Yash Chopra worked comprehensively with Amitabh and SRK in his career.
A love story unfolds somewhere at every given point.
The legendary romantic filmmaker Yash Chopra once recalled in a media interaction that he decided to give a new twist to the emotion called love in his films. Often hailed as the “father of romance” in Hindi cinema, Chopra struck a chord with audiences by tapping into the very core of human emotions. He went on to add that he had made up his mind to make films on the one theme that can never get outdated, namely human emotions and human relationships.
However Yash Chopra merely didn’t epitomise romance in Hindi films but also built stars with his films, gave his actors space to grow, and often recognised hidden talent that he then pushed in new directions. One of the finest examples he cited was Shah Rukh Khan. Chopra encouraged him to embrace the image of a romantic hero. Shah Rukh Khan had also said in an interview that Yash Chopra kept telling him if he doesn’t play a lover boy on-screen nothing will happen to his career, career will not move ahead.
Chopra shared similar equations with his other leading men, including Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor. He softened Amitabh’s action-heavy image in films like Silsila and Kabhi Kabhie, bringing out his romantic side at a time when the actor was ruling the screen with action-packed blockbusters like Deewaar and Trishul. With Rishi Kapoor, Chopra entrusted him with nuanced roles in women-centric films such as Kabhi Kabhie and Chandni.
Amitabh Bachchan did Yash Chopra’s Mohabbatein for Rs 1.
Infact Yash Chopra rescued Amitabh Bachchan twice in his career. First, after the actor delivered back-to-back flops and was almost written off from the film industry, Chopra, along with writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, resurrected his career with Deewaar released in 1975. Chopra also directed him in other action films like Trishul released in 1978 and Kaala Patthar released in 1979 , but it was his romantic films like Kabhi Kabhie and Silsila that allowed audiences to see Bachchan in a softer, more sensitive light.
In the late 1990s, when Bachchan’s career was again facing a lull and he was looking for a third inning, Yash Chopra once more came to his aid by offering him the role of a stern, discipline-driven headmaster in Mohabbatein. Grateful for Chopra’s support, Bachchan decided the favour this time.
Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani recalled an incident between the two icons in an old interaction. While making Silsila, Yash Chopra asked Amitabh Bachchan, ‘How much do you want as remuneration?’ Amit ji said, he wants to buy a house, so going to ask you for a decent amount this time.’ He said okay. Amidst Mohabbatein, when Yash ji asked Amit ji how much he wanted, Amit ji said, ‘You gave me what I asked for back then, this time, I’ll do the film for Re 1.’ He actually did it for Re 1.”
Yash Chopra convinced ‘silly’ Rishi Kapoor to not quit Kabhi Kabhie
acknowledged for his boyish charm, had a blockbuster entry in Bollywood with his lead role in his father Raj Kapoor’s film Bobby. The actor was known to be bullish and even earned the tag of ‘male chauvinist.’ However, it was this ego that almost made him miss out on the nuanced role in Yash Chopra’s Kabhi Kabhie. The film explores themes of loss, sacrifice, complex relationships, and marital fidelity.
In the film, Rishi and Neetu Kapoor played a young couple in love. While Rishi’s character was pivotal to the film’s plotline, he felt his role was less impactful than Neetu’s and even asked Yash Chopra to give him her part. “I was reluctant to do Kabhi Kabhie in the beginning because I had been warned against working with Amitabh Bachchan. The second reason was that he felt Neetu had a more prominent role than he did. That’s why he had said to Yash Chopra, if he wants him to do the film, give him Neetu’s role. Naturally, Yash-ji was confused,” he wrote in his biography Khullam Khulla.
In the Netflix documentary The Romantics, Rishi’s last interview before his death in 2020, he admitted that he had been childish at the time. He said, “Perhaps he was being childish. His uncle Shashi Kapoor and Yash ji made him understand. They took him to Srinagar, shot about 14-15 scenes with him in that one day when he was with them and then was stuck in the continuity of the film. But in retrospect he felt that how stupid and silly he was. Would have missed out on such a wonderful film, which is one of the few lovely romantic films they have made in this country.
Yash Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan shared a bond that went beyond films; they were more like family. If SRK is called the King of Romance, it is only because Yash Chopra is called the Father of Romance. SRK’s association with Yash Raj Films spans decades, with iconic films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Chak De! India, and others.
It was Chopra who first saw the potential in SRK to become a romantic hero. When Yash Chopra was going through a lull period, he cast Shah Rukh in Darr in a negative role, and the film turned out to be a commercial success. Later, he honed SRK’s image as a romantic star with films like Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Veer-Zaara, and Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
Jab Tak Hai Jaan was SRK and Yash Chopra’s last collaboration, and it was also Yash Chopra’s final film. He passed away days before the film’s release in November. In The Romantics, Shah Rukh recalled Yash Chopra crying before shooting the last shot with SRK of the film. Shah Rukh also shared that he had refused to shoot a film with Aditya Chopra at the time because he wanted to star in Yash Chopra’s directorial.
He said, he rememberex he had started speaking a lot more. ‘he isn’t doing a film. This is his last picture,’ Yash ji used to say ‘Jab Tak Hain Jaan’ was actually a film which he chose over a film Adi had offered him. If Yashji is making a film, he will be a part of that
Recalling how Yash Chopra became emotional amidst the shoot of Jab Tak Hai Jaan, SRK said, “We were shooting in Ladakh and in really difficult conditions. He was the coolest of us all. SRK was shivering to death. Was shooting in Kashmir, but then he came and said ‘yaar teri picture khatam ho gayi’. I said ‘kya bol rahein ho aap?’ He said ‘last shot hain, bas. Ab toh kuch raha nahi. Picture khatam’.” He went on to say, “And he (Yash Chopra) became very emotional. Then he kind of started crying. He said this could be our last shot. SRK said why last shot? So, Yash said no there are no more shots left of SRK who said yeah, but we’ll make the next one. He said yeah… last hain yaar. Last shot hain.”
News Edit KV Raman
