Aditya Chopra
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Aditya Chopra | |
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| Born | 21 May 1971 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Alma mater | Bombay Scottish Hassaram Rijhumal College of Commerce and Economics |
| Occupation(s) | Director Producer Screenwriter Lyricist Distributor Chairman of Yash Raj Films |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouse | Payal Khanna (2001–2009) [1] |
| Parent(s) | Yash Chopra Pamela Chopra |
| Relatives | Uday Chopra (Brother) Ravi Chopra (Cousin) |
| Awards | National Award (as director) Filmfare Award (for screenplay) IIFA Award (for story) Screen Award (as producer) |
Aditya Chopra is a three-time National Award winning Indian film producer, screenwriter, director and distributor.[2] His work as a director includes Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Mohabbatein (2000), and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008).[3]
He is also the current chairman of India's 45 year-old multi-national film, media and entertainment conglomerate, Yash Raj Films (YRF). Chopra has written and produced a number of critically acclaimed and commercially successful films under the banner like Veer-Zaara (2004), Hum Tum (2004), Fanaa (2006), 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), Shuddh Desi Romance (2013) and the Dhoom Trilogy (2004, 2006 & 2013). As of August 2013, Chopra has produced six films that have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of more than INR 200 crore (the most for an Indian film producer). Apart from emerging as the most equitable brand in Indian Entertainment, his company has earned the status of a movie mogul in the Indian market, through the years of its existence. YRF is often credited for breaking away from the small business model that was historically used by the Indian film industry and introducing a rigid hub and spoke model by establishing distribution networks across the globe. With a majority of its films (especially produced by Chopra) being part of the highest grossing Indian films of all time, the company is estimated to be worth ₹40 billion (US$480 million) (as of second quarter of Fiscal year 2013) by multiple NSE and BSE analysts, thereby making it the biggest and most successful film production company in the history of Indian Cinema.[4]
Early life and education
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 Hassaram Rijhumal College of Commerce and Economics along with Anil Thadani, Karan Johar and Abhishek Kapoor.
Career
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 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[5] and won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
Yash Raj Films
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 and Shah Rukh Khan 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.
2004 break-through
In 2004, Chopra produced Hum Tum, Dhoom and Veer Zaara (for which he was also the screenwriter) under the YRF banner. All three films went on to become critical and commercial blockbusters, earning more than ₹1.99 billion (US$24 million) (unadjusted for inflation) in the worldwide market. The films became the seventh, fourth and highest-grossing Indian films of 2004. The company won most of the Indian film awards in the year, with Veer Zaara also winning the National Award. This was considered a major break-through for this film producing company and cemented its position as the leader of Indian Entertainment for the following decades.
Chopra then produced and wrote several other highly commercial and critically acclaimed films over the years, namely Bunty Aur Babli, Salaam Namaste, Fanaa, Dhoom 2 and Chak De India (which also won the National Award). Chopra also made his third film as a director in 2008 with Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi starring Shah Rukh 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$19 million) in the worldwide market. These films established Yash Raj Films as the most powerful film production company in the history of Indian cinema, with a net worth of ₹40 billion (US$480 million) (trade and stock market estimate) and making Chopra one of the most influential people in the country.
YRF launched a number of budding screenwriters and directors under their banner throughout these years. Directors and screenwriters such as 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 gone on to become independent entities in films. The company also produced films for 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
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 (10 Ka Dum and Kaun Banega Crorepati). 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), Chennai Express (2013), Mental (2014) and P.K. (2014).
YRF Home Entertainment
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). In the year 2013, YRF Distribution reportedly sold the satellite rights of its highly anticipated venture, Dhoom 3: Back in Action for ₹560 million (US$6.7 million) to Sony Entertainment Television.
YRF Music
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 Jatin Lalit (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge), Shankar Ehsaan Loy (Bunty Aur Babli), Pritam (Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai), Vishal Shekhar (Salaam Namaste), Salim Sulaiman (Neal n' Nikki), Amit Trivedi (Ishaqzaade), Ram Sampath (Luv Ka The End), Sajid Wajid (Daawat-e-Ishq), Sohail Sen (Mere Brother Ki Dulhan), Raghu Dixit (Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge), Sachin Jigar (Shuddh Desi Romance) and Amartya Rahut (Aurangzeb).
YRF Television
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
- Lift Kara De
- Mahi Way
- Rishta.com
- Seven (TV series)
- Powder (TV series)
- Khotey Sikkey
- Kismat (TV series)
As vice-chairman
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.
2011 landmark deal
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) and with Salman Khan for Ek Tha Tiger (for which Chopra wrote the story), a feat that has never been achieved by any film production company, till date. The move was seen as a landmark deal by YRF as it engaged three of the most successful box office actors of Indian Cinema in independent projects. Moreover, the three films turned out to be the most expensive productions by YRF; Ek Tha Tiger was produced at ₹750 million (US$9.0 million), Jab Tak Hai Jaan was produced at ₹60 million (US$720,000) and Dhoom 3: Back in Action was produced at ₹150 million (US$1.8 million).
