MUMBAI: A host of Bollywood stars bid farewell yesterday to legendary Indian filmmaker Yash Chopra, the “king of romance”, who was cremated in Mumbai after dying in hospital at the age of 80.
Actors who had worked closely with Chopra, such as veteran Amitabh Bachchan and heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan, attended a private funeral at a crematorium in the city. Tributes poured in for the Hindi cinema legend who died Sunday after being admitted to hospital with dengue fever, following several decades of directing, producing and screen-writing some of India’s most-loved movies.
Chopra’s body had earlier been placed in his studio, allowing the public to pay their respects before his final journey.
The Mumbai Mirror and Mid Day tabloids published full front-page tributes to Chopra, while the Indian Express remembered “The Maker of Dreams”, describing him as “one of Bollywood’s most successful enterprises”.
Some of the industry’s biggest names took to Twitter to remember the movie mogul, including Bachchan, who recently turned 70.
“Yash Chopra - 44 years of association .. of creativity, friendship, fun and family ties”, wrote the actor, who starred in some of Chopra’s biggest hits including “Deewar” (The Wall), “Kabhi Kabhie” (Sometimes) and “Silsila”.
Famous playback singer Asha Bhosle, whose daughter committed suicide earlier this month, described Chopra as a family member.
“Just as I was getting over the grief of my daughter, my brother Yash Chopra... has left me,” she wrote.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was quick to honour the late director on Sunday night, describing him as “an icon of Indian cinema” who would be remembered by millions.
“He entertained many generations with his rare creativity,” Singh said. “He had an aesthetic talent to make his films look larger than life. His flourish to essay romance and social drama was unmatched.”
Born in the now-Pakistani city of Lahore in 1932, the youngest of eight children, Chopra began his career in Bollywood as an assistant to his older film-making brother, B R Chopra.
AFP
