In A World Of Hookups & Cheating, I Want A Love Story Like Yash Chopra’s Movies

Yash Chopra was one of the most prominent and veteran directors in the history of our film industry. He single-handedly made us fall in love with the idea of romance. From his excellent plotlines and characters to picturesque locations, he had churned out some iconic gems for his audience, over the period of years.

Being an old-school romantic, I have always dreamt about singing and dancing in midst of the snow-clad mountains, the lush green fields and the tulip gardens. And, I have to thank only one man for this – Yash Chopra, who redefined human emotions on-screen.

There’s no doubt that each character from Yash Chopra’s movie was written with minor details and hence, they always left a big mark on their viewers.

He had a story to tell for every scenario and explored different shades of love- the forever undying love, the love that stems out of friendship or the love that only knows sacrifice.

We associate snow-capped mountains, mustard fields or even chiffon sarees with the idea of love and romance because Yash Chopra made it so with his brilliant work.

He made Switzerland and Kashmir the mecca of romantic vacations because that’s how deep the impact of his movies is.

We live in a world where more or less all romantic movies are just about hookups or sex. However, Yash Chopra’s movies were far from these things.

From the perfect background score and lyrics to actors and locations, he knew how to weave a captivating movie.

With Saathiya, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Veer Zaara and even his last movie, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Yash Chopra struck a chord with the younger generation because of his language of love, that had no age or language barriers.

In fact, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge remains one of the most iconic romantic movies, no matter the age group.

We, the hopeless romantics, are always fascinated with the idea of falling in love with a stranger in a completely unknown place. With the movies like Bunty Aur Babli, Salaam Namaste and Fanaa, he showcased that two individuals, living in different parts of the world, can meet by luck and fall hopelessly in love.

Whether it was Sridevi and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan waving their bright-hued chiffon sarees in Chandni and Mohabbatein or Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh romancing with the snow-clad mountains in the background in Kabhi Kabhie, we imagine love to be a particular way because Yash Chopra made it look romantic.

From the concept of falling in love with arranged marriages in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi to falling in love with your childhood best friend in Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai and Mujhse Dosti Karoge, he made us all crave a compassionate friend as well.

Apart from talking about romance and love, he also touched upon the themes that were otherwise considered taboo and weren’t openly talked about. With Lamhe, he showed how a young girl falls in love with a man, who’s almost twice her age.

On the other hand, he explored the themes of extra-marital affairs with Silsila. These movies, which were way ahead of their times, received a lot of backlashes back in the day. However, when we re-watch these movies now, we realise the concept much better now.

The ace director took us to a place where love was in the air with each of his shots. He has set the bar so high that no other director can achieve that benchmark.