It’s been a 50 year long journey for Yash Chopra as a director. Though his journey in films began much earlier, when he played assistant to his elder brother, the late B. R. Chopra, it was exactly 50 years ago, in 1949, that he finally got his first directorial break with ’Dhool Ka Phool’. He followed it up with films like ’Dharmaputra’, ’Waqt’, ’Ittefaq’ and ’Aadmi Aur Insaan’, before he finally broke away to form his own banner, the Yash Raj Films or YRF as it is commonly called today. The first film out of YRF was ’Daag’, the Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila Tagore, Raakhee starrer of 1973.
There followed a golden period in which he could do no wrong and Chopra’s success mirrored the rise of Amitabh Bachchan. The two collaborated on many fine films like ’Deewar’, ’Kabhi Kabhi’, ’Trishul’, ’Kala Pathar’ and ’Silsila’. Besides Bachchan, Chopra made films on off beat themes like ’Doosra Aadmi’ starring Raakhee, Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh. It is a mistake to only label him as a director of romances, with postcard pretty frames of the Alps and tulips. There is much more to Chopra as any discerning filmgoer would vouch for.
This is the man who made a film on Hindu Muslim relations in a film called ’Dharmaputra’ and a songless thriller in ’Ittefaq’. While he has dealt extensively with love in his movie, it has not been the candyfloss variety. In fact, Chopra has treated love with utmost dignity in his movies, be it ’Lamhe’, ’Daag’, ’Chandni’ or a ’Veer Zaara’. Today, he is joined on his filmi safar by his sons Aditya and Uday Chopra. Aditya had added to Yash Raj legacy by directing films like ’Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’, ’Mohabbatein’ and ’Rab Ne Bana De Jodi’.
Together the father son duo has taken the banner to new heights of excellence. New directors and fresh ideas have seen films like ’Kabul Express’, ’New York’, ’Chak De India’ and ’Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year’ coming out the production house. In money terms, the production house is worth some many crores, but its real value lies in its cinematic excellence which is seen in the quality of movies which are churned out of its stable. The production house will also be venturing into television from the new year and ensures that it stays abreast of the competition.
It has been his rare ability to embrace change and move ahead with the times that has been the hallmark of this man, who has single handledly built one of the largest and most prestigious production houses in Bollywood.
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