Straight from the heart

In spite of being forbidden from watching movies as a child, Yash Chopra is today one of India's most successful and prolific filmmakers, with hits spanning five decades. Lorraine Chandler meets the man whose movies touch viewers' hearts.

Yash Chopra is one of the cornerstones of the Indian film industry, with a career spanning nearly half a century. He has been associated with almost 30 films, including action movies and thrillers, although romances are his trademark.

He is the only Indian filmmaker who has had blockbusters in every decade since the 1950s, making his name instantly recognisable to generations of Indian cinema-goers.

His hits include Dhool Ka Phool in the 1950s, Waqt and Ittefaq in the 1960s, Daag, Kabhi Kabhie, Deewaar and Trishul in the 1970s, Chandni in the 1980s, Lamhe, Darr, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Dil To Pagal Hai in the 1990s and Mohabbatein in 2000.

Chopra was born into a family of six brothers and one sister in Lahore in 1932. He was the youngest and describes himself as the ?full stop? in the family.

As a young boy, he spent a lot of time in the house of his elder brother Baldev Raj (B. R.) Chopra and he started his film career as an assistant to his brother in 1951.

B.R. Chopra had migrated to Bombay just weeks before partition in August 1947 and went on to make some of the great classics of Indian cinema, including Naya Daur, Sadhana, Ek Hi Raasta and more recently the acclaimed TV series, Mahabharat.

The younger Chopra soon made a name for himself, directing his first film, Dhool Ka Phool in 1959. The film dealt with the issue of illegitimacy, showing that Chopra was ready to weave controversy into his work, something he has continued to do skilfully for nearly 50 years.

His debut movie was only the first of a long list of popular and critically acclaimed films. While few directors have lasted more than a decade, he finds the same success nowadays as he did with his early productions.

Chopra has worked both as director and producer and has gained a reputation not just for creativity but for an acute awareness of what the public wants. His finger remains as firmly on the pulse today as it was when he started out in the business.

Chopra is best known for movies like Chandni (1989), a box office success that combined touching romance, spectacular scenery and an uplifting soundtrack.

Chandni also marked the end of an unsuccessful period in the 1980s, characterised by action movies such as Mashaal (1984) and Vijay (1988) which, despite winning critical acclaim, failed to capture the imagination of movie-goers.

Chopra has become renowned for his romantic storylines and his focus on strong heroines. While he is chiefly an entertainer, he feels it equally important that his movies convey a message.

Family and social values are major themes in productions such as Silsila and Kabhi Kabhie, where two lovers sacrifice their love for the sake of their parents' wishes.

But Chopra's movies are not about preserving tradition; instead, they promote the sanctity of love, human relationships and marriage. Like any great storyteller, he realises that you can entertain people while also giving them a message to ponder.

Chopra launched his own production banner, Yashraj Films, with the 1973 blockbuster Daag.

The film was a turning point for Chopra, making him an instant success. Since then he has produced more than 20 films under the Yashraj banner.

Nowadays, Chopra runs his multi-million rupee empire with the help of his son, Aditya, who has taken over his father's mantle, directing productions such as the mega hit Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995) and Mohabbatein.

His younger son, Uday, made his acting debut in Mohabbatein, starring alongside big names in Hindi cinema such as Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

Chopra's wife, Pamela, has been a strong influence on him and is credited with encouraging him to start his own production company. It's not surprising that she wields considerable power, as the director is known for his admiration for strong women.

At 73, Chopra doesn't show any sign of slowing down. He points out that his brother, B. R. Chopra, is 91 and still going to the office every day. Looking back, he has no regrets, and looking forward, he still has plans for more exciting movies.

For a director of his stature, he is surprisingly approachable and friendly and still has an eye for a pretty lady.

He asks me if I agree that his assistant is very charming. I nod my head.

In an effort to be gentlemanly, he seems to forget both his status and age when he helps move a table so the photographer can get a better shot.

Yet his bushy eyebrows don't conceal his tired eyes, which show that even if he is young at heart, Chopra's body hasn't got the stamina it once did.

He also does something quite strange for someone his age. During our long chat, he keeps his mobile phone almost continuously at his ear, often punching in numbers, but never finding anyone to talk to. I'm not quite sure what that's all about, but I try to ignore it since he's so charming.

He completely refuses to take credit for his great works, attributing his success to God's kindness. He is so reticent on the subject that if I didn't know any better, I would never realise that I'm talking to one of the most successful Indian directors of all time.

I
I feel very happy when someone praises my movies, because my hard work has borne fruit, but at the same time it adds to my responsibilities, because next time I am expected to create something even better.

I prefer directing to producing because it's more satisfying and I enjoy every aspect of the work. I only produce films out of necessity.

I don't make movies I don't believe in. My most recent film, Veer-Zaara (made in 2004), is not just a simple romantic movie. The message I wanted to transmit through Veer-Zaara is that there should be no barriers to love. Veer and Zaara's story can happen anywhere in the world.

I believe filmmaking has no barriers of colour, language or morals, in the same way that love has no barriers. I also believe Veer-Zaara has great dimensions (aside) from its emotional elements.

I've seen tears in people's eyes while they've been watching the movie and I know it has helped many movie-goers realise that people from India and Pakistan are not as different as they might think.

I am not a musician but I have an ear for the music I want in my movies.

I believe I am an entertainer, but not (only) that. I like to make movies about human relations, emotion and romance. Love never goes out of fashion, and all over the world, every minute of the day, there are people saying 'I love you' to each other.

Music is important in my movies as part of the entertainment, but I also feel that if I can include a positive message, then that's good.

