He would convince the actor if they weren’t on the same page as him,” said Malini, after working with him on Baghban. “Ravi was always sure what he wanted from an actor - it was his greatest quality as a filmmaker. Ravi didn’t direct many films in his lifetime, but he is fondly remembered by all the actors he worked with. Ravi, who was then the spoilt son of a legendary filmmaker in every sense, kept chucking the ice-cream cups in the air just for fun.” “I remember several top actors of that time were present there (at a picnic). His wife, Renu, remembers him as full of joy and mischief, when they first met in the 1960s. Ravi was diagnosed with an unspecified lung disease in 2012, and he died two years later. While Ravi denied all allegations, he still had to settle for a huge payout, allegedly $200,00. Banda Yeh Bindas Hai was supposed to have been released in 2009, when 20th Century Fox sued Ravi and his production house for plagiarising its film, My Cousin Vinny. It was the last film he directed - only because what was meant to be his last film was mired in controversy and a lengthy legal battle. Although it was a commercial flop, the film became popular later. In 2006, he made Baabul in honour of his father’s 50 years in cinema. But given that they both were busy with other films, this one kept getting postponed, until it was too late for Chopra senior to work on it and thus, it fell into his son’s lap. Chopra narrating the story to none other than Dilip Kumar, who had instantly agreed to it. In an interview, Ravi recounted how the idea for the film, which centres on children neglecting their ageing parents, actually started with his father B.R. When he did return, Ravi did in true Chopra style - with a big hit that was 30 years in the making.īaghban (2003), starring Hema Malini and Amitabh Bachchan, was a huge hit. Years later, he directed another epic, Ramayana (not to be confused with the Ramanand Sagar show), which found equal success among viewers.Īlso read: Shyam Benegal’s Ankur talked about caste and patriarchy when no else didĪfter his stint with television, he took a decade-long hiatus from direction. It was a straight-forward telling of Vyasa’s epic, but the narrative was woven with just the right amount of drama and reverence to hook viewers in and keep them interested in a story they already knew.Īctor Hema Malini once said, “Many tele-series based on the epic have since been made, but none has come close to his version, the first on television.” Produced by his father, the 94-episode series became so famous that it is still considered a template for Indian TV shows. He directed the first-ever televised version of the epic Mahabharat, which captivated Indian audiences from across the board. Undaunted, Ravi went on to hone his craft and delivered hits like Mazdoor (1983) starring Dilip Kumar, Aaj Ki Awaaz (1984) and Dahleez (1987).Īlso read: Durga Khote, the ‘mother’ of Hindi & Marathi cinema who broke social taboosĭuring this time, he also switched his attention to television, and found huge success. Unfortunately, it failed to impress at the box office, although it is now seen as a cult classic. His next film, The Burning Train (1980), had all the makings of a blockbuster - a large star cast (Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, Jeetendra, Parveen Babi, and Neetu Singh), lots of action, mistaken identity and music by R.D. It was a typical Bollywood potboiler, complete with a long-lost son, a revenge plot and a forbidden romance. In 1975, he graduated to directing his own film, Zameer, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saira Banu, Shammi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna. So, it was no surprise that his uncle took him under his wing and let him assist on iconic films like Ittefaq (1969). Ravi was also very close to Yash Chopra, who he viewed more as a brother than an uncle, having grown up with him in the same household. Chopra, he learnt the art and business of filmmaking by assisting his father in films like Dastaan (1972) and Dhund (1973). The director and producer may not have been as famous as his uncle Yash Chopra, or his cousins Aditya and Uday Chopra, but those who know the business know that he made just as much as an impact. And this is thanks, in no small part, to his son Ravi. Chopra, this family has played a huge part in making Hindi cinema what it is today. Rather, they’re the creative and commercial powers working behind the scenes to bring you the biggest blockbusters - the king and queen-makers, so to speak. But unlike the latter two, the Chopras are a league higher because they’re not the pretty faces you see on screen. New Delhi: The Chopra family is Bollywood royalty, just like the Kapoors and Khans.
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