B. R. Chopra

Baldev Raj Chopra (22 April 1914 – 5 November 2008)<ref>Filmmaker B R Chopra passes away. Press Trust of India via NDTV. 5 November 2008</ref> was a prolific Indian director and producer noted for pioneering the Hindi film industry and television series. He's known for directing notable films, such as Afsana, Ek Hi Raasta, Template:Lang, Sadhna, Kanoon, Gumrah, Hamraaz, Dhund, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Template:Lang and Nikaah.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also produced hit films, including Dhool Ka Phool, Waqt, Ittefaq, Aadmi Aur Insaan, Chhoti Si Baat, The Burning Train, Aaj Ki Awaaz, Baghban and the TV series, Mahabharat.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>B.R.Chopra made socially relevant films The Hindu, 6 November 2008.</ref> He was awarded Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema, for the year 1998, and Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, in 2001.

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 on 22 April 1914 in Rahon, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district (formerly Nawanshahr district) to Vilayati Raj Chopra, an employee of the PWD. He later shifted to Lahore. He was the second of several siblings; his youngest brother was filmmaker Yash Chopra.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Chopra 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.<ref>Films transformed Chopra's destiny and vice-versa The Times of India, 6 November 2008.</ref> 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, Chopra formed his own production house, B.R Films. His first movie for this production house was Ek Hi Raasta (1956) which was highly successful. He followed it up with Naya Daur (1957) starring Dilip Kumar and Vyjayantimala Bali, the film became a golden jubilee hit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His subsequent releases like Kanoon with Rajendra Kumar, Gumrah and Hamraaz with Sunil Dutt were major hits in the sixties. In 1963, he was a member of the jury at the 13th Berlin International Film Festival.<ref name="berlinale 1963">Template:Cite web</ref> 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 (1973), drama Karm (1977), comedy film Pati Patni Aur Woh (1978), crime film in Template:Lang (1980), Muslim social in Nikaah (1982) and the political thriller Awam (1987).

He was the producer for the films Dhool Ka Phool (1959), Waqt (1965), Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969) and Ittefaq (1969) directed by his younger brother Yash Chopra, and he also produced The Burning Train (1980), Mazdoor (1983), Template:Lang (1984), Template:Lang (2003), Baabul (2006), Bhoothnath (2008) which were directed by Ravi Chopra.

Chopra forayed into television with Mahabharat, which become the most successful TV serial with a 92% viewer record in Indian television history, where Nitish Bharadwaj played the role of Krishna and Mukesh khanna portrayed the role of Bhishma. This was co-directed by him with his son. He also produced TV Series on Bahadur Shah Zafar, Kanoon, Vishnu Puran, Aap Beeti and Maa Shakti.

He died in Mumbai at the age of 94 on 5 November 2008,<ref>Filmmaker B.R. Chopra dead. Thaindian.com (5 November 2008). Retrieved on 2018-11-09.</ref> survived by his son, Ravi Chopra, and two daughters Shashi and Bina.<ref>Bollywood producer BR Chopra dies. BBC News, 5 November 2008.</ref>

Awards

B. R. Chopra (sitting left) and Yash Chopra attending audio release of Template:Lang

Civilian awards

• Padma Bhushan (2001)<ref name="Padma Awards">Template:Cite web</ref>

National Film Awards

• 1960: Third Best Feature Film in Hindi – Kanoon<ref name="8thaward">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1961: Best Feature Film in Hindi – Dharmputra<ref name="9thaward">Template:Cite web</ref> (Producer)
• 1963: Third Best Feature Film in Hindi – Gumrah<ref name="11thaward">Template:Cite web</ref>
• 1967: Best Feature Film in Hindi – Hamraaz<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• 1998: Dadasaheb Phalke Award<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmfare Awards

• 1962: Filmfare Award for Best Director: Kanoon
• 2004: Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award

Filmography

Year	Title	Director	Producer	Notes
1949	Karwat	Template:No	Template:Yes
1951	Afsana	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
1953	Shole	Template:Yes	Template:No
1954	Chandni Chowk	Template:Yes	Template:No
1956	Ek Hi Raasta	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1957	Template:Lang	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1958	Sadhna	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1959	Dhool Ka Phool	Template:No	Template:Yes	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1960	Kanoon	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1961	Dharmputra	Template:No	Template:Yes
1963	Gumrah	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1965	Waqt	Template:No	Template:Yes	<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
1967	Hamraaz	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1969	Aadmi Aur Insaan	Template:No	Template:Yes
1969	Ittefaq	Template:No	Template:Yes	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1972	Dastaan	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1973	Dhund	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1975	Zameer	Template:No	Template:Yes
1976	Chhoti Si Baat	Template:No	Template:Yes
1977	Karm	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1978	Pati Patni Aur Woh	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1980	The Burning Train	Template:No	Template:Yes
1980	Template:Lang	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1981	Agni Pareeksha	Template:No	Template:Yes
1982	Beta	Template:No	Template:Yes
1982	Nikaah	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1982	Teri Meri Kahani	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV Film
1983	Mazdoor	Template:No	Template:Yes
1983	Dharti Aakash	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV Film
1984	Aaj Ki Awaaz	Template:No	Template:Yes
1985	Ghazal	Template:No	Template:Yes
1985	Tawaif	Template:Yes	Template:No
1986	Kirayadar	Template:No	Template:Yes
1986	Dahleez	Template:No	Template:Yes
1986	Bahadur Shah Zafar	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	TV Series<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1987	Awam	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1988	Mahabharat	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV Series<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1991	Mahabharat Katha	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	TV Series
1991	Pratigyabadh	Template:No	Template:Yes
1992	Kal Ki Awaz	Template:No	Template:Yes
1992	Sauda	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	TV Series
1993	Kanoon	Template:Yes	Template:No	TV Series
2000	Vishnu Puran	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV Series
2002–2004	Ramayan	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	TV Series
2001–2004	Aap Beeti	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV Series
2002–2003	Ma Shakti	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	TV Series
2003	Baghban	Template:No	Template:Yes
2004	Kamini Damini	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV Series
2006–2007	Viraasat	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV Series
2006	Baabul	Template:No	Template:Yes

External links

• Template:IMDb name
• B R Chopra's unforgettable movies Rediff.com