Yash Raj Chopra (27 September 1932 – 21 October 2012) was an Indian film director and film producer who worked in Hindi cinema. The founding chairman of the film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films, Chopra was the recipient of several awards, including 6 National Film Awards and 8 Filmfare Awards. In 2006, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts presented him with a lifetime membership, making him the first Indian to receive the honour.
Chopra began his career as an assistant director to I. S. Johar and his elder brother, B. R. Chopra. He made his directorial debut with Dhool Ka Phool in 1959, a melodrama about illegitimacy, and followed it with the social drama Dharmputra (1961). Chopra rose to prominence after directing the critically and commercially successful family drama Waqt (1965), which pioneered the concept of ensemble casts in Bollywood. In 1970, he founded his own production company, Yash Raj Films, whose first production was Daag: A Poem of Love (1973), a successful melodrama about polygamy. His success continued in the seventies, with some of Indian cinema's most successful and iconic films, including the action-thriller Deewaar (1975), which established Amitabh Bachchan as a leading actor in Bollywood; the ensemble musical romantic drama Kabhi Kabhie (1976) and the ensemble family drama Trishul (1978).
Chopra collaborated with Sridevi in two of what has been considered to be his finest films; the romantic musical Chandni (1989), which became instrumental in ending the era of violent films in Bollywood and rejuvenating the romantic musical genre, and the intergenerational musical romantic drama Lamhe (1991), considered by critics and Chopra himself to be his best work, but underperformed at the domestic box-office, although bringing major profits overseas. After helming the critically-panned Parampara (1993), Chopra directed the musical psychological thriller Darr (1993), the first of his collaborations with Shahrukh Khan. Chopra directed three more romantic films, all starring Khan; Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Veer-Zaara (2004) and Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), before announcing his retirement from direction in 2012. He died of dengue fever during Jab Tak Hai Jaans production in 2012. He is considered one of the all-time best directors of the Hindi film industry.
Early life
thumb|Chopra with his brother [[B. R. Chopra at an event in 2007]]
Chopra was born on 27 September 1932 in Lahore, Punjab Province, British India into a Punjabi Hindu Khatri family. His father was an accountant in the PWD division of the British Punjab administration. He was the youngest of eight children, the oldest of whom was almost 30 years his senior. The eminent film-maker B. R. Chopra is one of his brothers, thus making him the uncle of Ravi Chopra.
Chopra was largely brought up in the Lahore house of his second brother, B. R. Chopra, then a film journalist. Chopra studied at Doaba College Jalandhar and originally sought to pursue a career in engineering. He later moved to Ludhiana, East Punjab (in India) after the Partition of India.
His passion for film-making led him to travel to Bombay, where he initially worked as an assistant director to I. S. Johar, and then for his director-producer brother, B. R. Chopra, while another brother, Dharam Chopra, worked as his cameraman.
Career
Early career (1959–1970)
Chopra received his first directorial opportunity in 1959 with the social drama Dhool Ka Phool, It was one of the first films to depict the Partition of India
Formation of Yash Raj Films, continued success, setback and resurgence (1971–1992)
thumb|left|Chopra with actor [[Amitabh Bachchan at the premiere of Paa in 2009]]
His first independently-produced film, Daag: A Poem of Love (1973), a melodrama about polygamy, starring Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila Tagore and Raakhee was a blockbuster and won Chopra his third Filmfare Award for Best Director. These films set the trend for the late-'70s and '80s, establishing Bachchan as the "angry young man". Chopra produced, directed and scripted two more films starring the duo. Unlike his earlier action-oriented films, these were musical romantic dramas: (1976),
The 1980s marked a professional setback in Chopra's career, as several films he directed and produced in that period failed to leave a mark at the Indian box-office. His film Mashaal (1984) was his first collaboration with the legendary actor, Dilip Kumar. The action-oriented film, which was based on the well-known Marathi play titled Ashroonchi Zhali Phule, received critical acclaim, but fared only average at the box-office. A year later, he made Faasle, a romantic drama starring Sunil Dutt, Rekha, Rohan Kapoor and Farah, which proved to be a critical and commercial disaster at the box-office.
