Aditya Chopra
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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2012) |
| Aditya Chopra | |
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| Born | 21 May 1971 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Alma mater | Bombay Scottish School Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics |
| Occupation | Director Producer Screenwriter Lyricist Distributor Chairman of Yash Raj Films |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouse(s) | Payal Khanna 2001–present |
| Parents | Yash Chopra Pamela Chopra |
| Relatives | Uday Chopra (Brother) Ravi Chopra (Cousin) Vidhu Vinod Chopra (Cousin) Karan Johar (Cousin) |
Aditya Chopra is a National Award winning Indian film producer, screenwriter and director.[1] His work as a director includes Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Mohabbatein (2000), and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008).
He is also the current chairman of India's multi-national film, media and entertainment conglomerate, Yash Raj Films (YRF) and has written and produced a number of critically acclaimed and commercially successful films under the banner like Hum Tum (2004), Veer-Zaara (2004), Fanaa (2006), the Dhoom Trilogy (2004, 2006 & 2013), Kabul Express (2006), Chak De! India (2007), New York (2009), Band Baaja Baaraat (2010), Ishaqzaade (2012), Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) and Paani (2013). The company is estimated to be worth 
29 billion (US$530 million) (as of third quarter of Fiscal year 2012) by various trade analysts, thereby making it the biggest and most successful film production company in the history of Indian Cinema and the most equitable brand in Indian Entertainment.
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Early life and education [edit]
Aditya Chopra, the elder son of filmmaker the late Yash Chopra and Pamela Chopra, was born on 21 May 1971. He completed his formal education and acquired his Indian Certificate of Secondary Education from Bombay Scottish School. He graduated from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics along with Anil Thadani, Karan Johar and Abhishek Kapoor.
Career [edit]
Chopra started his film making career at the age of 18 as an assistant director, working with his father for films like Chandni, Lamhe and Darr. Chopra, after gaining a respectable amount of experience, started independently at the age of 23 with the all time blockbuster Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, for which he was the director and writer. The film was scripted by Chopra and produced by his father Yash Chopra, under the Yash Raj Films banner. Chopra started work on the script of the film in 1990, at the age of 19, and gradually spent time making about five drafts of the film's original script. Chopra even managed to convince his brother Uday Chopra and first cousin Karan Johar, both aspiring film makers, to enter the film industry as assistant director's along with the film. Chopra once told that the presence of his relatives during the making of the film worked as a huge emotional support during the making of this him. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge eventually went on to become one of the biggest hits of all time[2] and won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
Yash Raj Films [edit]
Chopra eventually went on to write the dialogues and the story of his father's 1997 blockbuster Dil To Pagal Hai (which won the National Award), also made under Yash Raj Films. His next film as a director was Mohabbatein with Amitabh Bachchan, which gave the yester year star a new life in his film career and also launched his brother Uday Chopra into the film industry. The film was also written and co-produced by Chopra and fared very well at the box office. The next film under the Yash Raj Films banner was Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, in 2002 and also starred his brother Uday. The film did moderately well at the box office. Chopra went on to produce and write several other highly commercial and critically acclaimed films over the years namely; Hum Tum, Dhoom, Veer Zaara (which won the National Award), Bunty Aur Babli, Salaam Namaste, Fanaa, Dhoom 2 and Chak De India (which also won the National Award), thus launching Yash Raj Films as the most powerful film production house in the history of Indian Cinema, with a net worth of 29 billion (US$530 million) (estimated) and making Chopra one of the most influential people in the country. Chopra then went on to make his third film as a director in 2008 with Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi starring Shahrukh Khan and launching newcomer Anushka Sharma. The film became the highest grossing film for Shahrukh Khan and Yash Raj Films at that time grossing 1.58 billion (US$29 million) in the worldwide market.
