By Jagmohan Singh Barhok
B. R. Chopra On His Birth Anniversary
वो अफ़साना जिसे अंजाम तक लाना ना हो मुमकिन
उसे एक खूबसूरत मोड़ देकर छोड़ना अच्छा
चलो इक बार फिर से
Baldev Raj Chopra is a name to reckon with in the Hindi film firmament as a director who is different from his contemporaries in style & making with which he has designed many of his hits since “Afsana” ( 1951) featuring Ashok Kumar Veena ,Pran, Kuldip Kaur & Cuckoo. It was written by I. S. Johar. Although Chopra has handled different nay controversial subjects with authority, his forte has been social films with suspense as an essential ingredient besides music playing key role.
Chopra who shifted to Bombay after the partition, held ground before late , setting up his own production house B. R. Films in 1955. He produced & directed ” Ek Hi Rasta” starring Ashok Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Meena Kumari & Daisy Irani who gave an unbelievably thumbs up performance in the film. Yash Chopra assisted big brother in direction. It was a ‘Silver Jubilee’ hit. “Naya Daur” featuring Dilip Kumar & Vyjayanthimala was another blockbuster movie with Dilip Kumar winning the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for the third time in a row, totalling four Awards.The film had many foot tapping numbers like -“Ude Jab Jab Zulfen Teri, Kunwariyon Ka Dil Machle”,”Sathi Hath Badhana, Sathi Hath Badhana”, “Mangke Saath Tumhara, Maine Mang Liya Sansar” & “Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawanon Ka” with patriotic flavour.
B. R.Chopra’s “Naya Daur” ( 1957) featuring Dilip Kumar & Vyjayanthimala, added another feather in his cap. It was a ‘Silver jubilee’ hit, and the second highest grossing film after “Mother india” with many foot tapping numbers to boast like – “Reshmi Salwaar, Kurta Jaali Ka” ( Asha-Samshad Begum), “Ude Jab Jab Zulfen Teri” (Asha Rafi), “Mangke Saath Tumhara”, “Saathi Haath Badhaana” & “Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawanon Ka” with patriotic flavour. It was a music marvel of composer O. P. Nayyar.
“Sadhna” starring Sunil Dutt, Vyjayanthimala & Leela Chitnis was another highly acclaimed film of the moviemaker, revolving as it does round a professor and a prostitute, whom his mother begins to like; both not knowing about her identity. The film was third consecutive hit after “Ek Hi Rasta” & “Naya Daur” on the box office front with Vyjayanthimala winning the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her magnificent portrayal of a prostitute. Chopra’s “Dhool Ka Phool”, based on a hitherto taboo subject -illegitimacy, was another gem of movie starring Mala Sinha & Rajendra Kumar. It was also a social drama with music playing the key role with songs like- ” Tere Pyaar Ka Aasra Chahta Hoon”, “Tu Hindu Banega Ya Musalman Banega”, “Jhukti Ghata, Gaati Hawa Sapne Sajaye” & Dhadakne lagi Dil Ke Taaron Ki Duniya” to boast. Interestingly, it was Yash Chopra’s debut film as director.
B.R. Chopra’s “Kanoon” was a thriller investigating a murder mystery starring Ashok Kumar, Sunil Dutt & Nanda. The film continues to be a matter of debate even sixty-year later. One of the earliest court dramas, it won three Filmfare Awards-Best Director B. R. Chopra, Best Supporting Actor Nana Palsikar & National Awards for Best Feature Film for B. R. Chopra. “Gumrah” (1963) featuring Ashok Kumar, Sunil Dutt & Mala Sinha revolves around a woman who is torn between her lover & her husband.” Waqt” ( 1965) & “Hamraaz” ( 1967) were his two other most talked about blockbusters. And to top it all we have “Insaaf Ka Tarazu”( 1980) in which Zeenat Aman & fledging Padmini Kolhapure are criminally assaulted by Raj Babbar. What is notable or mentionable here us that the rape sequences are often unnecessarily dovetailed & highly highlighted & glamorized. The film did wonders on the box office front with the cunning defense lawyer getting the poor rape victims caught with chaff.
Towards the fag end, with younger brother Yash Chopra going great guns, B. R. Chopra produced epic serial “Mahabharat” thereby providing work to dozens of aspiring & talented actors & actresses. Roads were seen deserted and traffic came to a halt during the telecast of the serial- featuring Nitish Bhardwaj, Puneet Issar, Firoz Khan, Roopa Ganguly, Gufi Paintal, Pankaj Dheer, Mukesh Khanna & Gajendra Chauhan to mention some.
I met director Ravi Chopra, producer B. R. Chopra & the main star cast at Film City, Mumbai & later attended the lavish party at Hotel Centaur, Juhu, in Mumbai in 1990. His brother Dharam Chopra was a known Cinematographer.
