Yash Chopra- The Luminary Legend Whose Legacy Will Stand For Eras
Yash Chopra, whose name is engraved in the journey of Hindi cinema, would always be taken with pride in heart. The Indian film director and producer founded the independent Yash Raj Films.
Yash Raj Films (YRF) is the most dominant production company in Hindi filmmaking. He was young as well as crazy at heart. His films are romantic in nature depicting the passion for his work. He was fond of poetry and his prowess in filmmaking is unmatchable. He began his journey as an assistant director and made his first directorial debut with film “Dhool Ka Phool” in 1959. The film made it to the Filmfare and was even a box office hit, collecting Rs 1 crore .The famous song ‘Hindu Na Banega Na Musalmaan Banega’ featured in the movie. It talked about a Muslim family adopting a Hindu boy. It also made a statement with Mala Sinha, as a single mother who learns to rely only on her and added value to women empowerment. He was the King of Romance whose films will have the lead pair romancing, on snow-covered destinations wearing exquisite dresses. His films married tradition and the young love to establish a veritable genre.
Some of his remarkable films which have left an impact and made him immortal with his films are:
1) Kaala Patthar (1979)
Starring Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha in lead roles, the film talked about labour rights, the privatization of coal mines and other contemporary social issues. A film did consider issues since then and made the audience aware of the situations.
2) Daag (1973)
An adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge, the film did wonders at the box office.
3) Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969)
Starring Dharmendra and Saira Banu, the film was a hard-hitting social drama that talked of morality and self-righteousness.
4) Waqt (1965)
The famous song “Aye meri Zohra jabeen..” which I tune in while working. It bagged six Filmfare awards and was also declared a hit at the box office.
5) Hum Tum (2004)
One of my favourite films back then starring Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee.
6) Chak de India (2007)
It explores religious bigotry, the legacy of the partition of India, ethnic and regional prejudice and sexism in contemporary India in a fictional story about the Indian women’s national- field hockey team which was inspired by the team’s win at the 2002 Commonwealth games.
7) Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007)
One of my personal favourite again as the lead pair of hum tum is back again. The film portrays the moral- Fear of losing someone you Love overcomes your fears.
Signing off forever in the year 2012 left us all grieving his loss. He surely wanted us to celebrate his presence in everyone’s life. Wishing him a happy 85th birth anniversary and may his legacy continue forever in the film industry.
Here’s a short video summarising his life-