YRF launched a number of budding screenwriters and directors under their banner throughout these years. Highly prolific directors and screenwriters like Karan Johar (his Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was co-produced and distributed by Yash Raj Films), Kunal Kohli, Kabir Khan, Sanjay Gadhvi, Jaideep Sahni, Siddharth Anand, Shimit Amin, Habib Faisal, Shaad Ali and Maneesh Sharma debuted under Yash Raj Films and have went on to become extremely successful independent entities in films. The company also produced films for experienced filmmakers such as Anil Mehta and Pradeep Sarkar under their banner. Yash Raj Films was eventually ranked at Number 1 (among the most successful film production companies in India) in a survey conducted by Filmfare and at Number 27 (among the most successful film production companies in the world) in a survey by the Hollywood Reporter, both under the vice-chairmanship of Chopra.
YRF Studios [edit]
On realising the lack of a proper film shooting studio during their years of film making, YRF gradually went on build their dream film production studio, located in the city of Mumbai. YRF Studios, built in 2006, is primarily owned by the chairman and founder president of the company, Yash Chopra. The first film to be shot in the studio was the company's 2006 critical and commercial blockbuster, Fanaa. The studio was created and designed by Chopra and his then wife, Payal Khanna and is equipped with high technology film shooting equipment and goods. The studio sprawling over 20 acres (81,000 m2) and towering up to six floors is used to shoot films for the company and is also rented for other film makers and television shoots. Some of the notable films of outside banners that were shot in the studio over the years are; Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), Partner (2007), Taare Zameen Par (2007), Dostana (2008), Wanted (2009), 3 Idiots (2009), My Name Is Khan (2010), Dabangg (2010), Bodyguard (2011), Ra.One (2011), Agneepath (2012) and P.K. (2014).
YRF Home Entertainment [edit]
Apart from film production, Chopra's Yash Raj Films also distributed (theatrical, home entertainment and satellite) and canvassed a wide variety of Independent films that came out of the Parallel Cinema industry of India like Godmother (1999), Zubeidaa (2001), Maqbool (2004), Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (2004), Black (2005), My Brother Nikhil (2005), Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005) and Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara (2005) that helped them leverage against a powerful film production house such as his and thereby reach a wider audience on their release. YRF Distribution also distributed several big-budgeted films such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Biwi No.1 (1999), Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Koi Mil Gaya (2003), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Krrish (2006) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006).
YRF Music [edit]
After constantly delivering musical successes like Darr, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Dil To Pagal Hai throughout the years of its existence, the company decided to leverage on their growing clout in the music industry. YRF established their independent feature music distribution leg under the name YRF Music in the year 2004. The leg was developed for the purpose of digital as well as physical distribution of all the film soundtracks released under the banner. The first soundtrack to be distributed under YRF Music was the company's critical and commercial musical blockbuster Veer Zaara. The leg established careers of a lot budding music composers throughout the years, who leveraged themselves against scoring music for YRF projects, like Shankar Ehsaan Loy (Bunty Aur Babli), Pritam (Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai), Vishal Shekhar (Salaam Namaste), Salim Sulaiman (Neal n' Nikki), Amit Trivedi (Ishaqzaade), Sohail Sen (Mere Brother Ki Dulhan), Ram Sampath (Luv Ka The End), Raghu Dixit (Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge) and Amartya Rahut (Aurangzeb).
YRF Television [edit]
The year 2010 marked the entry of YRF into Indian Television. YRF Television, launched on 1 January 2010, have coupled with Sony Entertainment Television for the broadcast of five new shows running on the prime time television slot.
Shows [edit]
- Lift Kara De
- Mahi Way
- Rishta.com
- Seven (TV series)
- Powder (TV series)
- Khotey Sikkey
- Kismat (TV series)
As vice-chairman [edit]
The company saw an all time low, with several of their high budgeted films not doing well at the box office despite favourable critical reviews and the company thereby suffering losses amounting to millions from the years 2007 to 2010. The film's broke YRF's perfect success ratio and were oddly released one after another. Some of the most unsuccessful films produced under the banner were Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Tashan, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, Roadside Romeo, and Pyaar Impossible. Chopra, then took over as the Vice Chairman of Yash Raj Films in the year 2010, soon after the release of the film Badmaash Company under the same banner.
