Yash Chopra (b. 1932)
Hindi director and producer born in Jullundur, Punjab. Started as assistant to elder brother B.R. Chopra and then made several films for his company. Became independent producer with Daag, working mostly with distributor Gulshan Rai. His B.R. Films are low-budget genre movies (e.g. suspense thrillers: Waqt, Ittefaq) but his own productions are plushy, soft-focus upper-class love stories (Kabhi Kabhie), battles over family honour (embodied by the mother: Deewar, Trishul) and the conflict between the laws of kinship and those of the State. Amitabh Bachchan made some of his best-known films with Chopra. In the 90s, he adapted his style to the image of Shah Rukh Khan for the hit Darr. Produced his son Aditya’s megahit Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and directed the 1997 success Dil To Pagal Hai, upgrading his trademark love story into a theme featuring teen aerobics.
FILMOGRAPHY: 1959: Dhool Ka Phool; 1961: Dharmaputra; 1965: Waqt; 1969: Admi Aur Insaan; Ittefaq; 1973: Daag; Joshila; 1975: Deewar; 1976: Kabhi Kabhie; 1978: Trishul; 1979: Kala Pathar; 1981: Silsila; 1984: Mashaal; 1985: Faasle; 1988: Vijay; 1989: Chandni; 1991: Lamhe; 1992: Parampara; 1993: Darr.