Birthday Special: Aditya Chopra and Yash Raj Films going beyond romance

Aditya Chopra son of Yash Chopra and brother of BR Chopra inherited two key elements from his family legacy romance and scale In his directorial debut in 1995 with the blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge he captivated audiences with the world he created Yash Raj Films known for its largerthanlife sagas exquisite locations mesmerising music and Alist stars has established a legacyAditya has primarily directed love stories However as a producer he has ventured into more realistic narratives YRF one of Indias leading production houses has ventured beyond the glossy world of romance several times in the past decade While some of these endeavours initially failed to resonate with audiences they remain courageous experimentsOn the occasion of his 52nd birthday here are a few examples of his films that have gone beyond romanceDhoom 2004Dhoom is now an immensely successful franchise that reinvented the careers of Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra Back in 2004 YRF attempted to create a world that Rohit Shetty later mastered Dhoom gave us infectious exchanges between the hero and the villain flying cars and montages of some very beautiful and exorbitant bikes John Abraham as the suave antagonist and Bachchan as his bete noire remain a rivalry for the agesKabul Express 2006War documentary filmmaker turned film director Kabir Khan shot this thriller in the landscape of Afghanistan brimming with mystery and mayhem Two journalists arrive for a story and are sucked into the terror that controls Kabul It stars John Abraham and Arshad Warsi is presented by the late Yash Chopra so calling Khanrsquos debut lsquononcommercialrsquo isnrsquot fair but yes for those who savour the other side of the YRF staple Kabul Express may not excite youChak De India 2007 and Rocket Singh Salesman of the Year 2009Few filmmakers have shown the range Shimit Amin has in his career He began with a gangster flick followed with a sports drama and continued with a film about something we all detest but will miss in 2021 the office space Chak De India and Rocket Singh were films about a manrsquos journey in a familiar land and the challenges that he encounters Shah Rukh Khanrsquos hockey field and Ranbir Kapoorrsquos office desk are filled with people who look at these heroes with disdain Both Kabir Khan and Harpreet Singh Bedi are superheroes without the capes or any histrionics One wants to conquer the World Cup and the other wishes for integrity in the business world Khan and Kapoor were barely Khan and Kapoor yet they delivered what remains one of their most rousing performances so farDum Laga Ke Haisha 2015Is there any other actor who understands the milieu of the heartland as tenaciously as Ayushmann Khurrana Who but Bhumi Pednekar to essay a woman who hails from a small town the very representation of the soil Her name says it all This charming ode to nostalgia begins as a hate story and slowly morphs into a romance with a sport in its climax where the husband literally has to lift the burden of his wife to win a coveted prize by none other than Kumar Sanu arguably the biggest name in the music industry in the 90s Anu Malik marked his solid return as the music director with one comforting melody after another The 1990s were truly the bestFan 2016Maneesh Sharma and Aditya Chopra wanted to pay homage to the legacy of Shah Rukh Khan and also paint it with a critical lens A fan Khan as Gaurav a superstar also Khan as Aryan Khanna and a tragedy Khan vs Khan were what transpired in the narrative of this thriller People have issues with the second half critiquing the fanrsquos means to seek revenge from his idol A sudden case of mistaken identity triggers Gauravrsquos objective and we witness what personally remains an audacious attempt Gaurav resembles Aryan and it could have been nothing else but his face as the object of retribution With Fan SRK not only showed the magnitude of his stardom but also displayed how the biggest of stars are inconsequential without ahellip FANSultan 2016While not a conventional love story Sultan is an inspiring sports drama directed by Aditya Chopra Starring Salman Khan as the titular character the film showcases the journey of a wrestler seeking redemption and personal growth Chopras directorial finesse coupled with powerful performances and engaging storytelling made Sultan a critical and commercial successAlso ReadNawazuddin Siddiqui Birthday 2023 5 uniquely performed scenes