Genre-defining director, star-maker, and studio mogul, Yash Chopra has been instrumental in shaping the symbolism of mainstream Hindi cinema across the globe. Popularly known as the ‘King of Romance’ for his string of hit romantic films spanning over a five-decade career, he redefined drama and romance onscreen.
Born on 27 September 1932, Yash Chopra’s journey began in the lush green fields of Punjab, which kept reappearing in his films in all their splendor.
Yash Chopra started as an assistant to his brother, B. R. Chopra, and went on to direct 5 very successful films for his brother’s banner – B. R. Films, each of which proved to be a significant milestone in his development as a world-class director of blockbusters. These were DHOOL KA PHOOL (1959), DHARMPUTRA (1961), WAQT (1965) – India’s first true multi-star generational family drama, ITTEFAQ (1969) & AADMI AUR INSAAN (1969). He has wielded the baton additionally for 4 films made by other film companies – JOSHILA (1973), DEEWAAR (1975), TRISHUL (1978) & PARAMPARA (1993).
But his greatest repertoire of work was the 50-plus films made under the banner that he launched – the banner that stands for the best of Hindi cinema – YRF. He was the visionary who made movies like Lamhe (1991), Darr (1993), Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997), and Veer Zaara (2004), all of which went on to become cult classics.
Awards Won By Yash Chopra
Chopra has been credited with cementing the status of Bollywood`s living legends – Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. Yash Chopra won 12 Filmfare Awards, and 6 National Awards and had also been honored with the Padma Bhushan (2005) and the Legion of Honour (2008). In October 2012, Indian cinema lost a maestro when Yash Chopra succumbed to a long illness. His last film was Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012). With an amazing legacy, Yash Chopra lives on the silver screen.
