Few Hindi film directors, if any, personified versatility, quality and durability better than Yash Chopra, who died following complications caused by dengue at Mumbai's Lilavati hospital on Sunday evening.
The founder of Bollywood's premier banner, Yash Raj Films, and perhaps the industry's most powerful movie mogul, Chopra had turned 80 on September 27. But he was still on top of his game; eagerly awaiting the release of his latest directorial venture, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, next month.Among the most influential directors in mainstream Bollywood, Chopra's films shaped the careers and, in a sense, defined the work of Bollywood's two biggest superstars: Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.
It was Chopra's Deewar (1975) that firmly established Bachchan's angry young man character that millions in 1970s India identified with.
Similarly, the director further crystalised Shah Rukh's negative image in Darr (1993) before remolding it completely with romantic superhits such as Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) and Veer Zara (2004). But more importantly, he produced the blockbuster Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995) -- directed by son Aditya (YRF's boss) -- which turned Shah Rukh into an A-list romantic star.
In a directorial career spanning over five decades, Chopra effortlessly hopped from one genre to another. Human drama (Dhool Ka Phool, 1959, his debut film), stylish social (Waqt, 1965, where he blended lost-and-found formula with a glimpse of India Shining in the 1960s) and songless murder mystery (Ittefaq, 1969, his most experimental film) - he did it all.
Till then, he had been working under the banner of his brother, the great B R Chopra. In 1973, he set up his own production house, Yash Raj Films, Daag (1973) being its first venture. The film was among the biggest hits of the year but Chopra dumped superstar Rajesh Khanna because of his starry tantrums. From then onwards, he forged a durable and profitable partnership with Bachchan.
His later works, especially those he made under his own banner, had two distinct strands - mature romance (Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila, Chandni, Lamhe, Veer Zara) and action-oriented human conflicts (Deewar, Trishul). But he also occasionally surprised you with a smart thriller like Darr.
Chopra's grand theme was love and it was seldom a simple affair. In his films, it was usually a high-hanging fruit that could be attained only after navigating through a maze of complications and snuffles.
Complex love triangles (Daag and Chandni), convoluted love quadrangle (Silsila), love defying category (Kabhi Kabhie), age-gap amour (Lamhe), fake young serious romance (Dil To Paagal Hai), love as sacrifice (Veer Zara), he tried to capture love in every hue.
Nonetheless, his love had its share of class bias; Chopra's lovers were invariably well-heeled. The deprived never really fell in love in his films - though the great Urdu poet and lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi was a part of his musical team. Yet the beauty and the balance of it all was that you could watch these movies as much with your lover as with your grandmother. No surprise, a majority of moviegoers found them engaging and appealing as the box-office records suggest.
Music was always a hallmark of his romantic movies. And he helped revive the career of Khayyam by giving the out-of-job composer an opportunity to give music in Kabhi Kabhie. Khayyam repaid the trust by providing an unforgettable score. Chopra also worked with two classical musicians, Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Shiv Kumar Sharma.
It is said Yash briefly worked for the comic genius I S Johar before beginning his career officially assisting his elder brother, B R Chopra in socially conscious movies such as Ek Hi Raasta, Naya Daur and Sadhna.
His own later work does not have the same social commitment that he first displayed in works like Dharmputra (1961) but to Chopra's credit he never compromised on his idea of creating entertaining cinema even when he fell on hard times in the mindless 1980s and delivered a succession of box-office turkeys (Faasle, Vijay).
Patience has its reward. The director rode on an inspirational second wind; his last three films were all box-office biggies- Darr (1993), Dil To Paagal Hai (1997) and Veer Zaara (2004).
With advancing age, one could see a growing gap between each of his directorial ventures. The Shah Rukh Khan starrer releasing in November was meant to be a fitting swansong to his illustrious career. May be it will. But sadly, its creator won't be there to see it.
