Aditya Chopra

Aditya Chopra, born on 21 May 1971, is a Hindi cinema director, producer, and studio head. He serves as Chairman of Yash Raj Films (YRF), India’s multinational entertainment conglomerate. His produced films have made him the highest-grossing Indian film producer ever.

As a young applicant, Chopra was denied admission to the National School of Drama because of a severe stammer. Despite that, the Film Division of India later gave him National Awards for his achievements in 1995, 2004, 2007, and 2015. Though widely seen as the most influential executive in Indian entertainment, Chopra has shunned the publicity and fame that came with being Yash Chopra’s son and YRF’s chief executive.

Early life

Chopra is the elder son of late filmmaker Yash Chopra and Pamela Chopra, born on 21 May 1971. His only sibling is actor-producer Uday Chopra. He is the nephew of producer B.R. Chopra and cousin of filmmaker Ravi Chopra. He finished secondary school at Bombay Scottish School, earning his ICSE, and graduated from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics alongside Anil Thadani, Karan Johar, and Abhishek Kapoor.

Filmmaking career

He began his filmmaking career at 18 as an assistant director, working with his father on Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991), and Darr (1993). He also wrote his first screenplays for his father’s Parampara (1992) and his mother’s independently produced Aaina (1993)—the only film not directed by his father on which he served as assistant director.

1995: Directorial debut and success

At 23, Chopra made his independent directorial debut with the all-time blockbuster romantic comedy-drama Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, which he also wrote. The script, started in 1990 when he was 19, went through about five drafts. He convinced his brother Uday and Karan Johar to join as assistant directors, saying their presence provided huge emotional support. The film became one of the biggest hits ever, winning the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and the Filmfare Award for Best Film, plus the Filmfare Best Director award for Chopra.

1996–2002: Extensive work in Yash Raj Films

Chopra wrote the dialogue and story for his father’s 1997 musical romance Dil To Pagal Hai, which also won the National Award for Best Popular Film. His next directorial effort was the musical romantic drama Mohabbatein (2000), starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Aishwarya Rai, which launched his brother Uday.

Written and co-produced by Chopra, it became the year’s highest-grossing film and earned him a second Filmfare Best Director nomination. The banner’s next release was the romantic comedy Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002), starring Uday, which did moderately well. That year’s final release was Saathiya, a remake of the Tamil Alai Payuthey, starring Vivek Oberoi and Rani Mukerji, which was a major hit.

In 2004, Chopra produced the romantic comedy Hum Tum, the action thriller Dhoom, and the epic love saga Veer-Zaara (which he also wrote) under YRF. All three were critical and commercial successes, becoming the sixth, third, and highest-grossing Indian films of 2004, respectively. The company won most major Indian film awards that year, and Veer-Zaara earned the National Award for Best Popular Film. He went on to produce and write many other critically and commercially successful films, including Bunty Aur Babli, Salaam Namaste, Fanaa, Dhoom 2, and Chak De India (which also won the National Award).

Chopra made his third directorial film in 2008 with the romantic comedy Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, starring Shah Rukh Khan and launching newcomer Anushka Sharma. Though it received mixed reviews, it became one of the highest-grossing films for Khan and YRF at the time, earning him a third Filmfare Best Director nomination.

Under YRF, many budding screenwriters and directors debuted, including Karan Johar (whose Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was co-produced and released by Yash Raj Film Distributors), Kunal Kohli, Kabir Khan, Sanjay Gadhvi, Jaideep Sahni, Siddharth Anand, Shimit Amin, Habib Faisal, Shaad Ali, Maneesh Sharma, and Vijay Acharya. The company also produced films for directors like Anil Mehta and Pradeep Sarkar. YRF was ranked number 1 among the most successful film production companies in India by Filmfare and number 27 worldwide by The Hollywood Reporter.