Sunday, October 21, 2012

Yash Chopra 1932-2012 - A Tribute

"Films have been my only passion in life. I have always been proud of making films and will continue taking pride in all my films." -Yash Chopra (from the teaser of Jab Tak Hai Jaan)

When he named his last directorial venture Jab Tak Hai Jaan (till there is life), little he might have known of what was to come. Yash Chopra, the King of Romance, passed away at the age of 80 in Mumbai, India on 21st October 2012 due to multiple organ failure as he battled an attack of dengue fever.
Yash Chopra was born on 27 September 1932 in Lahore in the then British India. He started his film career as an assistant director and then moved on to direction. His first directorial venture was the social drama Dhool Ka Phool in 1959. In 1971, he founded Yash Raj Films, which has now become the biggest production house in India.
While he directed movies of different genres, he is best known for the depiction of romance on the big screen. His movies like Kabhi Kabhi, Silsila, Chandni, Lamhe, Darr, Dil To Pagal Hai, and Veer-Zaara redefined love. The maturity and sensitivity with which he treated the complex and beautiful emotion of love is unmatched.
He has worked with many actors, from Dilip Kumar to Rajesh Khanna to Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan. He has also worked with many actresses, from Sadhana to Rakhee to Rekha to Sridevi to Juhi Chawla to Madhuri Dixit to Karishma Kapoor to Preity Zinta to Rani Mukerji to Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.
During a special conversation with Shah Rukh Khan on his birthday, Yash Chopra announced that Jab Tak Hai Jaan will be his last directorial venture and after the release of the movie, he will retire. Yash Chopra said he was "very satisfied" with the way Jab Tak Hai Jaan has shaped.
Yash Chopra introduced Indian cinema to the beautiful locales of Switzerland, where his heroes romanced his saree clad and beautiful heroines in many of his movies. He was to travel with the team of Jab Tak Hai Jaan to Switzerland, where they were scheduled to shoot the last song of the movie, the title track Jab Tak Hai Jaan, with Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif. His son Aditya Chopra had planned to make it a grand affair, as it was going to be the last song of Yash Chopra's illustrious career. But unfortunately it was never to be. His tragic and sudden death left the last song of Jab Tak Hai Jaan incomplete. As per YRF sources, his son Aditya Chopra might complete his late father's unfinished work and shoot the song in Switzerland before the release of the movie on 13th November 2012.
The departure of Yash Chopra has left a big void in the Indian Film Industry and he will be missed by one and all. Rest in peace Yashji!
Meri tedhi medhi kahaaniyaan, mere haste rote khwaab
Kuch suriley besurey geet mere, kuch achche bhure kirdaar
Woh sab mere hain, un sab mein main hoon
Bas bhool na jaana, rakhna yaad mujhe
Jab Tak Hain Jaan, Jab Tak Hain Jaan
-Yash Chopra on 27th September 2012 during his special conversation with SRK on his 80th birthday
"Do pal ruka khwaabon ka kaarvaan, aur phir chal diye tum kahaan ham kahaan" Veer-Zaara
Shah Rukh Khan in conversation with Yash Chopra during his 80th birthday on 27th September 2012


1 comment:

  1. A legend is gone. Will we get to watch such romantic movies in the future again? :((

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