Yash Chopra

What made his films unforgettable was his uncanny ability to create magic on screen. Here's a look

Waqt: Though Yash Chopra's directorial debut was Dhool Ka Phool, it was Waqt which got him the best director award for the first time. According to Bollywood trivia, B R Chopra had originally planned the film with Prithviraj Kapoor and his three sons, Raj, Shammi and Shashi. Eventually, only Shashi Kapoor was cast in the film.

Daag:The hit pair of the seventies Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore teamed up together in this drama about a polygamous man living a dual life. At that time, Rajesh Khanna was a superstar and everybody wanted a piece of him. Sources say that the leading ladies of the film never spoke to each other for years after a fight over Rajesh Khanna.

Deewar: The film contains all the stock-in-trade elements of a Bollywood masala potboiler - Brothers who are poles apart, the wronged mother, a taut script ( one of the best from Salim - Javed), the powerful dialogues and above all a power-packed performance by Amitabh Bachchan which strengthened his image as an angry young man.

Trishul: This film about an illegitimate son's quest to destroy his father's fortune was one of the biggest hits of the eighties. Dilip Kumar was initially offered the role which was eventually played by Sanjeev Kumar.

Silsila: In a conversation with Shah Rukh on his 80th birthday, Chopra disclosed that both Smita Patil and Parveen Babi had signed the film.But eventually, it was the Amitabh's real life heroines who got to play the roles. Despite the cold war between the two actresses, Jaya Bachchan and Rekha were dignified enough to not make the shooting difficult for anyone.

Kabhi Kabhi: The snowy peaks and the post card sized photographs of tall Kashmiri poplar trees lining the road decorated many scenes in Yash Chopra's Kabhi Kabhi. The cast which comprised of Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhi, Shahi Kapoor, Waheeda Rahman, Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh contributed to every aspect of the film, and they even brought their families with them (they were used as extras in the wedding scenes). Chopra had described the shooting as a honeymoon.

Darr: This saga of an obsessed lover who goes to any lengths changed Shah Rukh Khan's career graph for good. While Juhi Chawla was actually named Kiran in the film, it was Shah Rukh Khan who became famous for this dialogue. Most parts of the film was shot in Yash Chopra's favourite country-Switzerland.

Chandni: Chandni made chiffon saris the quintessential garb of the Bollywood heroines. It is said that Rekha was original choice but Yash Chopra felt that she would not fit in well with the two leading men of the film-Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna.

Lamhe: When Lamhe released, it didn't go down with the audience as they found this cross-generational love story to be incestuous but the film remains one of Yash Chopra's best work."Lamhe came before its time," Yash Chopra had lamented after the disheartening response to his film.

Dil Toh Pagal Hai: The film, initially supposed to be called 'Maine To Mohabbat Ki Hai' brought back the concept of soulmates shall meet. Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Karishma Kapoor, Dil Toh Pagal Hai was a hit with the younger generation with its foreign locales, chart-bursting songs and yes, chiffon!

Veer Zaara: The film was originally going to be called 'Yeh Kahaan Aa Gaye Hum', after the song from Silsila, but Yash Chopra felt that 'Veer-Zaara' went better with the story of the film. However, a song in the film twisted the title and became 'Yeh Hum Aa Gaye Hai Kahaan'. Sources say that Rani Mukherjee's role was originally intended for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, but she backed out.

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