He followed it with Lamhe (1991) an intergenerational musical romantic drama starring frequent collaborators Sridevi and Anil Kapoor. The film won five Filmfare Awards, including the Filmfare Award for Best Film, and earned Chopra his ninth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. Over the years, Lamhe has been hailed as a cult classic; it is regarded as a modern masterpiece and possibly his finest film to date. It was featured in Outlook magazine's list of All-Time Great Indian films. It has been cited by Chopra as his personal favourite of his films.
In 1992, Chopra directed Parampara. Despite an all-star cast of Ramya Krishnan, Aamir Khan, Raveena Tandon, Sunil Dutt, Anupam Kher, Vinod Khanna, Ashwini Bhave and Saif Ali Khan (in his film debut), the film was a commercial failure and was panned by critics for its weak storyline and soundtrack, although Chopra's direction was commended.
Later career (1993–2012)
thumb|200px|alt=Shahrukh Khan and Yash Chopra are looking away from camera.|Chopra with actor [[Shah Rukh Khan|Shahrukh Khan at a promotional event for their film Jab Tak Hai Jaan in 2012 This company produced a singing reality show Meri Awaaz Suno (1995–1997), a talk show Meri Pasand (1995–1996), and a telefilm Humko Ishq Ne Mara (1997).
In 1997, Chopra directed, produced and co-wrote the musical romantic drama Dil To Pagal Hai, and together they have two sons Aditya Chopra and Uday Chopra, born in 1971 and 1973, respectively. Aditya Chopra is also a film director and producer and holds the position of chairman and managing director of Yash Raj Films, while Uday is an assistant director turned actor who made his acting debut in 2000 in his brother's directorial, Mohabbatein. when it comes to his filmmaking style, the Chopra film clan in general would make movies containing a message of social change.
Death
thumb|Chopra on a 2013 Indian stamp.
On 13 October 2012, Chopra was diagnosed with dengue fever and was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Bandra, Mumbai. On 21 October, Yash Chopra succumbed to death following multiple organ failure. He was 80 years of age. The Chautha ceremony for Yash Chopra was held on 25 October 2012 at Yash Raj Films studio. Yash Chopra's final rites took place at Pawan Hans crematorium on 22 October 2012.
Awards
thumb|Chopra with his wife [[Pamela Chopra at an award show in 2011]]
thumb|Statue of Chopra in Interlaken, Switzerland
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year || Award || Category || Film
|-
|1961 ||rowspan="7"|National Film Awards ||Best Feature Film in Hindi ||Dharamputra
|-
|1989 ||rowspan="6"|Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment ||Chandni
|-
|1993 ||Darr
|-
|1995 ||Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
|-
|1997 ||Dil To Pagal Hai
|-
|2004 ||Veer-Zaara
|-
|2008 ||Chak De India
|-
|1992|| rowspan="12" |Filmfare Awards ||rowspan="4"|Best Film ||Lamhe
|-
|1996||Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
|-
|1998 ||Dil To Pagal Hai
|-
|2005||Veer-Zaara
|-
|1966|| rowspan="4" |Best Director||Waqt
|-
|1970||Ittefaq
|-
|1974 ||Daag
|-
|1976||Deewaar
|-
|2006 ||rowspan="3"|Power Award || rowspan="3" |Special Award
|-
|2007
|-
|2008
|-
|2013 || Lifetime Achievement Award || rowspan="2"|All of his films
|-
|2002 ||rowspan="5"|IIFA Awards || Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema
|-
|rowspan="2"|2005 ||Best Film ||rowspan="2"|Veer-Zaara
|-
|Best Director
|-
|2008 || Best Film ||Chak De India
|-
|2013 ||IIFA 2013 Macau is dedicated to Mr. Yash Chopra || Special Award
|-
|1998
| rowspan="4" |Zee Cine Awards
| rowspan="2" |Best Film
|Dil To Pagal Hai
|-
| rowspan="2" |2005 ||Veer-Zaara
|-
|Best Director
|Veer-Zaara
|-
|2008
|Best Film||Chak De India
|-
|1996 ||rowspan="4"|Screen Awards || rowspan="3"|Best Film || Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
|-
|2005 ||Veer-Zaara
|-
|2008 ||Chak De India
|-
|2013 ||Lifetime Achievement Award|| All of his films
|-
|rowspan="2"|2005 || rowspan="2"|Bollywood Movie Awards || Best Film ||rowspan="2"|Veer-Zaara
|-
|Best Director
|}
Honours and recognitions
- 1996: Founder Trustee of Film Industry Welfare Trust established.
