Yash Chopra dies, before swan song 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' hits screens

The last time Yash Chopra spoke to the media was on his birthday on September 27. Talking about his upcoming Jab Tak Hai Jaan, he announced his retirement from films. "In all these years, I have got so much love from people that now I want to give it all back. I want to help a lot of youngsters who want to become actors, directors and technicians," he said to a standing ovation.

While his dream of making his last film was fulfilled, he passed away before he could see its release on November 13.

With Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Chopra had donned the director's hat after eight years. "After Veer Zaara, I wanted to make a different and touching film. That is when I told my son Aditya that I want to direct a film. Jab Tak Hai Jaan is his gift to me."

There were no doubts who would play the lead. Ever since Darr, Shah Rukh Khan had been a favourite with Chopra. Chopra loved working with Khan because he had never asked for a signing amount nor for the script. For the lead lady, he zeroed in on Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.

He pulled off a coup by getting A R Rahman and Gulzar to work together again. Chopra wrote a poem Shah Rukh recites in the film. "I have always been fond of writing poetry. This time around, I thought I should write for my film," he said.

Chopra was keen on making his final dream one of his biggest.

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