Yash Chopra: Iconic Filmmaker Passes Away In Mumbai!

A career spanning over five decades from the good old days to the complex modern times. Directed 22 films and produced over 50 films. Won over 10 Filmfare awards including 4 for Best Direction, highest National honors in films-Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2001 and Padma Bhushan in 2005. Melodious music and exotically beautiful locations being the richest of the highlights of his films. All have been mainstream Bollywood movies, but refreshingly different from the formula entertainers with loads of sensitivity, characterization and insight of life. Almost all of his movies being hits and super duper hits. An enlivening chapter of Hindi cinema since 1959 ended today. Yash Chopra, the legendary filmmaker passed away today evening at a Mumbai hospital after a brief illness at the age of 80.

Yash Chopra started his movie career with his elder brother legendary BR Chopra and then moved on successfully to form his own film production house, the famous Yashraj Films in 1971. Yashraj Films began with a momentous hit and award winning Daag in 1973. He made his mark in all the genres—melodrama, family drama, light hearted comedy, suspense, thriller and of course romance. Thanks to the energetic and vibrant Shahrukh Khan Yash Chopra’s romantic hits with son Aditya Chopra taking an active part won over the modern generations of today. He was also the pioneer of Hindi multi-starrer movies or blockbusters with the critically acclaimed Waqt in 1965. He made his debut with the suspense genre with an experimental Ittefaq (1969) which was described as a semi-hit and continued it in Darr 1993). His intense conflict thriller Deewar (1975) and subtle Lamhe (1991) remain as the most astounding and critically acclaimed work. He worked with all superstars from Dilip Kumar, Balraj Sahani, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan to Shahrukh and Saif Ali Khan. In the female leads from Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla to many modern day divas. And, he gave them all their most memorable movies.

His has been good clean cinema meant for the entire family. He commands immense respect in the film industry, among the leading film stars and the movie goers. His family blockbusters have made him a household name. Yash Chopra is an institution in filmdom. His death has caused a vacuum in realm of meaningful filmmaking.

The whole of Bollywood is in a state of terrible shock. He was admitted to hospital with a dengue infection on 13^th October and the doctors were hopeful of his immediate discharge only two days back. The sudden news today overwhelmed all the stars, film personalities and millions of his admirers. In fact, he was expected to shoot a song sequence very soon for his last movie to be released this Diwali. The devastating new has also dampened the Durga Puja celebrations across the city.

Volumes can be written about this cinema icon. We make a humble effort to pay tributes to Yash Chopra with this. We pray for the eternal bliss of his soul as the last rites are to be completed tomorrow in Mumbai.

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