Ek Tha Tiger, which released on the 66th Independence Day of India, earned approximately ₹3.07 billion (US$37 million) and thereby became the third highest grossing film of Indian Cinema. It is currently the highest grossing film for both Yash Raj Films and Salman Khan. Jab Tak Hai Jaan opened worldwide on the Diwali day of 2012 and went on to earn ₹2.11 billion (US$25 million) and became the fifth highest grossing film in India.
Highest grossing films (under Chopra's Vice-chairmanship)
| Rank | Name | Year of Release | Domestic Gross (adjusted for inflation) | Starring | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ek Tha Tiger | 2012 | ₹1.98 billion (US$24 million) | Salman Khan & Katrina Kaif | Kabir Khan |
| 2 | Jab Tak Hai Jaan | 2012 | ₹1.38 billion (US$17 million) | Shahrukh Khan, Katrina Kaif & Anushka Sharma | Yash Chopra |
| 3 | Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge | 1995 | ₹1.2 billion (US$14 million) | Shahrukh Khan & Kajol | Aditya Chopra |
| 4 | Dhoom 2 | 2006 | ₹1.11 billion (US$13 million) | Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan & Abhishek Bachchan | Sanjay Gadhvi |
| 5 | Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi | 2008 | ₹1.10 billion (US$13 million) | Shahrukh Khan & Anushka Sharma | Aditya Chopra |
| 6 | Chak De India | 2007 | ₹980 million (US$12 million) | Shahrukh Khan | Shimit Amin |
| 7 | Fanaa | 2005 | ₹820 million (US$9.8 million) | Aamir Khan & Kajol | Kunal Kohli |
| 8 | Veer Zaara | 2005 | ₹630 million (US$7.5 million) | Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta & Rani Mukerji | Yash Chopra |
| 9 | Bunty Aur Babli | 2005 | ₹580 million (US$6.9 million) | Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan & Rani Mukerji | Shaad Ali Sahgal |
| 10 | New York | 2009 | ₹560 million (US$6.7 million) | John Abraham, Katrina Kaif & Neil Nitin Mukesh | Kabir Khan |
As chairman
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 ₹35 billion (US$420 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$14 million) in the national and the international market and thereby becoming the third highest grossing Indian film overseas.
Work with New-comers
Apart from producing big-budgeted films with established actors, YRF also announced several films featuring relative new-comers in the fourth quarter of Fiscal year 2012; Aurangzeb starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Sashaa Agha and Arjun Kapoor, Gunday starring Ranveer Singh, Bewakoofiyan starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sonam Kapoor, Daawat-e-Ishq with Aditya Roy Kapoor, Mardaani with Rani Mukerji and Kill Dil starring Ali Zafar and Govinda. 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, directors and technicians. In a bid to break away from the traditional star system of Indian Cinema, the company forayed into film production with complete or relative new comers from the year 2008. Apart from working with upcoming actors, the company independently launched several new faces as leading actors in several of their big-budgeted films through their home banner and through Y Films, including:
| Name | Film | Description | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranbir Kapoor | Bachna Ae Haseeno | Second film | 2008 |
| Deepika Padukone | Bachna Ae Haseeno | Second film (Hindi) | 2008 |
| Minnisha Lamba | Bachna Ae Haseeno | Sixth film | 2008 |
| Anushka Sharma | Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi | Debut | 2008 |
| Neil Nitin Mukesh | New York | Third film (as lead) | 2009 |
| Shazahn Padamsee | Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year | Debut | 2009 |
| Vir Das | Badmaash Company | Second film | 2010 |
| Meiyang Chаng | Badmaash Company | Debut | 2010 |
| Ranveer Singh | Band Baaja Baaraat | Debut | 2010 |
| Parineeti Chopra | Ladies vs Ricky Bahl | Debut | 2011 |
| Shraddha Kapoor | Luv Ka The End | Second film | 2011 |
| Taaha Shah | Luv Ka The End | Debut | 2011 |
| Saqib Saleem | Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge | Debut | 2011 |
| Imran Khan | Mere Brother Ki Dulhan | Seventh film | 2011 |
| Ali Zafar | Mere Brother Ki Dulhan | Second film | 2011 |
| Arjun Kapoor | Ishaqzaade | Debut | 2012 |
| Prithviraj | Aurangzeb | Second film (Hindi) | 2013 |
| Sashaa Agha | Aurangzeb | Debut | 2013 |
| Sushant Singh Rajput | Shuddh Desi Romance | Second film | 2013 |
| Vaani Kapoor | Shuddh Desi Romance | Debut | 2013 |
| Ayushmann Khurrana | Bewakoofiyan | Third film | 2014 |
| Aditya Roy Kapur | Daawat-e-Ishq | Second film (as lead) | 2014 |
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 8 March 2013 and Jab Tak Hai Jaan on 20 April 2013 in an association with The Nikkatsu Corporation. The deal was further extended to the release of Dhoom 3: Back in Action on 25 December 2013 during the MAMI Film Festival.
