Actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, and many others have been directed by both Yash Chopra and his son, Aditya Chopra. But when it comes to actresses, there's only one common name.
Speaking about Sandeep Reddy Vanga's impact on Indian cinema, S. S. Rajamouli said that after Ram Gopal Varma, Vanga is the only director to have shaken the audience and the industry, and also changed the formula of cinema. However, as far as "changing the formula of cinema" is concerned, the late Yash Chopra inarguably deserves acknowledgment here. Precisely, what he did to mainstream Hindi cinema (whether you like it or not), it goes without saying that no one else has matched that. He literally put an end to the trend of action cinema and brought a whiff of fresh air with his eternal love stories. And he reigned supreme throughout his career which spanned over 5 decades.
A Yash Chopra film is typically celebrated for its exquisite landscapes, opulent sets, iconic song-and-dance sequences, and of course - the heroines. The dreamy, ethereal women in chiffon sarees, who would make all the men go weak in their knees. Whether it's Sharmila Tagore in 'Waqt', Sridevi in 'Chandni' and 'Lamhe', Juhi Chawla in 'Darr', or Madhuri Dixit in 'DilToPagal Hai' - we can never get enough of them!
50 years of celebrating movies, 50 years of entertaining you. On this occasion #AdityaChopra pens down a heartfelt note. #YRF50 pic.twitter.com/Pfj182ylvy
— Yash Raj Films (@yrf) September 27, 2020
Credit: Yash Raj Films
In this context, there's one interesting trivia that many do not know. Today, on Yash Ji's birth anniversary, let's learn that in this article.
The late Yash Chopra and his son Aditya Chopra (the current chairperson of Yash Raj Films) are widely considered one of the greatest father-son duos in Bollywood.
Interestingly, there's only one actress who has been directed by both filmmakers. And that's Anushka Sharma. Yes, you read it right!
Anushka Sharma made her acting debut in 2008 with the romantic drama 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi', directed by Aditya Chopra. She starred opposite Shah Rukh Khan in that film, winning enormous acclaim from across the nation. Later, in 2012, she played the role of Akira in Yash's last directorial venture, 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan'. And it earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Anushka Sharma and Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’
Interestingly, in both films, Sharma starred opposite Shah Rukh Khan.
Anushka Sharma and Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’
Speaking about being the only actress to have been directed by both Yash and Aditya Chopra, Sharma later shared in an interview with Bollywood Hungama, "I feel very special and unique that I got this chance to work with both of them. Adi is my first director and will always be special. As for Yashji what can I say, actresses die to work in a Yash Chopra-directed film. He could have taken any actress instead of me yet he thought of me which is something I'll always be grateful for."
In that interview, the actress also spoke about the similarities and differences that she saw in their filmmaking styles. "From a director's point of view, Yashji makes these eternal love stories about man-woman relationships whereas Adi makes stories about principles, correctness, and goodness. In Adi's characters, be it Suri of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi or Raj Aryan of Mohabbatein, you will always see an element of goodness and someone with correct values and principles. That apart, Yashji is much quicker and shoots much faster. He just asks for 1 or 2 takes maximum. I remember we used to have 12-hour schedules in Kashmir and Ladakh but we would end up finishing it in 7 hours and then would be free for the rest of the day. Adi is also very quick compared to a lot of other directors but he still sometimes asks for that one extra take while Yashji always believes that an actor always gives his best take in the first or second attempt itself."
Rest In Peace, Yash Ji. And Thank You For All The Amazing Films!
