A tearful Bollywood bade farewell to legendary filmmaker, director, producer B R Chopra. He died at his Juhu home on Wednesday at 93, after a career spanning five decades.

Nearly 1,000 people from the film industry were at the funeral. They included thespians like Dilip Kumar, Danny Denzongpa, Anu Kapur and Subash Ghai, as well as youngsters like Rajpal Yadav addend the funeral. Everyone remembered him for his revolutionary ideas and films

Eldest son Ravi Chopra performed the final rites. According to a source, Ravi, director of the television serial Mahabharat, recited all Sanskrit shlokas to perfection. Chopra was cremated at 5.30 pm.

Speaking to Newsline later, director Madhur Bhandarkar said he never had the opportunity to meet the legendary filmmaker. Yet he cancelled the party I had planned on Wednesday to celebrate the success of my film Fashion.

Chopra’s work has always been an inspiration to him, he said. “His pathbreaking films, like Naya Daur, Nikaah, Insaaf Ka Taraazu and Gumrah, always carried a social strong message and mirrored the society in the times they were made. With Mahabharat, he again proved his mettle with content that could force people to think and question themselves.

Actor Jeetendra, another industry figure who had never worked with Chopra, said, “Unfortunately, he one film we had planned did not go on the floors. But I had the opportunity to work in films under the BR Films banner. We also shared close familial ties and there is no doubt that the great filmmaker will be missed. Chopraji was always ahead of his times and chose subjects for his films that could shake the pretentious value system of the society. Hats off to the maverick and may his soul rest in peace.”

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