He makes an unlikeable character incredibly sympathetic. You want to hug Sunil and shake him at the same time. This performance laid the groundwork for every flawed hero that followed in the 2000s. Without Sunil, there is no Devdas or Swades .

The music was instrumental in the film’s eventual success, finding a permanent place in the cassette players of a generation.

If you haven't seen it yet, do not watch it as a Shah Rukh Khan fan. Watch it as a film lover. And keep a tissue handy for the church scene.