Yash Chopra: The Only Man Who Taught Everyone To Love

Here are some of the key factors we generally see in most of his films:

1. Genre Shift: He started along with his brother BR Chopra with Dhool Ke Phool in 1959 and then Dharamputra in 1961. Owing to the success he founded his film company Yash Raj Films and then directed the first film Daag in 1973 of it, this followed by films like Deewar and Kabhi Kabhi which featured Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role. Following a sabbatical period, he then focussed on making romantic musicals like Chandni which was his comeback in the industry and then followed films like Lamhe, Darr, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Veer Zaara and Jab Tak Hai Jaan which was his last film before he passed away.

2. Love For Switzerland: The director had once stated that he and his wife Pamela had gone to Switzerland for Honeymoon and that love for Switzerland was shown in various films he directed and produced. The films involve mainly the iconic ones like Chandni, Darr and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. In his honour, the Swiss government installed a statue and there was a steady rise in tourism especially from the Indian side who were enamoured by the exotic locales shown by the director. The director wanted to do the same with SRK and Katrina for the climax song of Jab Tak Hai Jaan but it was cancelled due to his sudden demise.

3. Romantic Moments: As mentioned the king of romance, the actor has a flair of getting everyone to fall in love with anyone ranging from Raj and Simran in DDLJ during the course of Eurotrip and in the mustard fields, Rahul and Pooja in Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Raj and Megha in Mohabbatein and finally Veer and Zaara in Veer-Zaara. The romantic element is just mind-blowing.

4. Yash Chopra’s Heroines: Every actress who has played a lead role in most of Yash Chopra’s films are filled with innocence and natural beauty in them. This goes with heroines like Sridevi, Juhi Chawla, Madhuri Dixit and lastly Preity Zinta. Most of these heroines have been a dream girl most of the young boys who have been in love with them.

5. A Helping Hand To SRK and Big B: Shah Rukh Khan was a newcomer in the industry when Yash Chopra was looking for an actor to play the role of Rahul in his iconic film Darr, when many big actors like Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgan backed out from the role, his son Aditya Chopra recommended SRK to play the anti-hero and when SRK accepted, his performance overshadowed Sunny Deol who was playing the lead and his dialogue I Love You Kkk Kiran became an iconic dialogue. He even helped Amitabh Bachchan when he became bankrupt and Chopra offered him Mohabbatein which brought him back in the game and there was no turning back for him from that day on.

6. Poetic Lines in every film: In every film of his, there is a poem which recited by either him or the lead actor playing the role and that has been the driving force in most of his films like Veer Zaara and then lastly Jab Tak Hai Jaan.

Main Qaidi Number Saat Sou Cheyasi [786]
Jail Ki Salakhon Se Bahar Dekhta Hoon
Din Mahine Saalon Ko , Yug Mein Badalte Dekhta Hoon
Is Mitti Se Mere Bauji Kii , Kheton Ki Khusbuu Aati Hain
Yeh Dhoop Mere Maajii Kii , Thandi Chaaz Yaad Dilaati Hain
Yeh Baarish Mere Saawan ke Zhoolon Ko Sang Sang Laati Hain
Yeh Sardi Meri Lodi Kii , Aaag Seinkh Ke Jaati Hain
Woh Kehte Hain Yeh Tera Desh Nahin ,
Phir Kyun Mere Desh Jaisa Lagta hain
Woh Kehta Hain Main Us Jaisa Nahin
Phir Kyun Mujh Jaisa Woh Lagta Hain 

                                                     - Veer-Zaara (2004)

Teri aankhon ki namkeen mastiyan
Teri hansi ki beparwaah gustakhiyaan
Teri zulfon ki leharaati angdaiyaan
Nahi bhoolunga main
Jab tak hai jaan, jab tak hai jaan                               

                                                       - Jab Tak Hai Jaan

7. Iconic Dialogues: In every film of his there is an iconic dialogue which brings the full house down ranging from Deewar to Darr to Dil Toh Pagal Hai to Veer Zaara which is used frequently in the real world.

Aaj khush to bahut hoge tum?
                              -Deewar (1975)
I Love You Kkkkk Kiran
                                   - Darr (1993)
Kahin na kahin, koi na koi mere liye banaya gaya hai
... aur kabhi na kabhi main usse zaroor milongi                                                                                                                                  - Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997)

8. Supporting Roles Given Importance: In every film of his, the supporting role is given good focus ranging from Divya Dutta and Rani Mukherjee in Veer Zaara, Karishma Kapoor in Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Anupam Kher in Darr and finally Anushka Sharma in Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Anushka stole the limelight with her supporting role and that overshadowed Katrina’s role.

9. Cult Classics Despite Failing: His two directorials Silsila and Lamhe despite being commercial failures in box-office were cult classics after so many years and the director stated that Lamhe happens to be one of his favourite works till date and Silsila is quite equivalent to what is happening in real and reel life.

He has been an inspiration for many aspiring directors in Bollywood and it is sad that he left us quite early but he left us some memories which most of us cherish even now.