About Swiss mountains and Mustard fields

Yash Chopra, the man who defined and molded romance in the Hindi films, was much more than just a prolific film maker. He was a brand who will be remembered for his classic style of story-telling and for infusing romance in the hearts of common (wo)man of India. But he occupies another lofty position in the hearts and minds of millions of NRIs who are eternally thankful to him for eulogizing their community with his ethereal display of Swiss mountains and mustard fields, a task which has been religiously and beautifully carried forward by filmmakers like Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar.

He displayed a very refreshing sense of film making showcasing wide range of emotions many of which defied the societal norms of relationship and cultural bandwagon. The protagonists of his stories exemplified multidimensional characters with layers of emotions which were more close to the real life. Yash Chopra has also being a pioneer in projecting women and her bewitching beauty clad in nine yards of chiffon amidst the serene Swiss Alps. He was a true visionary who churned out stories which were much ahead of their time. Some of his cult films like Lamhe and Silsila did not set the box office on fire but displayed some crackling chemistry between its lead pairs, which is remembered by people till this date.

Yash Chopra’s last directorial venture, aptly named Jab Tak Hai Jaan (Till my last breath) sums up his life and his passion for cinema in a very succinct manner. He passed away just days away from his latest film’s release date. Known as the King of Romance in Bollywood, his movies depicted romance and explored human relationships with different elements each time, much beyond the candyfloss tales. He has shown that love transcends all –be it political border, cross generations or even the marital vows. He also led the way in multi-starrer movies and social dramas and helped shape up careers of two most prominent and unforgettable super stars of Hindi cinema – Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

When one chooses their favourite film directed by Yash Chopra, it’s not so much about quality as it is about taste. A directorial career spanning over fifty years and a range comprised of fine of social dramas, thrillers, and romantic films, makes the task of choosing his best film a most difficult one. Who can forget the mesmerising lover and poet of Kabhi Kabhi, the angry young man of Deewar, the chirpy yet ravishing girl of Chandni, the obsessed lover of Darr and several other characters from his movies which have captivated the hearts and minds of cinema lovers across the world. 

It wouldn’t be wrong to say this man taught a country of a billion people the inexplicable art of loving. Those subtle, nuanced, romantic sweet nothings that were engendered from the brain of that man, have always had a way with people – no matter how much they would want themselves to be impervious to that emotion called love. While his last movie Jab Tak Hai Jaan, might not have created a cinematic explosion at the box office, nonetheless this movie would always be remembered for being his last stint with the silver screen and for eulogizing romance in his typical style. The memories of Yash Chopra will live as long as the lovers of Hindi Cinema exist in the world and these will speak through his very many stories of human emotions and relationships like eternity.