Yash Chopra: The Director With A Musical Soul

Yash Chopra was one of the first to tell the story of an anti-hero – Amitabh Bachchan in Deewar – a path many were afraid to tread in the 70s. When Salim-Javed wrote the script, they did not leave any space for songs. But Chopra insisted on having at least three songs in the film. The songs were the only let down in the tight narrative. Apparently Chopra told Salim-Javed, ‘Film sookhi lag rahi hai’, and the writer duo replied, “Then let us name the film geeli deewar (wet wall)!”

It’s not that Chopra never made a songless film. His 1969 film Ittefaq with Rajesh Khanna had no songs. But he was someone who always wanted his work to be remembered as much for its music as for its script and characters.

Almost two decades after Deewar, he cast yet another upcoming actor as anti-hero – Shahrukh Khan in Darr – and this tale of an obsessive lover was underlined by great music, including the superhit song Jaadu teri nazar sung by Udit Narayan.The soundtrack of 1981 love triangle Silsila was a runaway hit, but the film was one of Chopra’s biggest duds at the box office.
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