In the year 2011, Yash Raj Films took the critical decision of banking on the successes of 3 Idiots, Ra.One and Bodyguard and went into production with Aamir Khan for Dhoom 3: Back in Action (for which Chopra wrote the story), Shahrukh Khan for Jab Tak Hai Jaan (for which Chopra wrote the story, screenplay and dialogue), with Salman Khan for Ek Tha Tiger (for which Chopra wrote the story) and Paani, a Hollywood film production produced under YRF Entertainment (the company's international film producing banner), a feat that has never been achieved by any film production company till date. Ek Tha Tiger, which released on the 66th Independence Day of India, earned approximately 3.07 billion (US$56 million) and thereby became the second highest grossing film in the history of Indian Cinema. It is currently the highest grossing film for both Yash Raj Films and Salman Khan.
Highest grossing films (under Chopra's Vice-chairmanship) [edit]
| Rank | Name | Year of Release | Domestic Gross (adjusted for inflation) | Starring | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ek Tha Tiger | 2012 | 1.86 billion (US$34 million) |
Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif | Kabir Khan |
| 2 | Jab Tak Hai Jaan | 2012 | 1.38 billion (US$25 million) |
Shahrukh Khan, Katrina Kaif & Anushka Sharma | Yash Chopra |
| 3 | Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge | 1995 | 1.2 billion (US$22 million) |
Shahrukh Khan & Kajol | Aditya Chopra |
| 4 | Dhoom 2 | 2006 | 1.11 billion (US$20 million) |
Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan & Abhishek Bachchan | Sanjay Gadhvi |
| 5 | Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi | 2008 | 1.10 billion (US$20 million) |
Shahrukh Khan & Anushka Sharma | Aditya Chopra |
| 6 | Chak De India | 2007 | 980 million (US$18 million) |
Shahrukh Khan | Shimit Amin |
| 7 | Fanaa | 2005 | 820 million (US$15 million) |
Aamir Khan & Kajol | Kunal Kohli |
| 8 | Veer Zaara | 2005 | 630 million (US$12 million) |
Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta & Rani Mukerji | Yash Chopra |
| 9 | Bunty Aur Babli | 2005 | 580 million (US$11 million) |
Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan & Rani Mukerji | Shaad Ali Sahgal |
| 10 | New York | 2009 | 560 million (US$10 million) |
John Abraham, Katrina Kaif & Neil Nitin Mukesh | Kabir Khan |
As chairman [edit]
After the demise of Chopra's father, Yash Chopra, in the year 2012, it was confirmed that Aditya Chopra was to be elevated to the position of Chairman of Yash Raj Films and eventually taking over the 29 billion (US$530 million) company. The first film to release under the chairmanship of Chopra was Jab Tak Hai Jaan that opened worldwide on 13 November 2012 to heavy critical admiration and commercial success, eventually going on to make approximately 1.2 billion (US$22 million) in the national and the international market and thereby becoming the third highest grossing Indian film overseas.
Apart from producing big-budgeted films like Dhoom 3: Back in Action and Paani with established actors, YRF also announced several films featuring relative new-comers in the fourth quarter of Fiscal year 2012; Aurangzeb starring Prithviraj, Sashaa Agha and Arjun Kapoor, Nupur Asthana's next starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sonam Kapoor, Gunday starring Ranveer Singh, Kill Dil starring Ali Zafar and Govinda, Maneesh Sharma's next starring Parineeti Chopra and Sushant Singh Rajput and Pradeep Sarkar's Mardaani with Rani Mukerji. The films are slated to release all through the year's 2013 and 2014 and are seen as a strategic move by the company to infuse newer talent into Indian Cinema in the form of actors, screenwriters and directors.
Sensing a keen following of Indian Cinema in The Republic of Japan during the Festival de Cannes, YRF Studios decided to re-release Ek Tha Tiger on 8th March, 2013 and Jab Tak Hai Jaan on 20th April, 2013 in an association with The Nikkatsu Corporation. The deal was further extended to the release of Dhoom 3: Back in Action on 25th December, 2013 during the MAMI Film Festival.
