Yash Chopra

Yash Chopra: Fifty years in Indian Cinema looks at one of the most charismatic and powerful figures within the Indian film industry—his name being synonymous with romantic glamour and a certain style within Indian culture. From his directorial debut in 1959 with Dhool ka Phool, the book spans his four decades as a director, describing some memorable classics like Deewar and Kabhi Kabhie. It journeys with him to his advent as a producer in 1973, enumerating his enormous box-office hits during the ’90s, including Dilwale Dulhania le Jayenge. It encompasses the other genres he successfully delved into with films such as Darr and Mashaal. The author examines how Chopra has transformed the look of popular Indian cinema through tireless innovation within a mainstream tradition; his professional relationship with megastar Amitabh Bachchan; the influence of others, particularly Raj Kapoor, on his cinema, and his legacy as being developed by his son Aditya Chopra. These analyses are complemented with insights and comments on the man and his oeuvre, through interviews with his family, his colleagues, his stars, his contemporaries and critics.