Baldev Raj Chopra
Baldev Raj Chopra | |
---|---|
| |
Born |
Rahon, Punjab Province, British India (now in Punjab, India) | 22 April 1914
Died |
5 November 2008 94) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | (aged
Nationality | Indian |
Other names | B. R. Chopra |
Occupation | Producer, director |
Years active | 1944–2006 |
Children | Ravi Chopra |
Relatives | See Chopra-Johar family |
Baldev Raj Chopra (22 April 1914 – 5 November 2008)[1] was an Indian director and producer of Bollywood movies and television serials. Best known for making Hindi films like Naya Daur (1957), Sadhna (1958), Kanoon (1961), Gumrah (1963), Humraaz (1967), Awam (1987) and the TV series, Mahabharat in the late 1980s,[2] he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1998.[3]
His younger brother Yash Chopra, son Ravi Chopra and nephew Aditya Chopra are also directors in the Bollywood industry. His nephew Uday Chopra is an actor and producer.
Biography
Chopra was born in Rahon India, the son of Vilayati Raj Chopra, an employee of the PWD. He was the second of several siblings; one of his brothers is the film-maker Yash Chopra.
"B.R." received an M.A. in English literature from University of the Punjab in Lahore. He started his career in 1944 as a film journalist with Cine Herald, a film-monthly published in Lahore, he later took over the magazine and ran it until 1947.[4] In the same year, he launched a film with a story by I. S. Johar, Chandni Chowk. Naeem Hashmi was hero of this movie and Erika Rukhshi was the heroine. Just as the production of film was to start, riots broke out in Lahore and he and his family had to flee from the city. After the partition of India into India and Pakistan in 1947, he moved to Delhi. He later moved to Mumbai, where his first production, Karwat, began in 1948, though it turned out to be a flop. His first film as a director, Afsana, was released in 1951 and featured Ashok Kumar in a double role – the film was a hit and established his name in Bollywood. Chopra made Chandni Chowk, with Meena Kumari as a lead, in 1954. In 1955, B.R. formed his own production house, B.R Films. His first movie for this production house was Ek hi Raasta which was highly successfulhe followed it up with Naya Daur (1957) starring Dilip Kumar and Vyjayantimala Bali, the film became a golden jubilee hit.His subsequent releases like Kanoon, Gumrah, Humraaz were major hits in the sixties. In 1963, he was a member of the jury at the 13th Berlin International Film Festival.[5] His second film with actor Dilip Kumar was Dastaan which became a flop in 1972.
He directed successful film across genres after 1972, with films like suspense thriller Dhund, comedy film Pati Patni Aur Woh, crime film in Insaaf Ka Tarazu, Muslim social in Nikaah and the political thriller Awam.
B.R. was instrumental in developing the career of singer Mahendra Kapoor, whom he employed in most of his movies. (Director-producer Yash Chopra cast Mahendra Kapoor's son in Faasle.) One prominent thing about B. R. Chopra is the relatively low number of songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi in his films, with Asha Bhosle and Mahendra Kapoor being his preferred singers. The reason behind this was never revealed by him or the singers. Incidentally, both B.R. and Kapoor died within a gap of little longer than a month in 2008, with the latter dying first.
B.R. forayed into television with Mahabharat, one of the most successful TV serials in Indian television history. Nitish Bharadwaj played the role of Krishna in that series. Another of his memorable TV dramas is Bahadur Shah Zafar.
He died in Mumbai at the age of 94 on 5 November 2008,[6] survived by his son, Ravi Chopra, and two daughters.[7]
Awards
- Civilian awards
- Padma Bhushan-2001[8]
- 1960: Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film in Hindi – Kanoon[9]
- 1961: President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi – Dharmputra (Producer)[10]
- 1998: Dadasaheb Phalke Award
- Other Awards
- 1998: Kalakar Awards for Lifetime Achievement
- 2008: Phalke Ratna Award by the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy[11]
Filmography
Year | Film | Role(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1951 | Afsana | Director, Producer | Directorial debut |
1953 | Shole | Director | |
1954 | Chandni Chowk | Director | |
1956 | Ek Hi Raasta | Director, Producer | First film under B.R. Films |
1957 | Naya Daur | Director, Producer | |
1958 | Sadhna | Director, Producer | Nominated - Filmfare Award for Best Film |
1959 | Dhool Ka Phool | Producer | |
1960 | Kanoon | Director, Producer | Won- National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi Filmfare Award for Best Director |
1961 | Dharmputra | Producer | National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi |
1963 | Gumrah | Director, Producer | National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi |
1965 | Waqt | Producer | Nominated- Filmfare Award for Best Film |
1967 | Hamraaz | Director, Producer | |
1969 | Ittefaq | Producer | |
1970 | Aadmi Aur Insaan | Producer | |
1972 | Dastaan | Director, Producer | |
1973 | Dhund | Director, Producer | |
1975 | Zameer | Producer | Directorial debut of Ravi Chopra |
1976 | Chhoti Si Baat | Producer | Nominated- Filmfare Award for Best Film |
1977 | Karm | Director, Producer | |
1978 | Pati Patni Aur Woh | Director, Producer | |
1980 | The Burning Train | Producer | |
1980 | Insaf Ka Tarazu | Director, Producer | Nominated- Filmfare Award for Best Film |
1981 | Agni Pareeksha | Producer | |
1982 | Beta | Producer | |
1982 | Nikaah | Director, Producer | Nominated- Filmfare Award for Best Film, Nominated- Filmfare Award for Best Director |
1982 | Teri Meri Kahani | Producer | Telefilm |
1983 | Mazdoor | Producer | |
1983 | Dharti Aakash | Producer | Telefilm |
1984 | Aaj Ki Awaaz | Producer | |
1985 | Ghazal | Producer | |
1985 | Tawaif | Director | |
1986 | Kirayadar | Producer | |
1986 | Dahleez | Producer | |
1987 | Awam | Director, Producer | |
1988 | Mahabharat | Producer | TV Series |
1991 | Pratigyabadh | Producer | |
1992 | Kal Ki Awaz | Director, Producer | |
1992 | Sauda | Director, Producer | TV Series |
2000 | Vishnu Puran | Producer | TV Series |
2001-2002 | Ramayan | Producer | TV Series |
2001-2004 | Aap Beeti | Producer | TV Series |
2002-2003 | Ma Shakti | Director, Producer | TV Series |
2003 | Baghban | Producer | Nominated- Filmfare Award for Best Film |
2004 | Kamini Damini | Producer | TV Series |
2006-2007 | Viraasat | Producer | TV Series |
2006 | Baabul | Producer | |
2008 | Bhoothnath | Producer | |
References
- ↑ NDTV
- ↑ B.R.Chopra made socially relevant films The Hindu, 6 November 2008.
- ↑ B.R. CHOPRA – Purposeful Film Maker – 30th Recipient – 1998 Archived 1 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
- ↑ Films transformed Chopra's destiny and vice-versa The Times of India, 6 November 2008.
- ↑ "Berlinale: Juries". berlinale.de. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
- ↑ Filmmaker B.R. Chopra dead
- ↑ Bollywood producer BR Chopra dies BBC News, 5 November 2008.
- ↑ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ↑ "8th National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
- ↑ "9th National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India.
- ↑ Apunkachoice Archived 1 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
External links
Wikinews has related news: Indian filmmaker Baldev Raj Chopra dies at age 94 |