Yash Chopra passes away

Writer: Peter Chai

Bollywood movie mogul Yash Chopra recently passed away at 80.

23 Oct – Yash Chopra, one of the more successful Bollywood filmmakers best known as the "King of Romance", suffered multi-organ failure and passed away on Sunday, a week after being hospitalised for dengue fever, according to Times Of India.

The Indian movie mogul spent the last day of his life in Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai after suffering with kidney ailments aside from his dengue fever contraction. He was 80 years old.

He was cremated at a crematorium in Mumbai yesterday afternoon. Many famous figures in India expressed their mourning of the death of the movie icon.

"I am shocked and numb. Can't believe the news, the man who immortalized love, Mr Yash Chopra is no more," actor Akshay Kumar said.

"Shattering, hard to accept. Yash was more than a friend, a brother. I am numb and have no words to express my grief," said Dilip Kumar, another Indian legend and the first actor to receive Filmfare Best Actor Award back in 1954.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had also paid his tribute to the legend. "An icon of Indian Cinema, he entertained many generations with his rare creativity. He had an aesthetic talent to make his films look larger than life," he said.

Born on 27 September 1932 in Lahore, Chopra began his five-decade long illustrious career in the 1950s by working as an assistant director to acclaimed actor-director I.S. Johar and his elder brother B.R Chopra. He then made his directorial debut with "Dhool Ka Phool" in 1959, a melodrama about a Muslim bringing up an `illegitimate' Hindu child.

Chopra continued his directorial efforts with "Lamhe", "Dil To Pagal Hai" and "Veer-Zaara", all of which were critically acclaimed and won numerous awards.

Yash Chopra's final film was "Jab Tak Hai Jaan", starring Shahrukh Khan.

Chopra was recognized for his signature touches of romance, music and European settings in film. In addition, he is known for establishing the careers of Amitabh Bachchan as Bollywood's biggest star with his 1970s major hits "Deewar" and "Kabhi Kabhie", as well as Shahrukh Khan's with over half-a-dozen movies for the past two decades. Shahrukh Khan is also the star in his final film, "Jab Tak Hai Jaan", which will be released across India in November.

Chopra was survived by his wife and two sons. His elder son Aditya Chopra is a successful movie director, whereas Uday Chopra runs the international branch of the family's production house.