Starring Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta, Veer-Zaara follows a binding love between two strangers but one must keep his identity hidden for as long as possible.
Though Chopra's film is emotionally extravagant even by the standards of India's epically unrestrained cinema, the star-crossed lovers bear the weighty metaphorical significance of their travails surprisingly lightly.
For once, that thundering soap-opera music (which makes a Douglas Sirk movie score seem subtle) is welcome; it drowns out any embarrassing audience sniffles.
Though it doesn't quite match recent classics like Kabhi khushi kabhie gham in sheer technique and production sheen, in-depth star casting and thorough entertainment values make this a must-see for Bollywatchers.