YRF Entertainment
In a bid to strengthen their foothold in the United States and the European market, the company established its international film producing leg; YRF Entertainment, which was solely focused on production and financing of international film content. The first film to independently release under the banner was the 2012 romantic comedy The Longest Week which starred Olivia Wilde, Jason Bateman and Billy Crudup. The film did moderately well in the worldwide box office and managed break-even.
The next film to be released under YRF Entertainment is The Grace of Monaco starring Nicole Kidman and Tim Roth. The film is co-produced by Arash Amel. Primary filming of the project is complete and the film is slated for a December 2013 release. The company also announced Paani, a Hollywood film production directed by Shekhar Kapur, starring Kristen Stewart and its maiden Anglo-Indian film project that would be co-produced by Mira Nair under the Mirabai Films banner and directed by Shimit Amin. In the year 2013, the company also announced its next venture, Seducing Ingrid Bergman based on the life of Ingrid Bergman, written by Chris Greenhalgh and Arash Amel.
Regional Market entry
YRF forayed into regional Indian film production in the year 2013, with Aaha Kalyanam, a remake of their 2010 critical and commercial blockbuster Band Baaja Baaraat starring Nani and debutant Vaani Kapoor. The Tamil-Telugu bilingual project would be directed by Gokul Krishna and produced by Chopra. YRF plans to launch both the lead actress and director with this film. The untittled film completed the first schedule of its principal photography in Chennai in May 2013, with the next two schedules to be held in Hyderabad and Mysore in July 2013.
The company plans to deliver remakes from its existing catalog as well as new and original regional content (in Tamil and Telugu), but also content that is set to break into other regional film markets (Malayalam and Tulu) of the south.
Tie-ups
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) |
| Raj Kapoor Films | 1995 to present | Satellite and home entertainment rights to all films produced under the Raj Kapoor Films banner through the company's home entertainment division, YRF Home Entertainment |
| Sony Entertainment Television | 1995 to present | Exclusive satellite rights of all films produced under the YRF banner |
| 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) |
| Film KRAFT | 2000 to 2008 | Theatrical and home entertainment rights to all films produced under the Film KRAFT banner (deal existed till the release of Krazzy 4) |
| The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) |
2006 to 2008 | 3-film (Ta Ra Rum Pum, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic and Roadside Romeo) co-production agreement with Walt Disney Studios |
| The IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) |
2012 to present | 2-film co-production agreement (with IMAX) for the third instalment of the Dhoom Trilogy and Paani (by the company's Hollywood film production leg, YRF Entertainment) |
| Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB) |
2013 to present | Multi-film co-production agreement for all YRF projects (as of October 2013) |
| Dibakar Banerjee Productions | 2013 to 2015 | 3-film co-production agreement for feature films to be directed by Dibakar Banerjee |
| The Nikkatsu Corporation (JASDAQ: 4835) |
2013 to present | 3-film exclusive distribution agreement for Ek Tha Tiger, Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Dhoom 3: Back in Action in the Japanese market |
| Karol Bagh Saree House | 2013 to present | Established its in-house clothing & fashion brand Diva'ni in an association with KBSH |
| Dell Inc. (Nasdaq: DELL) |
2013 to present | Joint Venture agreement with Dell Computers for digitization and electronic re-distribution of the entire YRF Library up to Fiscal year 2015 |
| Mirabai Films | 2014 | Co-production agreement (with Mira Nair) for a feature film to be directed by Shimit Amin and released under YRF Entertainment |
Legal Issues
The company was caught in a legal entanglement in the year 2007 when 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 (along with Punjab & Haryana territories) was filed to the Central Government of India by the Uttar Pradesh Government on 29 October 2007. The 3-day was ban eventually lifted after Yash Raj Films 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 30 October 2012 against Yash Raj Films but were turned down by the bench heading the Tribunal. Both films released on November 13, 2012; Jab Tak Hai Jaan (3500 screens) grossed ₹2.9 billion (US$35 million) and Son Of Sardar (2000 screens) grossed ₹1.4 billion (US$17 million) in the worldwide market.
Filmography
See also
References
- ^ http://www.koimoi.com/producer/aditya-chopra/
- ^ 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.
- ^ http://www.yashrajfilms.com/AboutUs/YRFTeam.aspx?SectionCode=PRO003a1
- ^ http://www.yashrajfilms.com/AboutUs/BuisnessActivities.aspx?SectionCode=PRO002
- ^ "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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