Filmmaker Yash Chopra, one of the most iconic that Bollywood has ever produced, died on October 21, 2012. Yash Raj Chopra was an Indian film director and film producer, predominantly working in Hindi Cinema. Yash Chopra began his career as an assistant director to I.S Johar and elder brother, B.R Chopra.
He made his directorial debut with Dhool Ka Phool in 1959, a melodrama about illegitimacy, and followed it with the social drama Dharamputra (1961).
In 1971, he founded his own production company, Yash Raj Films (YRF), and launched it with "Daag". Some of his most iconic films are "Deewar", "Kabhie Kabhie" and "Trishul".
He also directed the commercially successful cult film "Chandni", "Lamhe" and "Darr" . He announced his retirement after "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" in 2012.
He bagged several film awards, including six National Film Awards and the Government of India honoured him with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2005 for his contributions to Indian cinema.
Yash Chopra gave Bollywood few of its best movies like ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaenge’, ‘Darr’, ‘Veer Zara’, ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai’ and more such hit movies.
He pushed ahead the careers of great stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Shashi Kapoor, Rakhi, and lately Rishi Kapoor, Sridevi, Anil Kapoor, Shah rukh khan, Juhi Chawla, Aishwarya Rai and some more.
The film studio started by Mr. Chopra is being carried forward by his son Aditya Chopra as head of Yash Raj Films. His second son Uday Chopra heads YRF Entertainment in Hollywood. But Bollywood obviously misses the charm of Mr. Chopra. The filmmaker died of dengue fever in October 2012.
British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) presented him with a lifetime membership for his contribution to films, making him the first Indian to receive the honour.