Memories of Yash Chopra

For the last week I have been wondering what I could write about Yash Chopra which would do him justice. It was a sad day last week when I got back to London to be told that the legendary Indian film director Yash Chopra had passed away from multiple organ failure. It is a great loss for Indian cinema. I don’t think I am skilled enough to write a long tribute so what I thought I would do was share a select few of my favourite memories of Yash Chopra.
My first memory of Yash ji came with the movie Lamhe, which is the first Hindi movie I ever saw in the cinema (Savoy Cinemas, Nottingham). I remember the beautiful scenes set in Rajasthan, the gorgeous Sridevi playing mother and daughter, melodious music and Anil Kapoor without a tash!

Nisha from Dil To Pagal hai is a character whom I can completely relate to (well i’m not as pretty as per nor can I dance like her!) but she’s the girl who doesn’t get the guy in the movie. How many times has that happened to me? She’s the modern girl who fights and does everything shevcan to get her love… in the end she doesn’t get the guy but we’re left hoping she and Akshay do fall in love ans live happily ever after, maybe Aditya could make DTPH part 2?

One of my favourite songs from Yash Chopra is Do Pal from Veer Zaara. The song is about how lovers united for a few moments then they lost their ways, this happens way too often. the song bought together Sonu Nigam and the legendary Lata Mangeshkar who sang for all of Yash-ji’s films. WordPress isn’t let me upload a video at the moment but you can see the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ekh1LiRKKo

Two things I will always remember and associate with Yash Chopra’s films are Love and a strong female protagonist/s. Whether it be Sridevi in Chandi/Lamhe. Rani/Preity in Veer Zaara or Madhuri/Karisma in Dil To Pagal Hai. He always portrayed his heroines beautifully and demurely. Most people know I am not the most feminine of women but watching Yash-ji’s films made you want to be like these women. Yash made falling in love look so easily even if it wasn’t as easy in real life.
There will never be another Yash Chopra who brings love to the silver screen with so much ease, we have his son Aditya but I don’t think even he can replace his father, so with that Rest In Peace Yash Chopra.