While saying that, I don't believe in preaching to people. If someone wants to learn, he can learn lessons while watching movies. While my messages are important, I also feel entertainment for its own sake is a good thing. I'm happy if I can make people laugh.

I think people in India love movies so much because there's isn't really any comparable entertainment around.

I'm very happy today and I don't have any regrets. There have been good and bad (times) in my life, but I think on the whole life has been good to me. Everyone says I'm moody but I quite like being that way.

Me

Me and my parents:
I was born into a very middle class family in Lahore, but I grew up and went to school in Jalandhar (Punjab). My father was very honest and hard-working.

He was an accountant but died in a car accident in 1947, leaving my mother to look after my five brothers, my sister and myself. We had property so we were financially well off and, of course, my brothers helped out. It was difficult for us all when he passed away.

He taught us that no matter what we choose to do in life, we should try our best.

My mother was very proud of us all. She only ever watched the movies we made. She was illiterate but was brave and full of love and affection. I learned so much from her about living life the right way.

She died in 1979.

Me and B. R. Chopra:
Everything I am today is because of my brother Baldev Raj (B. R.) Chopra, who is 18 years older than me. He started as a film journalist in Lahore and moved to Mumbai as a writer in 1947, but then he went into directing and formed his own production company, B. R. Films, in 1955.

I joined him as an apprentice assistant director on January 1, 1951.

We worked very well together and created some very memorable films, but when I decided to set up my own company in 1971, he realised that I couldn't stay in his shadow forever. He reconciled himself to the fact that I had to go and make my own films.

My first film (under my own banner), Daag, was very controversial, because it was about a man who had two wives. It was a huge hit, which really signalled the beginning of an independent career for me.

B. R. supported me all the way when he saw how successful I was. Despite the fact that he's 91 and in ill health, he still goes to the office every day. I can really say B. R. has been my guru.

Me and my wife:
My wife, Pamela, is a great singer who has made a fantastic contribution to the music industry in India. Ours was an arranged marriage in 1971. She is a very good mother and wife; she is always there when we need her. She is an intelligent mix of modernism and tradition.

Me and my sons:
My two sons, Aditya and Uday, are both wonderful. They are only two years apart and are very close. Aditya is very protective of his brother. Uday is not yet as successful (as Aditya) but they live very different lives, and there's isn't any element of jealousy between them.

When I see them, I am intensely proud of their integrity and honesty. They are hard-working and upright and these two things are more important than any worldly success.

Aditya is 34 and directed his first film when he was only 23. He is a very brilliant boy and the creative head of my company, Yashraj Films. He wrote our last two films and did a beautiful job. He's married to Payal.

Uday, 33, is a great actor who is most well known for light comedy roles.

The characters he plays are very popular with children. He is single and enjoys his acting career, although I think he would also like to enter the directing field one day.

Myself

What does it take to be a good director?
I think a good director should first of all be a human being who has the capacity to feel. Skills come with time, but being a great director (requires) more than just skill. A director should know how to move people; (he must) have an instinctive feeling about how an audience will react to scenes.

What has made you such a successful director?
I think God's blessing is very important in becoming successful, so I have to say that God has been very kind to me. I am very honest and hard-working and I put my best into every movie, not allowing anything to distract me from the vision I have.

While much of your career has been tremendously successful, you had lean periods when commercial success eluded movies such as Mashaal and Vijay.

What impact did these periods have on you?
Films, like life, (have their ups and downs). Low points teach you so much because you realise that you have to get on with things and that, yes, life is a struggle.

Even when you are doing well you cannot sit on your laurels because there are always new challenges. There are good days and bad days and all you can do is put in sincere hard work.

In bad times, you find out who your real friends are because they are the ones who stick around.

You're an icon in Indian filmmaking. Is there any Hollywood director whom you particularly admire?
I love Steven Spielberg. In fact, I watch a lot of Hollywood movies. I like romantic comedies and films with substance and feeling. I don't like action movies.

Women are often the pivotal characters in your movies. Do you feel you understand them well?
No, I don't feel I understand women at all! I just think they are amazing, because they are beautiful and delicate, but at the same time they are able to endure the toughest situations.

I've never liked exposing women in my movies, because I think they should retain some mystery. I think the media has played a negative role in removing this air of mystery about women.

Actresses used to ... practically have haloes around them. But now the media hounds them and everyone knows their business. There is no privacy for actresses any more and this is completely wrong.

Are there any personal values that you've aspired to throughout your life?
I think that you should aim to be a very nice human being. You should try to make others happy. If you can't do that, at least make sure not to hurt anyone. These are the values I've lived by.

What do you see as the future of Indian cinema?
Well, I think Western culture has been sweeping across India. It's become more of a consumer market with a big emphasis on youth and their interests, such as fashion.

There is a greater focus on more materialistic things and a move away from portraying emotions. On the other hand, cinema is going global, and I think there is definitely a potential for good Indian films to cross over into other markets.

Many of your movies have been about marriage. What sort of role do you think marriage should play in life?
Marriage is a great thing in India. In our country, we believe that the love story happens after marriage,
not before.

Marriage should be for life and I don't believe in divorce. At the same time I think that today's lifestyles involve so much stress that if a couple can't be happy together it is better (for them to) to part than (lead a miserable life together).

You're 73 now. Do you have any plans to retire?
Well, I don't travel very much any more. I mostly stay in Mumbai but I'm still very active and my physical presence is required for the movies I create. No one else can do the work for you. I think that if I work hard and with honesty, then I can live a long life.

Success is in God's hands.