Yash Raj Films (YRF) chairperson Aditya Chopra is famously shy to the point of being a recluse. In his 35 years in the Hindi film industry, he's only given a couple of interviews. That is why, his appearance on YRF's 'The Romantics' (2023) on Netflix caused such a stir.
On 'The Romantics' which paid homage to YRF's legacy, Aditya Chopra said: “I was privileged that I was already given a huge start by my father. My father was so successful, he literally gave me everything on a platter. I was so lucky. Now if I do not take this head start and make something out of it, I would actually not be doing justice to the opportunity. So that was my drive. How do I put Yash Raj Films on the map of the world?”
On his 53rd birthday, we look at what he's accomplished in Bollywood so far, what makes him interesting and why is Aditya Chopra famous:
1. Born on May 21, 1971, Aditya Chopra studied at the Bombay Scottish School and then Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics.
2. Aditya Chopra was just 24 years old at the time of his directorial debut with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ).
3. Aditya Chopra had in fact started working in the movies six years prior, at the age of 18. Before DDLJ, Aditya Chopra worked as assistant director to his father Yash Chopra on iconic films like Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991) and Darr (1993). He also wrote the screenplay for TV show Parampara (1992).
4. DDLJ got the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment in 1996. Aditya Chopra has since won the National Award three more times, for Chak De! India (wholesome entertainment), Roadside Romeo (best animation), and Dum Laga Ke Haisha (best Hindi feature).
5. On the 50th anniversary of YRF in September 2020, Aditya Chopra gave thanks to the actors, directors, those in technical functions and the audience for YRF's success. He added that old-world values and a conservative approach to business had been the hallmarks of the YRF way in its first five decades of existence:
6. Five Aditya Chopra films have entered the mega-exclusive 300 crore club already:
Pathaan, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone (Rs 1,050.30 crore at the global office)
War, starring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff (Rs 475.62 crore globally)
Tiger Zinda Hai (Rs 565 crore globally)
Sultan (Rs 623.33 crore at the global box office)
Dhoom 3 (Rs 557 crore worldwide)
7. Aditya Chopra has also made his mark on OTT platforms. He was executive producer on the critically acclaimed Netflix series The Railway Men starring Kay Kay Menon, R. Madhavan, Babil Khan, and Divyendu Sharma, among others.
8. Yash Chopra founded Yash Raj Films in 1970. Aditya Chopra took over in 2012, and is now chairperson of the film production and distribution company.
9. Aditya Chopra has copped to being media-shy. In a rare interview in 1996, he was asked to share his first film memory. His answer: "That's very difficult for me to pin-point today. I'm told that I would hang out on the sets of Kabhi Kabhie... I must have been four then... with a viewfinder." The entire text of this interview is available on the YRF website.
10. Growing up, Aditya Chopra said in the 1996 interview, he thought film-making was the "only profession in the world" and that he "liked every film" till he was 14 or 15. "The first time I realised that a film could be good was when I saw Deewar. After that I became somewhat more discerning, I started noticing films more closely," he said.
11. As a young adult, he liked playing football and reading books by Ayn Rand, Jeffrey Archer ('The Firm' is a particular favourite) and Sidney Sheldon.
12. Aditya Chopra had originally planned to make DDLJ in English, to show Western audiences that India isn't just a country of snake charmers. Here's a snippet from the 1996 interview again, on how DDLJ evolved in the early stages: "After Darr, I was trying to find a story idea for dad. When I told him the basic premise of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, he didn't react immediately. But while I was narrating it to him, the visuals started evolving in my mind... so I thought, okay I'll give the story a shot myself. Something about it excited me. I felt it could be an absorbing love story through which I could say a few things I wanted to.
13. While Aditya Chopra has produced more than 70 films and written for over 20 projects, he has only directed four to date: DDLJ, Mohabbatein, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, and Befikre.
14. Aditya Chopra's next big interview after 1996 came via YRF and Netflix's 'The Romantics' in 2023. Speaking about the 'Dhoom' franchise on 'The Romantics', Aditya Chopra said: "I wanted to make a film in which I combine Manmohan Desai and Michael Bay"!
15. Aditya Chopra has been married to Rani Mukerji for 10 years. The couple have a daughter, Adira.
Speaking to Galatta India in March 2024, Rani Mukerji said: “What I saw in Adi was a very, very gracious human being, a good person, and a great leader for his team... He’s very fair... in terms of his morals and his judgment. You might fall out of love, or lose that initial attraction, but you’ll never lose that respect you have for a person.” In a separate interview, Karan Johar - long-time friend of Aditya Chopra as well as Rani Mukerji - said he was among just 18 people invited to the couple's wedding in Italy in April 2014, and he was under strict instructions to keep it quiet.
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