Birthday wishes: Reflecting on Yash Chopra classics

As film director and producer Yash Chopra comes to celebrate another birthday,��he can be sure of one thing. His films are still��the most eagerly awaited of��any given��year. At the beginning of each of his films, he encourages the audience to come and��fall in love and succeeds every time. We all come out from watching his films, enthralled within the worlds that he creates and his characters are truly magical. The release of the trailer of his upcoming film ��Jab Tak Hai Jaan�۪ has just gone viral through all the social media means possible and fans are already raving about it. He knows how to captivate an audience so well that even before the film is released, his fan base��is already pledging their allegiance to be taken on another fantasy ride in the world of Yash Chopra films. We from BizAsia wish Chopra all the best for his upcoming release and take a look back at some of the best films he has brought into our lives to create sweet music on our screens.

��Kabhie Kabhie�۪ (1976)

Who can forget this 1976 classic which starred the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Waheeda Rehman, Raakhee��and Shashi Kapoor? The film�۪s soundtrack caused a lot of interest with the evergreen song Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein sung by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar headlining the vocals and composed by Khayyam. The film�۪s story came to mind to Chopra when he was reading a poem by the film�۪s lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi and was shot in Kashmir. Bachchan was also reinvented in this film as a romantic hero, a huge departure from his previous films where he was portrayed as the ��angry young man�۪. A great film and an even better soundtrack.

��Silsila�۪ (1981)

If there ever was a film where life imitated art or vice versa, this would be it. ��Silsila�۪ starred Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha and Jaya Bachchan and was directed by Chopra.��Whilst filming this movie, Chopra was well aware that Bachchan was having an affair with Rekha, while married to��Jaya in real life. This storyline was coincidentally a direct reflection of this affair. However, when talking to the BBC Asian Network, Chopra said the film was not inspired by this affair. ���I was always on tenterhooks and scared (during Silsila) because it was reel life coming into real life. Jaya is his wife and Rekha is his girlfriend ��� the same story is going on (in real life). Anything could have happened because they are working together.�۝ The film didn�۪t do well at the box office but there has never been a Holi where the infamous song Rang Barse from the soundtrack of ��Silsila�۪ is not played.

��Darr�۪ (1993)

When this film hit the screens, there wasn�۪t a single person who was not astounded by the then lesser known Shah Rukh Khan. At the time, Khan was still working on establishing himself as a household name and Chopra casting him as an obsessed lover was a risky. However, this romantic psychological thriller was well received by audiences and Chopra, once again, proved himself to be the master when it came to directing a love story with a twist. The soundtrack for this film had true gems with Tu Mere Saamne and Jaadu Teri Nazar which were sung by the likes of Lata Mangeshkar, Udit Narayan and Abhijeet.

��Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge�۪ (1995)

There has not been a��more loved��love story that has lasted the test of time than this film and even now the characters live on till this day. Produced by Chopra, this film looked at the values of being an��Indian abroad and how they could be interpreted by the younger generation. Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) falls in love with Simran (Kajol) on train trip around Europe but realises that she has had her marriage arranged to someone else in India by her strict Indian father. As she heads off to get married in India, Raj decides to follow his love and win her back by persuading her family to willingly��give her to him. A brilliant love story and one that still touches��the heart till this day.

��Dil To Pagal Hai�۪ (1997)

This is another classic film produced by Chopra. This film was given the magic formula when it came to a romantic love story starring such strong leads in Shah Rukh Khan, Karisma Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit. Chopra has a real talent for creating award-winning films that have great music and an even better story. The one scene that this film is remembered for is the ��Dance of Envy�۪ which pitted two actresses known for their dancing talents against one another. The film was perfectly choreographed and filmed so artistically that even till the last moment; the audience were holding their breath to see whether true love would come through after all.

Whatever it is, Chopra knows how to evoke the magic of love in the most coldest of hearts. He knows what a good love story is and, better yet, no one tells the tale as well as him. We can only hope that his future films are just as good and with ��Jab Tak Hai Jaan�۪ in the pipeline, it is a promise that he still has not lost his touch with love stories. Happy Birthday Yash Chopra from all of us at BizAsia, you have our hearts!