One of the greatest filmmakers, Yash Chopra is rightly called the King of Romance. His movies are rather a gift that brought a significant change to the trajectory of Indian cinema. Not abiding by what is conventional, the legendary filmmaker was a trailblazer in defining how things can actually be. In a long career span, he delivered some really enriching concepts that took the likes of Rakhee, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Shah Rukh Khan, and others, pushing their careers to an all-time high. Yash Chopra raised a benchmark in terms of romanticism for the generations to come.

A man with a vision, the filmmaker made many films with all his love and heart. In a long list, there were many films which were way ahead of its time. While the choice is difficult to make, let’s have a look at five films by Yash Chopra that were way ahead of their time and are a must-watch on his birth anniversary.

5 films of Yash Chopra that were way ahead of its time

KABHIE KABHIE

Kabhie Kabhie was released in the year 1976. The film deals with the strong complexities of love, relationships, and dilemmas. A romantic drama that was not limited to the male and female protagonists but spread across two generations. Chopra’s wife Pamela Chopra had written the story of the film, conceiving quite opinionated and strong-headed women, very different from his contemporaries. Chopra in one of his interviews with Karan Johar on Yash Raj Film’s YouTube channel himself had called it an “experiment in romance”.

SILSILA

Released in the year 1981, Silsila is even today considered to be one of the best films of Yash Chopra’s career. A masterpiece by Chopra, the movie delves into the concept of extra-marital affairs. The film is quite remarkable for the times it was made when the concept did not conform to societal norms. The film which stood the test of time had an iconic cast with Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, and Rekha.

CHANDNI

Chandni released in 1989 took Sridevi’s career a top-notch higher. In an interview with Karan Johar available on Yash Raj Films, the veteran director talking about Chandni had divulged, “Our industry had reached the saturation point of violence. So, I was like, I will do the biggest gamble of my life, whatever happens. I won’t make a film with a formula or calculation. I will make a film that will touch my heart. I started Chandni.”

The experiment worked well at the box office and how. A lot of thought was given to the choice of Chandni’s outfits and Sridevi’s onscreen charisma enchanted the audience. 

LAMHE

The maverick filmmaker then came up with yet unimaginable concept with Lamhe in 1991. The film portrayed a love triangle that cinephiles loved with all their heart; it rose above the boundaries of time. Sadly, Indians loved the film but couldn’t accept the phenomenon for the movie to work well at the box office. At the time of its release, while the film was a massive success overseas, it couldn’t do much wonders in the Indian market.

While talking to KJO about the same in the interview on Yash Raj Films, Chopra had confessed being heartbroken to witness such a lukewarm response to the biggest challenge he had taken in terms of Lamhe.

Veer Zaara 

The ever so romantic, Veer Zaara was released in 2004. Hardly would there be any who have not watched the timeless romance between Veer and Zaara. The film was not just another romantic love story but it was more of a musical saga of pure love, separation, and tragedy. The film did not feature any Indo-Pak terrorism or politics but an intense love story.

While talking to Karan, the veteran filmmaker on casting Preity Zinta had stated that in her filmy career before Veer Zaara, she had never done a typical Indian role, so he was of the belief that if he would work hard on her, he can give a new dimension to her on-screen persona. Putting immense efforts into her looks, costumes, make-up, and hairdo followed by 4-5 screen tests, Chopra had made up his mind to have Priety as his Zaara.

Being a Yash Chopra fan you can also watch the docu-series, The Romantics on Netflix celebrating the legacy which he left behind. Nevertheless, the one-of-a-kind filmmaker continues to inspire and rule millions of hearts.

In a long list of his films, don’t forget to share your favorite movie of the maverick filmmaker in the comments section.  

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