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In an exclusive throwback interview with senior most journalist Bharathi S Pradhan for Lehren, producer-director Ravi Chopra opens up on his father the legendary B.R. Chopra's journey from a film journalist to a top filmmaker of the Hindi Film Industry; in turn talking about his cult-classic ventures like Afsana (1951), Ek Hi Raasta (1956), Dhool Ka Phool (1959), Gumrah (1963), Dhund (1973) & many more. While commenting on Baldev Raj Chopra's personal & professional life, Ravi reveals how his dad bagged his debut directorial film Karwat (1949), which was a turning point for the Chopra's... The Baghban director also elaborates upon B.R. Chopra's bond with brother Yash Chopra & superstar Ashok Kumar our very own Dada Muni! During the conversation Ravi Ji for the first discloses an unheard trivia about the blockbuster movie Naya Daur (1957) and the Raj Kapoor & Mehboob Khan connection to it... #ravichopra #brchopra #nayadaur #afsana #ekhiraasta #brfilms #yashchopra #yrf #rajkapoor #ashokkumar #baghban

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Transcript
00:00You know your father's films which are socially relevant. Can you tell me a little bit about it?
00:14I think when this first picture was made, the first picture was made in one way.
00:21In one way there was a built-in message that a video re-marriage angle was built-in.
00:26But sometimes it doesn't have a built-in angle in the picture.
00:30My father made pictures because they were socially relevant.
00:34He made a good picture. He made an entertaining picture.
00:38But he thought that in the picture there is a message.
00:46In every story there is no message.
00:48So you need to express that message in our hands a strong medium.
00:53It's an audio-visual medium that actually impacts people on the people.
00:59So it's obvious that if we use it, it's a good way to use it.
01:03It's going to be entertainment.
01:05But it will also be something else to say.
01:07And what happens is that the picture remains more than a day.
01:11Look, Daddy was a very good director.
01:15But the pictures of Daddy's pictures remember them.
01:20They don't remember the other pictures.
01:22That's why it was a third dimension.
01:25Do you have any questions in your films?
01:29Basically, whatever I learned from my father.
01:32My father is also my guru.
01:34So whatever I learned from him,
01:36I feel that we have a beautiful and powerful medium.
01:41So the right usage of that medium is very important.
01:45So I also want to say that wherever I can tell my pictures,
01:51I will not leave it back.
01:53Your Daddy started as a journalist.
01:56So how did a journalist become a director of a film director?
02:00Do you know?
02:01Yes, I have some ideas.
02:03Basically, I was a journalist.
02:05So it's obvious that when a man is connected with a film,
02:09I feel like I will do something about the film.
02:14This was going on, but nothing happened.
02:17There was a partition.
02:18So I left everything here.
02:20When he came here,
02:21everyone thought that they would do a work.
02:23So Daddy made a picture.
02:26His name was Kervert.
02:27He was a partner.
02:29And another director made a picture.
02:33I don't remember the name of the director.
02:35But another director made a picture.
02:37He made a picture.
02:38He made a picture.
02:39Unfortunately, that picture didn't come out.
02:41And there was such a time that Daddy thought,
02:44that we will go back to Delhi.
02:46In Delhi, there was a job in the Hindustan Times.
02:49There was a job in Delhi.
02:51There was no money.
02:53There was no money.
02:54So he thought that we will go there.
02:56Then there was a friend of Daddy.
02:58He was a distributor in Lahore.
03:02He came to Bombay.
03:04And he took the right rights for Pakistan.
03:07Then he said,
03:08Why did you do this picture?
03:10It was a flop.
03:11He said,
03:12I don't have a loss.
03:13So when the money came out,
03:14then he thought,
03:15I don't go there.
03:16I don't go there.
03:17I don't go there.
03:18So when I lost my money,
03:19I said, I'm going to get the money back again.
03:21So, you know, the whole stuff started.
03:25The struggle started all over again.
03:27One day,
03:29Daddy was sitting there.
03:31Persian Daddy,
03:33which is the talk of the town.
03:36He was sitting there.
03:38And one of his friends,
03:42who was a financier,
03:43said,
03:44Daddy said,
03:45What are you doing?
03:46Daddy said,
03:47I have decided to make a story.
03:48I want to make a story.
03:49I want to make a story.
03:50And that is how he got the money for the first film.
04:15That's what Afsana was made.
04:17That was his first.
04:19Aki Raasta is actually BR films.
04:21BR films ka agaz Aki Raasta se hoa tha.
04:24Daddy ke career ka agaz se hoa tha.
04:27Tell me,
04:30when that film,
04:32Karwat didn't do well,
04:33was he very disappointed?
04:34Very, very.
04:35You see,
04:36basically, Daddy is a very emotional kind of person.
04:37So,
04:38woh,
04:39ghabrathe daada.
04:40Actually,
04:41he shahed thwoda sa chopras mein hai.
04:42Heer shangal bhi vayasai hai.
