Close buddies of YashChopra, Mukesh Bhatt andRamesh Sippy, recall fond memoriesof himLegendary filmmaker YashChopra’s demise has left a void inthe film industry that can’t befilled. Close friends of the latedirector are numbed by shockand grief, and can’t seem to getover their loss.
After several calls andrequests, we managed to speak toMukesh Bhatt and Ramesh Sippy,both of whom were thick asthieves with the (late) Chopra.Said Bhatt, “I knew Yash since 40years but we became close sincethe last seven years when Ibecame an active member of theProducers’ Guild. Our friendshipgrew when owners of multiplexesstarted bullying us.
We startedcalling each other even when wedidn’t want to talk about work.He never started the conversationwithout first saying, ‘Mukesh, kyaek minute baat kar sakte hain?’.He never imposed himself onanybody .”A lesser known fact aboutChopra was that he loved adventure.Said Sippy, “Four years agowhen he was 76, we were atApollo Bunder and had to gofrom one boat to another viarope. He did that with extremeease. Said Bhatt, “He was 80 yearsyoung, not 80 years old.But hehad a problem with youngsters inBollywood who are turning ablind eye to issues like entertainmenttax, service tax and piracy.
“Bhatt shared all his problems, professional and personal withChopra.”I told Yash I was very worriedabout my son Vishesh as hewas taking a long time settlingdown and deciding on a script.Yash simply said, ‘That’s evenbetter. Mark my words, he’ll bebigger than you and your brother.My son Aditya took a lot of timebefore settling on the DDLJscript.’ He said it so reassuringly,”recalled Bhatt.Yash had told his friendsabout his next film Jab Tak HaiJaan.
“I think that movie is goingto be the biggest blockbusterever,” said Sippy. Isn’t Jab TakHai Jaan going to face competitionfrom Son of Sardar that isreleasing on the same day? Bhattopined, “I think Ajay Devgnshould move his film from thesame date, Nov 13. When a legendspeaks, you need to give himspace.We must stand together onJab Tak Hai Jaan, instead of tryingto prove an individual andpersonal point.” What are his bestfilms according to them?Informed Sippy, “He spoke veryhighly of Waqt and Ittefaq”.
Both Sippy and Bhatt agreethat had Chopra not been soreceptive toward the constantchanges in technology, he wouldn’thave been able to take YRF tothe dizzying heights it hasachieved today.According to Bhatt, who isvisits Vaishnodevi every Ashtami:”This time I think mata knewwhat was coming, and she wantedme to be in Mumbai and not atVaishnodevi.
She wanted me tosalute my friend as he left theworld of the living.” Said Sippy,”They don’t make men like himanymore. They come once in ageneration. There will never beanother Yash Chopra.”
