Photo courtesy:  Indian Express

Today is the birth anniversary of legendary film-maker, Yash Chopra. Born in 1932, the celebrated film-maker mesmerised us with his romantic films, and put Indian love stories on the global map, becoming a favourite of Indian audiences worldwide. He has been the producer and director for countless blockbusters and wooed us for decades with obsessive lovers, chiffon sarees and snow-clad Swiss mountains. Poetic, larger-than-life and unforgettable stories – these qualities will forever define Yash Chopra’s cinematic legacy.

We pick five of his best works for a Yash Chopra marathon tonight:

Deewar

This action-packed crime drama established Amitabh Bachchan as Bollywood’s ‘angry young man’ and also gave us some of the most memorable dialogues that can never be forgotten for years to come. Yash Chopra’s Deewar remains a masterpiece even today.

Kaala Patthar

This film was based on Chasnala mining disaster, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha , Rakhee, Neetu Singh and Parveen Babi, and describes the daily sufferings of underpaid coal mine workers and the dangers they face on a day-to-day basis.  An extraordinary story, this film is arguably Amitabh Bachchan’s finest performance to date.

Kabhi Kabhie

This film depicted a pre-marital relationship between Amitabh Bachchan, the poet, and Rakhee before her arranged marriage to Shashi Kapoor. This film was one of a kind because it depicted tender human relationships and reunited old flames as friends, when their children eventually fall in love with each other. Also, it gave us reasons to drool over Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor, who were seen sporting grey hair for the film.

Silsila

Now who else could have brought together three of the industry’s top stars, especially during times of personal turmoil, other than Yash Chopra? Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Rekha and Sanjeev Kumar, this film seemed almost too close to reality, with a love triangle between Amitabh, Jaya and Rekha, who were, in real life, also rumoured to be in a similar situation. This film went on to become a cult classic and is religiously watched even today during runs on TV channels.

Chandni

This film reaffirmed Sridevi’s postion as one of the finest leading ladies on-screen and also prolonged Rishi Kapoor’s fading career. Chandni was also one of the turning points in Yash Chopra’s career which brought resurrected his flailing career graph. Chandni was a visual treat since it was shot at exotic locales, along with the unforgettable crackling chemistry between Rishi Kapoor and Sridevi. It also won the National Award for the Best Popular Film category in 1989 and is regarded as one of the finest films of Yash Chopra’s career.