Outside Minerva Cinema in Bombay, two college friends, Rajesh and Sunil, stood in a long queue holding balcony tickets they had somehow managed to get after nearly an hour of waiting. Like thousands of others, they had come because of the songs. The cassette had been playing in their hostel for weeks, and neither of them knew much about the newcomers except that the film was directed by Mahesh Bhatt.
"At least the music is worth the money," Sunil said as they entered the hall.
Rajesh nodded. "If the picture is half as good as the songs, it'll be enough."
Three hours later, the two emerged from the theatre completely silent.
Neither spoke for several moments.
Finally, Sunil sighed.
"Yaar… why didn't they end up together?"
Rajesh shook his head slowly. "I thought she would come back. Even till the last scene I thought she would come back."
Sunil looked emotional.
"When Sameer told her the truth, I thought everything would be alright."
"And when Rahul met her again…" Rajesh exhaled deeply. "I don't know why, but it hurt."
"The boy playing Rahul acted brilliantly."
"And that Sameer…" Sunil smiled sadly. "Everyone needs a friend like him."
The two stood there quietly while people around them discussed the same things. Some praised the songs. While Some praised the performances. And almost everybody talked about the ending.
By evening, both friends had already decided. "We are bringing everyone from the hostel tomorrow."
Similar conversations were taking place all over India. Nobody realized it then, but Aashiqui had become more than a movie. It had become an emotion.
The film opened strongly on Monday, collecting nearly ₹22 lakh. Trade circles considered it an excellent start for a film starring four newcomers.
Tuesday brought an even bigger surprise. Instead of falling, collections increased. Word of mouth had begun working its magic. Young couples and college students returned with friends and relatives. The film earned around ₹24 lakh.
Wednesday collections climbed further to nearly ₹25 lakh. House Full boards appeared outside cinemas in Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. Distributors started demanding additional prints.
Thursday remained rock-solid with another ₹24 lakh.
By Friday, newspapers and trade magazines had started carrying glowing reports. Excitement pushed collections to ₹28 lakh.
Saturday turned into madness. Black market tickets became common. Balcony tickets worth ten rupees sold for thirty or forty. Families, young couples and repeat audiences filled theatres throughout the day. Collections reached ₹35 lakh.
Sunday was extraordinary. Morning shows, matinees and night shows were all packed. The film collected almost ₹40 lakh.
The first week's total stood at nearly ₹1.98 crore.
Trade experts were stunned. Nobody had expected such numbers. But what shocked everyone even more was the second week.
Instead of dropping sharply, Aashiqui grew stronger. Families who had heard about the film joined the crowds. Repeat audiences returned to experience the music and emotions once again. The second week added another ₹2.35 crore.
By then, the entire country had fallen under Aashiqui fever.
The third week remained phenomenal and contributed another ₹1.85 crore. The film had already crossed ₹6 crore in just three weeks.
Even after that, the collections remained steady. The fourth and fifth weeks added almost ₹2 crore more. Months later, Aashiqui was still running successfully in several centres.
According to the professionals. When the movie theatrical run would end, the total amount should be around ₹12 crore at the Indian box office.
Mahesh Bhatt himself could hardly believe it. Gulshan Kumar smiled every time trade figures arrived.
The music had become legendary. And the newcomers had become stars. Among them, Adil Ali emerged as the biggest sensation.
Almost overnight, he became the country's newest romantic superstar. Young men copied his hairstyle. Girls pasted his photographs inside diaries and notebooks. Fan letters arrived by the hundreds every day. Magazine editors fought to put him on their covers.
Filmfare called him "The New Romantic Heartthrob."
Stardust described him as "The Face of the New Generation."
Star & Style praised his emotional performance and natural screen presence.
Shah Rukh Khan became the second most talked-about newcomer. Though Sameer was not the main lead, audiences adored him. His charm, humor and loyalty won countless hearts.
Many viewers came out saying,
"Rahul is the hero, but some times Sameer steals every scene."
"That Shah Rukh boy has something special."
"He will become a star one day."
Rahul Roy also became an overnight sensation. His performance as Vikram earned appreciation because audiences sympathized with him rather than treating him as a villain.
Anu Aggarwal became the newest dream girl of the country. Beauty parlours displayed her photographs. Young girls copied her hairstyles and dresses.
Music stores struggled to keep Aashiqui cassettes in stock. Radio stations played its songs constantly. Taxi drivers hummed "Dheere Dheere Se Meri Zindagi Mein Aana." Tea stalls echoed with "Saanson Ki Zaroorat Hai Jaise." Even parents who complained about hearing the songs every day secretly knew all the lyrics.
Inside the Ali household, life had become chaotic. The telephone never stopped ringing. There were calls from; Producers, Directors, Magazine editors, Interview requests, Congratulations and New film offers.
One evening, Arif Ali finally removed the receiver and placed it beside the telephone. Meera laughed. "What are you doing?"
Arif sighed dramatically. "If one more person congratulates me, I might forget my own name." But the smile on his face betrayed his happiness.
Upstairs, Adil sat quietly in his room with his chemistry book open in front of him. He had been staring at the same page for fifteen minutes. Beside him lay copies of Filmfare, Stardust, Screen and Cine Blitz.
Each carried his photograph. Each called him India's newest superstar.
Only a few months earlier, he had been worrying about examinations and shooting schedules.
Only weeks ago, he had returned to college and noticed a beautiful new transfer student named Aishwarya Rai sitting near the window.
And now…
Millions knew his name. Somewhere in Bombay, another telephone rang.
Then another.
Then another.
Because after Aashiqui, one thing had become clear to the entire film industry. A new superstar had arrived. And his name was Adil Ali.