Dil Chahta Hai

Dil Chahta Hai (transl. The Heart Desires) is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film written and directed by Farhan Akhtar in his directoral debut . It was produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and released under the banner of Excel Entertainment (which Akhtar and Sidhwani co-founded), marking their cinematic debut. The film focuses on a significant transition period in the romantic lives of 3 college-graduate friends (Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna). It also stars Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni and Dimple Kapadia.

Dil Chahta Hai was based on Akhtar's diary detailing his trips to Mumbai and New York City, and a story by a friend of his, Kassim Jagmagia, who would ultimately become a creative associate at Excel Entertainment. He started writing the screenplay in 1998 but finished it when the film's principal photography was started two years later. The film was produced on a budget of ₹80 million (US$1.0 million), and filming took place in both India and Australia. It was one of the first films shot in sync sound, with Nakul Kamte and H. Sridhar handling its sound recording. The trio Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, with lyrics penned by Akhtar's father, Javed Akhtar, composed the soundtrack and the background score.

Dil Chahta Hai premiered on 10 August 2001. The film performed moderately at the box office, grossing ₹397.2 million (US$5.0 million) after its theatrical run ended. It proved to be a major commercial success in metropolitan areas, but failed in rural areas; its failure in rural areas was attributed to the upper-class, city-oriented lifestyle it presented. It received widespread critical acclaim upon release, with praise for its fresh storyline, direction, soundtrack, cinematography, costumes and the performances of the cast. Several critics noted that it broke new ground by introducing a realistic portrayal of the modern Indian youth.

A recipient of several accolades, Dil Chahta Hai won 2 awards at the 49th National Film Awards, including Best Feature Film in Hindi. At the 47th Filmfare Awards, the film received 13 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Farhan), Best Actor (Aamir) and Best Music Director (Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy), and won 7 awards, including Best Film (Critics) and Best Supporting Actor (Khanna) and Best Comedian (Saif).