Apr 25, 2006 01:52 PM
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(Updated Apr 25, 2006 01:52 PM)
This great director has directed 20 films (As I know) in his more than 40 years long career, 10 were full-fledged love stories, 6 family dramas, 2 formula films and only 1, a suspense thriller. He has covered a range of relationships, the predominant emotion in all his films, remained love.
Dhool Ka Phool was about an unwed mother succumbing to societal pressures and abandoning her child. A noble man enters her life, offers to marry her and accept the baby.
Dharam Putra reflecting on the perils of the Partition. A Muslim girl gets pregnant and gives away her child to her Hindu neighbor. The child grows up to be a fanatic, hating the rival community. When the truth is revealed, he suffers an identity crisis.
Waqt was about a family separated in an earthquake, the first lost-and-found film. It was also the first colour film of BR banner
Ittefaq was the only suspense movie directed by Yash Chopra and was a hit of that time. A movie without any song.
Aadmi Aur Insaan: Plot and story revolved around two friends, one honest, the other dishonest.
Daag: A hit film acted by Sharmila Tagore, Rajesh Khanna and Raakhee.
Deewaar: Inspired from the life of the underworld don Haji Mastan, the story had a spark. Every detail you see in the film was in the script. Deewaar was a perfect screenplay with perfect casting, made at the most perfect time. Essentially a family story of two brothers, the film also told the story of their beloveds. Amitabh, an out-law, is attracted to a call girl while Shashi Kapoor, a police officer, is involved with a girl from a good family. Their concerns and the undertones of their relationships are different. The brothers love their partners, but their first love is their mother. Dialogues of the film will be remembered forever.
Kabhie Kabhie was a love story I had been obsessed with for several years. I often wondered what happened to lovers married to different partners. Life could either be happy or a compromise.
Trishul: This was again a film about an unwed mother, the story of an illegitimate son settling scores with his father. The film is about the family, the other relationships are incidental. One of the biggest hits of Amitabh.
Kaala Patthar: We attach so much importance to the form that we often overlook the soul. I’m of the opinion that no matter how fabulous the structure, unless the soul is stirred, the audience isn’t moved. Kaala Patthar lacked soul. It failed to capitalise on the charisma of a great star-cast.
Silsila: It was the first film on extra-marital relationship and call it moral and societal pressures. One of my all-time favorite movies.
Mashaal: Anil Kapoor was the star on the rise those days and got the opportunity of working with Dilip Kumar. The immortal moment of the film is Waheeda Rehman’s death and Dilip Kumar asking for help.
Faasle: It was about the seasons of love. Raj Kiran abuses his woman, despite the sanctity of marriage. Sunil Dutt nurtures his partner without the pressures of society. Farha is the abused one, and Rekha the recipient of undying love. This one was a FLOP
Vijay: It was a rehash of Trishul and did not do well at Box office.
Chandni: Chandni marked the saturation point of violence in films. A great triangular love story.
Lamhe: The idea of a younger man being in love with an older man and not being able to accept her marrying someone else. The novelty of the romance in Lamhe is that when the heroine is young, the hero is old and when the hero is young, the heroine older. The highlight of the film was the dialogues.
Parampara: This about the sacrifices our ancestors make to preserve tradition. Film did not live up to the expectation of the viewers. Amir and Saif confronted each other for the first time.
Darr: It about obsessive love and what it can drive you to. Shah Rukh’s role was very small, but the impact of the character was tremendous. In real life many women face similar traumatic experiences with their anonymous lovers.
Dil To Paagal Hai: This one was conceived as a simple idea that there is someone for everyone. You have to only look for the symbols to recognise him.
Veer Zaara: This was the story of an Indian man, Shah Rukh Khan and a Pakistani woman, Preity Zinta and their love and sacrifices for each other. A mature love story, with characters standing out more than the opulent sets VEER-ZAARA narrates a story that’s quite novel. Just when you think that the story would turn predictable comes a twist and everything changes.
I have seen 15 films out of 20. The films not seen so far are Dhool Ka Phool, Dharam Putra, Aadmi Aur Insaan, Daag (Seen but don’t remember) and Faasle
If a human being is not in love and when I say love, I don’t necessarily mean man-woman relationship, it can be life, work or art, he has no right to live. Love makes life fascinating...
Yash Chopra has mastered the human emotions and easily portrays into his movies.
Dear Mr. Chopra, keep up the excellent work…..
