10: Here are 6 memorable moments to round up this moment

A pop of characters with insightful interpersonal dynamics and individual arcs, check. Soaring, feel-good and even foot-tapping music, check. Gorgeous cinematography and crisp, well-written dialogues, check. Put all this and many more elements of why we love the iconic Zoya Akhtar directorial Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and that would sum up the iconic Hindi film in pop culture that made movies on stories of self-discovery fit into road trips cool forever. 

As the well-loved film clocks a decade in the film industry, a lot has been said and written about and a lot will be, invariably. To add to them and the cheer and celebrations of the die-hard fans of the movie, here are 6 memorable moments from the film that will make you revisit the film.

The ‘diamond biscuit’ jingle moment

In a film that is amply garnished with light-hearted banter, mischief-making, and pranks, there are too many memorable moments to choose from. One such scene shows Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) and Kabir Dewan (Abhay Deol) poking fun at their friend Imran Qureshi (Farhan Akhtar), an advertising copywriter on a jingle he wrote for a biscuit company. Especially when Hrithik goes on to sing the lines in a mock-serious tone, accompanied by Abhay Deol, to which Farhan responds with a deadpan expression you would start smiling and laughing-out-loud without even realising it.

‘Meet Bagwati’ moment

Another wittily penned scene from the movie that hits all the hilarious notes right, this scene has Laila (Katrina Kaif), Arjun, Kabir and Imran sharing the car for the first time on their way to Buñol. Imran, the cheeky guy that he is, strikes up a flirty conversation with the half-amused, half-smiling Laila with the help of a ‘Bagwati’, a handbag with sunglasses and a scarf on, while Kabir and Arjun exchange knowing looks. It’s done organically and subtly, making it all the more enjoyable to the core.

Imran meets his biological father Salman Habib

If we had to pick just one scene from the film, it would be this one. 

‘Your hands are just like mine!’ says Salman (Naseeruddin Shah) to break the ice with an awkward and evidently nonplussed Imran. As the scene goes on with the conversation, it heightens to one of the most profound moments of truth in the film, kept together by Shah’s effortless acting and a betrayed expression on Farhan’s face as the hard-hitting realisation dawns on him.

Senorita song and Ik Junoon song

These two colourful, beautifully choreographed songs that are all about drinking life to the lees and living it up, fit into the narrative like a glove. From the perspective of the plotline, the three childhood friends dance their hearts out in the delightful Senorita song with three Spanish ladies, rediscovering their merrymaking energies.

The blend of the eastern and western cultures brought out in these two songs, also notably in the La Tomatina festival in Spain is pure gold. The montage of moments, captured in these songs are as zany and high on life as they can get, true to the spirit of the film.

‘Seize the day, my friend’

Hrithik’s character Arjun is a workaholic financial broker. He has got no chill in life until he meets Laila played by Katrina Kaif, their scuba diver instructor. In the time he spends with her, he learns to take a step away from the rat race he has always been in, and just breathe and truly live in the moment. It’s a beautiful scene from the film where the two go out for a walk and Laila says, ‘Seize the day my friend!’ The two open up on their life and go on to lie down under the dreamy starry night sky together, making this moment hard to miss.

Running with the bulls in Pamplona

This one’s a no-guesser and the moment of all moments in the film. For it’s not just the thread that ties the triad of character arcs of Arjun, Kabir, and Imran together but has them participate in a bull race where they literally and figuratively run for life past the raging bulls charging at them. The never-say-die attitude and live-life-as-if-it-was-the-last-day mantras come alive on screen as the trio spurt out their deep-seated wishes and decisions lest they don’t come out alive from it. Gilded with Javed Akhtar’s lyrical lines on life as they run towards a fresh new lease of life and self-realization, the moment perfectly caps off the essence of Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara. At this moment, everything culminates into them finally making friends with life and treasuring it for the immense gift that it is.