Legal Issues [edit]
The company was caught in a legal entanglement in the year 2007 when the the Government of Uttar Pradesh moved the Supreme Court against Yash Raj Films for Aaja Nachle because the film's soundtrack contained objectionable lyrics, according to them. A petition to ban the film and stall its release in Uttar Pradesh (alongwith Punjab & Haryana territories) was filed to the Central Government of India by the Uttar Pradesh Government on 29th October, 2007. The 3-day was ban eventually lifted after YRF changed lyrics of the objectionable song.
Moreover, in the year 2012, Ajay Devgan, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Eros International together moved the Competition Commission of India against Yash Raj Films and Aditya Chopra, accusing the company of using monopolistic business practices and rampantly abusing their dominant position and clout in the Entertainment Industry of India by entering into a tie-in arrangement with 1,500 single screen film exhibitors (out of a total of 2,100) of India, that obliged them to showcase the company's Jab Tak Hai Jaan (and not Son Of Sardar) on the Diwali week of 2012 and continue its theatrical run for two weeks after the worldwide release. The trio eventually moved the Competition Appellate Tribunal on 30th October, 2012 against YRF but were turned down by the the bench heading the Tribunal. Both films released on November 13th, 2012; Jab Tak Hai Jaan (3500 screens) grossed 2.9 billion (US$53 million) and Son Of Sardar (2000 screens) grossed 1.4 billion (US$26 million) in the worldwide market.
Tie-ups [edit]
Throughout the years of its existence, YRF inked various strategic business agreements with independent film and media entities present in the country.
| Entity | Period | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sa Re Ga Ma HMV | 1995 to 2005 | Music rights of all films produced under the YRF banner (deal existed till the launch of the company's independent music distribution leg, YRF Music) |
| Dharma Productions | 1998 to 2008 | Film distribution and home entertainment rights of all films produced by Dharma Productions (deal existed till the release of Dostana) |
| R. K. Films | 1995 to present | Satellite and home entertainment rights to all films produced under the R. K. Films banner through the company's home entertainment division, YRF Home Entertainment |
| The Walt Disney Company | 2006 to 2008 | YRF Studios signed a 3-film Ta Ra Rum Pum, Roadside Romeo and Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic co-production agreement with Disney |
| Sony Entertainment Television | 1995 to present | Exclusive satellite rights of all films produced under the YRF banner |
| The IMAX Corporation | 2012 to present | YRF Studios inked a deal with IMAX for a 2-film co-production agreement for the third instalment of their highly successful franchise outing, the Dhoom Trilogy and Paani (by the company's Hollywood film production leg, YRF Entertainment) |
| Dibakar Banerjee | 2013 to 2015 | YRF Studios signed a 3-film co-production agreement for feature films to be directed by Dibakar Banerjee |
| The Nikkatsu Corporation | 2013 | YRF Studios signed a 3-film exclusive distribution agreement for Ek Tha Tiger, Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Dhoom 3: Back in Action in the Japanese market |
| Dell Inc. | 2013 to present | YRF Studios signed a joint venture agreement with Dell Computers for digitization and electronic re-distribution of the entire YRF Library upto Fiscal year 2015 |
Filmography [edit]
Awards [edit]
| Year | Awards | Category | Film |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 41st Filmfare Awards | Best Director | Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge |
| 1996 | 41st Filmfare Awards | Best Screenplay | |
| 1996 | 41st Filmfare Awards | Best Dialogue along with Javed Siddiqi | Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge |
| 1996 | Screen Awards | Screen Award for Best Director | Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge |
| 1998 | 43rd Filmfare Awards | Best Dialogue | Dil To Pagal Hai |
| 2005 | 50th Filmfare Awards | Best Story | Veer-Zaara |
| 2005 | 50th Filmfare Awards | Best Dialogue | Veer-Zaara |
| 2012 | People's Choice Awards India | Best Film | Ek Tha Tiger along with Kabir Khan |
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Morcom, Anna (30 November 2007). Hindi film songs and the cinema. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 37–. ISBN 978-0-7546-5198-7. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
- ^ "All Time Earners Inflation Adjusted (Figures in Ind Rs)". BoxOfficeIndia.com. Retrieved 21 April 2008.
- ^ http://www.yashrajfilms.com/Awards/Awards.aspx
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