The portrayal of "Pagal" characters in Indian cinema dates back to the 1960s and 1970s, with films like "Mughal-e-Azam" (1960) and "Deewar" (1975). However, it was in the 1990s and 2000s that the "Pagal" character archetype gained significant traction, with films like "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" (1995), "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" (1998), and "Hera Pheri" (2000).