- 1998 & 2001: Received BBC Asia Awards in both years – in 1998 and 2001 for his outstanding contribution to films.
- 2005: Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honours.
- 2006: A lifetime membership to BAFTA for his contribution to the Indian film industry. He is the first Indian to be honoured at BAFTA in 59-year history of the academy.
- 2006: Lifetime Achievement Award at the 4th Pune International Film Festival (P.I.F.F.)
- 2007: The veteran director was on the advisory board of the Information & Broadcasting Ministry of the Government of India. and V. Shantaram’ Awards, in recognition of his impressive contributions to the Hindi film industry.
- 13 November 2007: Chopra was conferred the Zenith Asia Honour for his contribution to Indian cinema.
- 5 July 2008: France's Legion of Honour
- 2008: FIAPF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
- 2009: Yash Chopra received the Lifetime Achievement Award at Satya Brahma-founded India Leadership Conclave, moderated by NDTV.
- 2009: Pusan International Film Festival – Asian Filmmaker of the Year
- 2010: National Kishore Kumar Award by the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
- 2010: Honoured by the Swiss Government for rediscovering Switzerland, and recently, he was presented a Special Award by Ursula Andress on behalf of the Swiss Government.
- 2010: Swiss Ambassador's Award for his contribution in promoting "Brand Switzerland" through his movies.
- October 2010: Chopra was given the Outstanding Achievement in Cinema award at The Asian Awards.
- 2011: Chopra was honoured with the title of Ambassador of Interlaken.
- 2011: In Mumbai, the India Leadership Conclave felicitated him in the category of "Excellence in outstanding contribution to Indian Cinema".
- 2013: Awarded the "Father of Contemporary Indian Cinema" at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM).
- The Jaipur International Film Festival-JIFF's Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to the 'King of Romance,' Yash Raj Chopra on 17 January 2025 in Jaipur. The award was accepted by his grandson, Rishab Chopra.
- 3 May 2013: A postage stamp, bearing his likeness, was released by India Post to honour him.
- Handpicked by the British Film Institute for a book written by Rachel Dwyer in their "World Directors Series". This book showcases the glorious five-decade career of Yash Chopra.
- 2007: by the Leeds Metropolitan University in Yorkshire.
- 2008: by the Panjab University, Chandigarh, India for his contribution to Indian cinema.
- 2012 Honorary Professorship from Trinity College Dublin.
Memorial Awards
The Yash Chopra Memorial Award ceremonies were instituted by the TSR Foundation of T. Subbarami Reddy, which carries Rs 10.00 lakhs cash and citation. These awards ceremonies started in 2013, on the eve of Chopra's death and are dedicated to his memory. The ceremonies are held annually in Mumbai, and feature awards to people in recognition of their outstanding contribution in the field of art and culture.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Ordinal || Date
|-
|1||17 February 2018
|-
|2||25 December 2014
|-
|3||25 January 2016
|-
|4||25 February 2017
|-
|5||17 February 2018
|}
See also
- The Romantics (documentary) (2023)
References
Further reading
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External links
- Biography of Yash Chopra in Yash Raj Film's official website