B. R. Chopra

B. R. Chopra

Chopra on a 2013 stamp of India

Born
1914-4-22
Rahon, Punjab, British India (present-day Punjab, India)

Occupation
Template:Hlist

Baldev Raj Chopra (22 April 1914 – 5 November 2008) was a famous Indian director and producer of Bollywood industry and television series . Best known for directing Hindi films like Naya Daur (1957), Sadhna (1958), Kanoon (1961), Gumrah (1963), Humraaz (1967), Insaf Ka Tarazu (1980), Nikaah (1982), Awam (1987), and the producer of TV series, Mahabharat in 1988. He was awarded Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema, for the year 1998, and Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, in 2001.

His younger brother Yash Chopra, son Ravi Chopra and nephews Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar are also directors in the Bollywood industry. His nephew Uday Chopra is an actor and producer.

Biography

Chopra was born on 22 April 1914 in Rahon, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district (formerly Nawanshahr district) to Vilayati Raj Chopra, an employee of the PWD. He later shifted to Lahore. He was the second of several siblings; his youngest brother was filmmaker Yash Chopra.

Chopra received an M.A. in English literature from University of the Punjab in Lahore. He started his career in 1944 as a film journalist with Cine Herald, a film-monthly published in Lahore, he later took over the magazine and ran it until 1947. In the same year, he launched a film with a story by I. S. Johar, Chandni Chowk. Naeem Hashmi was hero of this movie and Erika Rukhshi was the heroine. Just as the production of film was to start, riots broke out in Lahore and he and his family had to flee from the city. After the partition of India into India and Pakistan in 1947, he moved to Delhi. He later moved to Mumbai, where his first production, Karwat, began in 1948, though it turned out to be a flop. His first film as a director, Afsana, was released in 1951 and featured Ashok Kumar in a double role – the film was a hit and established his name in Bollywood. Chopra made Chandni Chowk, with Meena Kumari as a lead, in 1954. In 1955, Chopra formed his own production house, B.R Films. His first movie for this production house was Ek Hi Raasta which was highly successful. He followed it up with Naya Daur (1957) starring Dilip Kumar and Vyjayantimala Bali, the film became a golden jubilee hit. His subsequent releases like Kanoon, Gumrah, Humraaz were major hits in the sixties. In 1963, he was a member of the jury at the 13th Berlin International Film Festival. His second film with actor Dilip Kumar was Dastaan which became a flop in 1972.

He directed successful film across genres after 1972, with films like suspense thriller Dhund, drama Karma (1977), comedy film Pati Patni Aur Woh, crime film in Insaf Ka Tarazu, Muslim social in Nikaah and the political thriller Awam.

He was the producer for the films Dhool Ka Phool, Waqt, Aadmi Aur Insaan and Ittefaq directed by his younger brother Yash Chopra, and he also produced The Burning Train, Aaj Ki Awaaz, Mazdoor, Baghban, Baabul, Bhoothnath which were directed by Ravi Chopra.

Chopra forayed into television with Mahabharat, whose become the most successful TV serials with 92% viewers record in Indian television history, where Nitish Bharadwaj played the role of Krishna and Mukesh khanna portrayed the role of Bhism pitamah and this was co-directed by him with his son. He also produced TV Series on Bahadur Shah Zafar, Kanoon (1993), Aap Beeti , Vishnu Puran (2000) and Maa Shakti. He produced films like Baghbhan, Babul and Bhootnath, after 2000.

He died in Mumbai at the age of 94 on 5 November 2008, survived by his son, Ravi Chopra, and two daughters Shashi and Bina.

Awards

B. R. Chopra (sitting left) and Yash Chopra attending audio release of Naya Daur

Civilian awards

• Padma Bhushan: 2001

National Film Awards

• 1960: Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film in Hindi – Kanoon
• 1961: President's silver medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi – Dharmputra (Producer)
• 1998: Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Filmfare Awards

• 1962: Filmfare Award for Best Director: Kanoon
• 2003: Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award

Filmography

Year	Title	Director	Producer	Notes
1949	Karwat	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Directorial debut
1951	Afsana	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1953	Shole	Template:Yes	Template:No
1954	Chandni Chowk	Template:Yes	Template:No
1956	Ek Hi Raasta	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	First film under B.R. Films
1957	Naya Daur	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1958	Sadhna	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Film
1959	Dhool Ka Phool	Template:No	Template:Yes
1960	Kanoon	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Ubl
1961	Dharmputra	Template:No	Template:Yes	National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi
1963	Gumrah	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi
1965	Waqt	Template:No	Template:Yes	Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Film
1967	Hamraaz	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1969	Ittefaq	Template:No	Template:Yes
1970	Aadmi Aur Insaan	Template:No	Template:Yes
1972	Dastaan	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1973	Dhund	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1975	Zameer	Template:No	Template:Yes	Directorial debut of Ravi Chopra
1976	Chhoti Si Baat	Template:No	Template:Yes	Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Film
1977	Karm	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1978	Pati Patni Aur Woh	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1980	The Burning Train	Template:No	Template:Yes
1980	Insaf Ka Tarazu	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Film
1981	Agni Pareeksha	Template:No	Template:Yes
1982	Beta	Template:No	Template:Yes
1982	Nikaah	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Film Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Director
1982	Teri Meri Kahani	Template:No	Template:Yes	Telefilm
1983	Mazdoor	Template:No	Template:Yes
1983	Dharti Aakash	Template:No	Template:Yes	Telefilm
1984	Aaj Ki Awaaz	Template:No	Template:Yes	Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Film
1985	Ghazal	Template:No	Template:Yes
1985	Tawaif	Template:Yes	Template:No
1986	Kirayadar	Template:No	Template:Yes
1986	Dahleez	Template:No	Template:Yes
1987	Awam	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1988	Mahabharat	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV series
1991	Mahabharat katha			TV Serial
1991	Pratigyabadh	Template:No	Template:Yes
1992	Kal Ki Awaz	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1992	Sauda	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	TV series
1993	Kanoon	Template:Yes	Template:No	TV series
2000	Vishnu Puran	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV series
2002–2004	Ramayan	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV series
2001–2004	Aap Beeti	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV series
2002–2003	Ma Shakti	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	TV series
2003	Baghban	Template:No	Template:Yes	Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Film
2004	Kamini Damini	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV series
2006–2007	Viraasat	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV series
2006	Baabul	Template:No	Template:Yes
2008	Bhoothnath	Template:No	Template:Yes

External links

• Template:IMDb name
• B R Chopra's unforgettable movies Rediff.com