Dil Chahta Hai: The closing scene, what did it truly mean?

For years I kept asking myself why would an amazing filmmaker like Farhan Akhtar put an ending scene like that on a so well written and depicted movie? It took me awhile and a few stumbles of my own to finally get it.

Losing a loved one is always painful and difficult on an unimaginable level, regardless of how you lose them. In the movie ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, Siddharth (Akshaye Khanna) saw Tara, the woman whom he loved and cared for unconditionally without any expectations, take her last breaths in front of his eyes.

After 6 months of Tara’s death, in this scene in Goa, Siddharth stops and looks at this unknown girl from a distance. She looks back at him. Siddharth follows it with a subtle smile, to which the girl responds with a smile. Then Siddharth is seen approaching the girl as the scene cuts to a dinner table scene. Siddharth is seen sitting next to the girl in the table, with his friends accompanied by their wives.

These last few seconds, without a word between the two, conveyed a message very deep and meaningful.

Even though you cared for and loved the person you lost with all your heart and cannot get passed them, after awhile you learn to do so. No matter how difficult it may seem in that moment to get out of that situation, with time you eventually put it behind you and move on, like Siddharth did there.

It may take you some time, how long depends completely on you. However, you’ll be ready when it’s time. How do you know when it’s time? You’ll just know. So just hang in there!