Mere Brother Ki Dulhan

About the film

Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (transl. My Brother's Bride) is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar in his directorial debut, and produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film stars Imran Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ali Zafar, and Tara D'Souza. In the film, Kush Agnihotri (Khan) is asked to find a suitable bride for his brother, Luv (Zafar) and reconnects with Dimple Dixit (Kaif), an eccentric and spirited woman from his past, and arranges her engagement to Luv—only for complications to arise when he and Dimple develop feelings for each other before the wedding.

The film marked Khan's first collaboration with Yash Raj Films, and the second for both Kaif and Zafar after New York (2009). It also marked the Bollywood debut of Ali Zafar and D’Souza. Development began in August 2010, after Zafar, then an assistant director at the studio, pitched multiple scripts. Principal photography took place from September to November 2010 across several locations including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.

Plot

After ending his relationship with his girlfriend, Piyali Patel, in London, Luv Agnihotri asks his younger brother, Kush—a Mumbai-based assistant film director and photographer—to find him a suitable bride. Kush returns to Dehradun to meet his parents, retired army officer Colonel Swarnik Agnihotri and homemaker Kanak. Together, they travel across India for brides found through Swarnik's connections in search of a potential match for Luv, but without success. At the suggestion of Kush's friends, the family places a matrimonial advertisement in a newspaper.

They receive a response from Dilip Dixit who is working in Foreign Office, a father seeking a groom for his daughter. When the Agnihotris visit the Dixit family in Delhi, Kush is surprised to discover that the prospective bride is Dimple Dixit, a free-spirited and outspoken woman he had briefly met five years earlier during a college trip. Despite their contrasting personalities, Kush encourages Dimple to consider the match. After meeting Luv online, Dimple agrees to the marriage. Her brother Ajay decides the wedding should take place in Agra with a view of the Taj Mahal.

As preparations begin, Kush realizes he has developed feelings for Dimple. On the advice of his best friend, he confesses his love. Dimple, who had tried to signal her own feelings earlier, initially reacts with frustration but eventually reciprocates. Dimple decides that elopement is their only option but Kush disagrees prompting Dimple to mix sleeping pills in his water and then run away. When Kush wakes up he convinces Dimple that this is not the right way as they will be estranged from their families for life. They along with Ajay and Kush's friends devise a plan to reunite Luv with Piyali. Dimple invites Piyali to the wedding under the pretense of being a childhood friend. Luv and Piyali reconnect and elope the next day, later informing both families through letters.

Production

Yash Raj Films announced the then-untitled project on 5 August 2010. The film marked the directorial and writing debut of Ali Abbas Zafar, who had previously served as an assistant director on several Yash Raj Films productions including Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007), Tashan (2008), New York (2009), and Badmaash Company (2010). Lead actor Imran Khan described the film as a "comedy of errors." Following the studio's prior success with debutant director Maneesh Sharma on Band Baaja Baaraat (2010), this became the second consecutive Yash Raj production to be helmed by a first-time filmmaker formerly employed by the company.

Zafar, a native of Dehradun—where a portion of the narrative is set—submitted three romantic storylines to producer Aditya Chopra. Mere Brother Ki Dulhan was eventually selected for development, after which Zafar began work on the screenplay, which spanned 150 pages. Prior to entering the film industry, Zafar had been active in theatre and was associated with The Players, the drama society of Kirori Mal College at Delhi University.

In the months leading up to release, the film drew comparisons to the American romantic comedy Dan in Real Life (2007), in which a man falls in love with his brother's partner. It was also likened to Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002), an earlier Yash Raj production with similar narrative elements.

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack and background score were composed by Sohail Sen, with lyrics written by Irshad Kamil. The album consists of six original tracks and two remixes, and was released on 10 August 2011 under the Yash Raj Music label.

Among the songs, "Madhubala"—sung by cast member Ali Zafar and picturised on Katrina Kaif—served as a tribute to the iconic Hindi film actress Madhubala.

Release

Yash Raj Films initially targeted a July 2011 release for Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. However, the release was later postponed to 16 September 2011. In a notable shift from the studio's traditionally guarded promotional strategy, the title and initial promotional stills were made public just one week into production—an approach that contrasted with their previous practice of delaying such announcements until closer to the film's release.

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