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username88

@username88

Sparkler

Posted: 18 years ago

#21

Originally posted by: Sabikarocks
Count Me In!
😃

welcome😛im muqi😃

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username88

@username88

Sparkler

Posted: 18 years ago

#22

Originally posted by: Jatt_Kudi
wow great club....im in for sure😳

weclome jatt_kudi😛im muqi😛

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Loki

@sambharchutney

Rocker

+ 2

Posted: 18 years ago

#23

Yash Chopra: the perfect love story

By IndiaFM News Bureau, March 5, 2007 - 04:18 IST

Ask any Indian what they think of when they see a gossamer chiffon stole fluttering against the sky or autumn leaves scattering in the wind or a woman draped in silvery white or a bed of tulips or an endless field of mustard or a picture post card vista of Switzerland and the answer will always be, the cinema of Yash Chopra.

The beginning…
"An Indian film, however big it might be, if it doesn't have the Indian sensibility, the touches of Indian traditions are not well used, it will not be a big hit."

Yash Chopra strongly believes in Indian values and traditions and this belief is now and again portrayed through his cinema

Today, Yash Chopra is universally known as "the king of romance". But for all the sensitivity and poetic leanings he has shown in his films, his beginnings were fairly unassuming. He was one of eight children from a middle class Punjabi family that lived initially in Lahore in Pakistan. They moved after the partition of India in 1974 to Jalandhar in Indian Punjab.

"After the partition this very, very serious thing happened in the country. There was a whole turmoil over sensibilities, people had changed – there was definitely a feeling of freedom & hatred together. I wasn't involved in politics, in any party, I was trying to concentrate more on my studies because my brother, Mr. B R Chopra was in Bombay & was sending the money for me to study. I had no business fooling around."

The break point
By the time he graduated in 1950, his brother BR Chopra was already a successful film producer in Mumbai. Although encouraged to pursue an engineering degree abroad, Yash Chopra's heart was in the movie business and eventually he persuaded his elder brother to give him an assistant's job in the company for a trial period of 6 months. 7 years later in 1959 under his brother's banner BR films, Yash Chopra made his directorial debut with 'Dhool ka phool'.

Climbing the ladder of success

Arguably Yash Chopra is India's most successful confluence of creativity and administrative genius - as he dons his two hats - as a director and a producer.

Donning the directors hat

In all, over the course of a decade, Yash Chopra directed 5 films under his brother's banner. From the first, each was radical. His first film 'Dhool ka phool' for instance dealt with the stigma of unwed motherhood & illegitimate children. 'Waqt' made in 1965, was one of the earliest multi-starrers. The cast included Raj Kumar, Sadhana, Sunil Dutt, Sharmila Tagore & Sashi Kapoor amongst others. It was also the first to feature a "lost & found" plot line that went on to become a Bollywood formula for several decades. Another important film was the taut thriller 'Ittefak'. It was path-breakingly bold for that era given that it had no songs, a lead pair who was not cast as a love interest & in which the heroine turned out to be an adulterous murderer!

In 1971, pushing forty Yash Chopra made 3 crucial decisions – to get married, to move out of his brother's home & to launch his own production house 'Yashraj Films'. True to form, 'Daag', his first independent film, was an unusual subject and as a result a risky proposition. An unconventional story of a man with two wives, matters were further compounded by the fact that the career of the star Rajesh Khanna's career was in the doldrums with his last eight films flopping at the box office. But when was it released in 1973, it was an instant hit with both audiences and critics. 'Daag' was also the film with which Yash Chopra decisively established his style as a romantic filmmaker who placed great emphasis on human emotions and on maintaining an upscale look for his films.

In 1976, Yash Chopra made 'Kabhie Kabhie'. Its was another landmark, with Amitabh Bachchan playing an uncharacteristic role as the embittered jilted poet- lover to Rishi Kapoor & Rakhee's pairing. That story & its continuation into the second generation with their children, young lovers played by Neetu Singh & Rishi Kapoor, dealt, above all, with the dynamics of people in love.

A more typical Yash Chopra film, 'Kabhie Kabhi', had his trademark romance created from unforgettable poetry and music and was set against the scenic backdrop of Kashmir, which Chopra has always maintained, is his all time favourite location.

The next two films Chopra made were 'Trishul' in 1978 & 'Kaala Pathar' in 1979. And in conjunction with his earlier film 'Deewar', they formed a trilogy of sorts focused around Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay, the angry young man.

And then in 1981 came a film called 'Silsila'. Its story centered around an extra marital affair and was controversial from the start given that the lead actors Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha & Jaya Bachchan's casting allegedly mirrored their relationship off screen. Although Rekha's role has gone on to become the metaphor for the other woman in a marital relationship, at the time, the film did not do well at the box office. What was noticed however the costumes & its soundtrack. The duos responsible for it were classical musicians Shiv Kumar Sharma & Hari Prasad Chaurasia whose first commercial venture this was. And it marked the start of a lasting collaboration

Take 2

With 25 years of work behind him, Yash Chopra saw a downturn in his fortunes. Bollywood in the 80's was at an all time low creatively and the trend was for action films, something Chopra seemed ill suited to. Consequently he had a succession of box office flops. The jinx was finally broken in 1989 with 'Chandni'.
"I was 58, a saturation point of action films. I thought let me stick to my form of filmmaking, the most romantic films…"
And it worked! Audiences were treated to what Chopra calls his brand of "glamorous realism". Memorable music, sweeping Swiss landscapes and a heroine in white chiffon set the box office on fire.
"I generally make romantic films, human relation films. I definitely believe that woman is the most beautiful thing god has created apart from nature…"

What followed were two films of which 'Lamhe' released in 1991, remains the director's personal favorite and which, despite poor box office ratings, is arguably one of his best loved films, showcasing his flair for unconventional storylines, production values and strong casting.

Then in 1993 he made a film called 'Darr', which starred the then upcoming actor Shahrukh Khan who played a career-defining role of an obsessed lover.

Donning the producers hat

After the success of Darr, Yash Chopra stepped into role of producer for his son Aditya's directorial debut, 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge'. The film, released in 1995, was a watershed in Hindi cinema. It is India's longest running film ever. It broke through to the overseas Indian audiences in a way no film had & in that sense opened up a new market for films that followed. And it was the first film to set the bar for a newer, cooler Bollywood brand. All in all, it went a long way to make Chopra's banner become even more influential.

"Production has come to me maybe by choice, maybe by circumstance. But till today I enjoy the moments, which I spend as a director. That doesn't mean I don't want to produce films, I'm very happy. Any part of film direction - story, dialogue, song, shooting, music, editing, anything… I enjoy that the most."

And the legacy goes on…..

"Chopra Lake" in Switzerland is named after Yash Chopra in honour of his penchant for shooting there. He's also received an honorary citizenship for making that country's scenic vistas such an unforgettable part of Bollywood.

India's best known playback singer Lata Mangeshkar has sung in almost every Yash Chopra film. She's reportedly never charged him because she thinks of him as a brother.

"I can only say that God has been really kind. I don't think I've done something great, God is kind. I made films, they were successful. I would like to say that I would like to die with my boots on, making films as long as I can. But films, which are believable, I don't like to compromise in my thoughts."

And now at the age of 74 Yash Chopra is relying on his son Aditya to continue his legacy.

(Script courtesy: Bollywood Bosses, History Channel)