Anna, however, is intelligent, practical, and harbors feelings for the band’s lead singer, Chris (Deepak Tijori)—a handsome, stable, and genuinely nice guy.
Sunil realizes that his happiness cannot come at the cost of Anna’s. He stops the wedding, not to object, but to fix the mess he created. He steps aside, heartbroken but dignified. The final scene, where he walks away down the railway tracks, is bittersweet. He hasn't won the girl, but he has won back his integrity. He meets a new girl on the train, symbolizing that life, indeed, goes on.
The dominant heroic archetype in Bollywood has historically been the savior—a figure of immense strength, moral certainty, and capability (exemplified by Amitabh Bachchan or Salman Khan). Sunil, however, is the antithesis of this archetype. He is unambitious, financially dependent on his father, academically failing, and emotionally immature.
For Shah Rukh Khan fans, it is the Rosetta Stone to his soul. Before he became the King of Romance, he was just Sunil—a boy who wanted love and learned to live without it.
Star image and career impact
Sunil learns that Anna is going to marry Chris. He has a choice: fight, cause a scene, or ruin the wedding. What does he do? He tells the priest that he is happy. But as he walks down the aisle, he stumbles. In a moment of pure, unscripted genius (visualized beautifully by Khan), Sunil pretends his shoelace is untied just so he can kneel and pray for Anna’s happiness.
