Mumbai, India —

Inside the Maratha Mandir movie theater, audience members jump to their feet as the first notes of an iconic mandolin riff play, their bodies casting silhouettes against the opening credits of a film screened here nearly every day for 30 years.

A joyous, collective roar erupts from the rows as the lead actors share their first fated glance. Near the front, a young couple mirrors that gaze, their wedding photographer capturing a timeless moment against the iconic backdrop.

Governments have fallen, and a new millennium has dawned, yet people still come to this Mumbai cinema to immerse themselves in the comfort of a love story known by heart, for less than $1 a ticket.

Released in 1995, “Diwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” commonly referred to as “DDLJ,” tells the story of tw

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