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Yash Chopra says razzle-dazzle to survive |
Thursday March 29, 05:10 PM
 NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Bollywood's recent obsession
with real-life issues will not bring the curtain down
on popcorn romances liberally sprinkled with
song-and-dance routines, filmmaker Yash Chopra says.
Chopra, head of India's leading filmmaking and
distribution company Yash Raj Films, has been in the
business for more than 50 years and feels Bollywood
just keeps getting better.
The industry has only recently dared to probe issues
such as extra-marital affairs, an old man's love for a
teenager and divided Kashmir, breaking away from its
sequin-spangled, escapist tradition.
Regarded as the country's king of celluloid romance,
Chopra has also proved his mettle with intensely
emotional and tragic movies, many of which went on to
become box office blockbusters.
Born in 1932 in Lahore, now in Pakistan, he tops the
list of directors favoured by many Indian actors, who
see him as a sure-fire way to become a hit with
audiences.
His most successful films include "Deewaar" (Wall) and
"Silsila" (Happenings), "Darr" (Fear), "Dil To Paagal
Hai" (The Heart Is Crazy), and "Veer Zaara", which
followed a love affair between an Indian man and a
girl from arch-rival Pakistan and featured Shah Rukh
Khan.
Q: Bollywood has started making more realistic films.
Do you welcome this?
A: It is a very, very wonderful change. With this way
we will make different films. It is good that we have
started dealing with subjects which we cannot try with
music, but I definitely feel that the thing Bollywood
is famous for cannot go out of fashion -- its regular
song and dance.
Q: You are producing a film entitled "Ta Ra Rum Pum"
that will be released in April. Can you tell us about
it?
A: It is a film based on car races. It's a romantic
film ... and an emotional film. It is a two, three
layered film.
Q: How do you respond to criticism you take too long
to decide on a script and select a cast?
A: I don't take much time to make films, I take lot of
time to select subjects or to finalise subjects
because as you make film and win an award, your
responsibility increases.
Q: Which is the best film you have directed?
A: I like all my films ... but I say Lamhe, Silsila,
Deewaar and Chandni are all good films but the film
Veer Zaara has suddenly become very close to me ... it
crossed the borders of humans, it crossed the borders
of countries.
"I don't know whether the film is prophetic or not ...
maybe the film has not done this, but the relationship
between these two countries (India and Pakistan) are
developing everyday."
Q: How would you describe your career?
A: "It has been wonderful -- 54 years now, I think, in
filmmaking. There has been ups and downs but I feel
there is no business in the world like show business
as long as the going is good. I think God is very kind
to me and you know filmmaking is the only business in
which you do not do the same thing the next day. You
are always excited like a child for your next film as
you were for your first film.
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