Born in 1999

The Kargil War gripped India through the summer — Pakistani-backed militants had occupied peaks in Indian-controlled Kashmir, and Indian soldiers fought at extraordinary altitudes to reclaim them. The television coverage was unprecedented, bringing the war into living rooms every evening. When India prevailed, the celebrations were huge.

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was the romantic antidote to a year of tension. India was simultaneously more anxious and more confident than it had ever been.