New Delhi | Twenty-five years ago, three young men changed the macho template that was till then the staple of Hindi cinema to give us "Dil Chahta Hai", a refreshing, breezy take on male bonding not centred on romance.

Farhan Akhtar was only 27 when he made his debut with the film that released on August 10, 2001. "Dil Chahta Hai" redefined in many ways friendship in mainstream Hindi cinema, a time capsule of urban, affluent India in the turn of the century that has aged remarkably well.

The film, the first project of Farhan and his friend Ritesh Sidhwani's production banner Excel, stars Aamir Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Dimple Kapadia and Sonali Kulkarni, who all stand out in their distinctive and well etched out characters.

At its heart is the friendship between the three men who approach life and love in markedly different ways. Akash, cynical and commitment-averse, Sameer wearing his heart on his sleeve, and Sid, the introspective artist who channels his emotions into his work and his relationship with an older woman.

Their differences gave the friendship its texture, allowing the film to explore not just the joy of being young but also the inevitable friction that comes when friends begin choosing different paths.

"It had universal appeal, unlike those films which appealed more to NRIs than to Indians. You know, the common Indian, even if he was urban, could relate to the characters, the situations, the way the film was presented, the music, the lyrics, and the looks," film historian and author S M M Ausaja told PTI.

He views the film as path-breaking film for several reasons.

"Everything had a novelty value and a relatability with the audience. So that connection has continued because the basic elements of emotion were intact… the look, the feel, and the styling were different—and refreshingly different."

It was all packaged in a conversational screenplay, a peppy soundtrack by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar and thoughtful costume designing.

"It didn't follow any formula. There were changes in various aspects of filmmaking... It was a very mature narrative. Every element -- the emotions, the situations, and the different relationships -- was handled with such care and honesty that everything came out so well," said Ausaja.

Farhan, who brought forward his film at a time mainstream Hindi cinema was still dominated by the larger-than-life, melodramatic films of the 1990s, said even assembling three stars for the film proved to be a monumental task.

"Everyone said, 'I don't want to do a multi-hero film' ... At the time, everyone wanted to do a love triangle... For me, the core of the film was about friendship and I wouldn't have two guys fighting over a girl," he told The Juggernaut.

Sonali Kulkarni, who played Pooja, Sameer's love interest, said the film is her identity and "huge welcome in commercial cinema".

"Some of them may have had an idea but I was absolutely naive about it. I didn't know we were making a cult film, a milestone. And the success just brought so much excitement and heartwarming feeling from the audience."

"Dil Chahta Hai" was also markedly shot differently from much of mainstream Hindi cinema of the period. Filmed on location in Mumbai, Goa and Australia, it used contemporary production design, fashion and locations to create a recognisably urban world.

Cinematographer Ravi K Chandran recalled that he had signed Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Devdas" but instead chose to work on "Dil Chahta Hai".

"But there was something about this story that attracted me, so I said yes. Excel Entertainment was making its first film. Farhan was a young filmmaker, and I was probably the oldest member of the team, along with Nakul Kamte, the sound designer. The rest of the crew was incredibly young," Chandran told PTI.

Asked about Farhan's vision, the cinematographer said the filmmaker simply told him, "I want to keep it real, modern, and young."

"There was no Google back then, no easy way of collecting references. So we weren't trying to imitate anything. Everything we created was an original visual style developed specifically for this story.

"I remember they even called me to approve Aamir Khan's haircut. They gave him the goatee and his new hairstyle, and we shot test photographs. These things were very different from what I was used to in the South," Chandran said.

What people still vividly remember about the film is its Goa sequence, which captured the carefree spirit of friendship and the sense of discovery that defined the film.

From the trio's road trip to the much remembered Chapora Fort sequence, the film presented Goa not merely as a holiday destination but as a space where the characters could step away from their everyday lives.

"We consciously decided not to shoot it like the usual postcard version of Goa. We wanted everything to feel natural and candid. Even the road trip from Mumbai to Goa was shot in a very spontaneous manner.

"Since it was an open-top car, I was the only person who could actually sit inside the vehicle with the actors while filming. That gave the scenes a very intimate and realistic feeling," Chandran remembered.

The film's soundtrack, composed by Shankar Mahadevan and his collaborators Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa, with lyrics by Farhan's father Javed Akhtar, also became inseparable from the film’s identity.

Songs such as "Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe", "Jaane Kyun", "Woh Ladki Hai Kahan" and "Tanhayee", along with the title track, became immensely popular.

"It was not our first project, but 'Dil Chahta Hai' gave us immense credibility, a strong identity, and a lot of respect in the music industry. We can never have enough words of gratitude for this film," Shankar, who also sang the title track, told PTI.

So what would Akash, Sameer and Sid be doing 25 years later?

According to Farhan, the trio would still find a way to meet, even as life gets busier for them.

Recalling a moment from a recent holiday, the filmmaker told The Juggernaut, "I saw these two men in their late 60s or 70s. They came to this little beach shack, sat at a table that was reserved for them and ate ice cream sundaes together."

"I thought it was the most incredible thing. That's where I see Akash, Sid and Sameer. I see them having a table of their own where they always meet and have a chat and have some ice cream sundaes," he added.