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How Legendary Director Yash Chopra Turned a Struggling Actor into a Superstar
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News18•21-10-2026, 09:35
How Legendary Director Yash Chopra Turned a Struggling Actor into a Superstar
- •Yash Chopra entered the Hindi film industry out of childhood passion and learned filmmaking nuances by working as an assistant to his elder brother B. R. Chopra.
- •He made his directorial debut in 1959 with Dhool Ka Phool and gained widespread recognition with multi-starrer films like Waqt.
- •In 1973, he launched Yash Raj Films and delivered iconic movies like Deewaar, Kabhie Kabhie, Trishul, and Kaala Patthar.
- •Despite distributors refusing the film Chandni in 1989, he stubbornly released it, which revived his career and boosted Sridevi to peak stardom.
- •He took a massive risk by casting Shah Rukh Khan in a dark, obsessive negative role in the 1993 hit Darr, turning a struggling actor into an overnight superstar.
Key Questions Answered
Yash Chopra stepped into the world of direction in 1959 with the film 'Dhool Ka Phool' after working as an assistant to his elder brother B. R. Chopra to learn the nuances of filmmaking.
The 1993 film 'Darr', directed by Yash Chopra, featured Shah Rukh Khan in a negative, obsessive role that broke romantic stereotypes and helped make him a star overnight.
Yash Chopra passed away on October 21, 2012, and his final directorial film, 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan', was released on November 13, 2012.
