Historical Lamhe

Those who create history have an unerring sense of timing or premonition and in hindsight one would say that Chopra this year on the occasion of his birthday, orchestrated the perfect farewell

Earlier this year on the occasion of Yash Chopra's birthday, Shah Rukh Khan brought up Joshila, the film directed by Chopra that familiarised him with the legend of Yash Chopra. It was also in a tenuous way responsible for him eventually joining the movies!

Truth be told, more often than not film-makers underestimate the myriad ways their films impact people and the venerable Yash Chopra was no different.

As news of his sudden death came, there was shock, an outpouring of grief and eventually, acceptance that he had decided to move on to the heavenly realm. From the time of the announcement of his demise, everyone was citing their favourite Yash Chopra film, scenes they had liked, songs etc, underscoring the longevity of his work. An intrepid film-maker, entrepreneur and innovator, Chopra has indeed left behind an impressive legacy which will be a constant reminder of his talent.

Those who create history have an unerring sense of timing or premonition, and in hindsight one would say that Chopra, on the occasion of his birthday orchestrated the perfect farewell. In addition to a celebration with friends and family, he made for a special Q&A session between him and the leading star of his film, Shah Rukh Khan, summing up his journey in the presence of the media. Though the film-maker had always been congenial and accessible to the media, there was something different about that session. It was almost as though having lived life to the lees, he was, on his eightieth birthday, pausing to say his 'Thank yous' and 'Sorries' out loud. Putting all those feelings on record, if you will.

... contd.

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