04:43Thwoda sa mein bhi vayasai hi ho.
04:44To,
04:45hum,
04:46I think,
04:47failure
04:48unfortunately,
04:49that is a part of life.
04:50Koi picture chalegi,
04:51koi picture nahin chalegi.
04:52Mager,
04:54jab,
04:55jab,
04:57flop hoti hai hai,
04:58picture.
04:59To,
05:00kahi pe hum sab,
05:01bade,
05:02take it as a personal failure.
05:03To,
05:04not a good thing,
05:05mager,
05:06that's a failure.
05:07Afsanah me you had Ashok Kumar.
05:08Haan ji.
05:09No,
05:10Afsanah me you had Ashok Kumar.
05:11Yes.
05:12Wahan se,
05:13you had an association with Ashok Kumar for very long time.
05:14Right till the last day.
05:15Yes.
05:16Can you tell me a little bit about your dad's association?
05:17See,
05:18actually his association with,
05:19Haan.
05:20Actually,
05:21his association with Ashok Kumar for very long time.
05:24Right till the last day.
05:25Yes.
05:26Can you tell me a little bit about your dad's association?
05:28See,
05:29Actually,
05:30his association with,
05:31Haan.
05:32Actually,
05:33his association with Ashok Ji,
05:34was a very interesting association.
05:37When,
05:38Afsanah's backing got,
05:40money got,
05:41picture made,
05:42so,
05:43Daddy went to Ashok Ji.
05:44Ashok Ji said,
05:45you are a new director,
05:46you have never done work before.
05:47He said,
05:48no.
05:49So,
05:50I will double pay.
05:51So,
05:52Daddy has done it.
05:53And,
05:54the first day,
05:55shooting,
05:56the first shot,
05:58Daddy said,
05:59no,
06:00just like you are doing it,
06:01it doesn't look good.
06:02He did it.
06:03So,
06:04Dadamuni got angry.
06:06And,
06:07he went to his house and sat down.
06:09So,
06:10everyone was confused.
06:13Everyone said,
06:14that the picture will be closed.
06:15Because,
06:16the heroines will not work.
06:17After half an hour,
06:19Ashok told Daddy to his house.
06:21And,
06:22he said,
06:23I have,
06:24I have,
06:25I have,
06:26I have,
06:27seen,
06:28seen,
06:29and,
06:30from your own.
06:32And,
06:33I think,
06:34what you are saying is correct.
06:35We are friends.
06:36And,
06:37what do you name is?
06:38You are a new friend.
06:39He said,
06:40what do you name is?
06:41He said,
06:42what do you name is?
06:43He said,
06:44I will name you.
06:45And,
06:46there were very few people in film industry,
06:48who called Daddy to the name of Dad.
06:49And,
06:50there was one last one.
06:52And,
06:53what,
06:54did they make a lot of films together?
06:55Yes,
06:56they made a lot of pictures.
06:57Look,
06:58Afsana,
06:59Aki Raasta,
07:00Dhulka Pool,
07:01Dharamputra,
07:02Dhund,
07:03Gumra.
07:04They made a lot of pictures.
07:06Actually,
07:07Daddy,
07:08if you see,
07:09he worked with him.
07:11He worked with him.
07:12He worked with him.
07:13Sunil Dutt uncle,
07:14he made a lot of pictures.
07:16So,
07:17I think that is his temperament.
07:19Yes.
07:20Your daddy,
07:21as a person,
07:23non-controversial,
07:25very peace loving.
07:26Yes.
07:27But,
07:28his film was completely full of controversies.
07:31Yes.
07:32Would you tell us a little bit?
07:34See,
07:35Nayadaar was again a very interesting story.
07:37Nayadaar's story,
07:38actually,
07:39Akhtar Mirza sahab,
07:41Kardaar's story,
07:43and he said,
07:44that there is a story,
07:45which I am going to listen to Raja Kapoor.
07:48So,
07:49I will listen to you too.
07:51So,
07:52Daddy said,
07:53how did he listen?
07:54He listened to the story.
07:55He listened to the story,
07:56and he said,
07:57if you don't have this story,
07:59then you can give me.
08:01So,
08:02he went there.
08:03Raja sahab,
08:04the story wasn't good.
08:05So,
08:06he came back,
08:07and he signed him.
08:08As he signed him,
08:09he said,
08:10that he was making a picture.
08:11So,
08:12Mehbub sahab,
08:13he also rejected the picture.
08:15I remember,
08:16I was a little child.
08:17I was going to school.
08:18I was going to school.
08:19And,
08:20in the morning,
08:21there was a horn on the car.
08:22So,
08:23he looked down,
08:24Mehbub's uncle.
08:25So,
08:26he said,
08:27your father is on top.
08:28So,
08:29Daddy went down.
08:30And,
08:31it was about 7.30,
08:328.20.
08:33So,
08:34Dad went down.
08:35He said,
08:36you are making a picture.
08:37Where are you making a picture?
08:38He said,
08:39you are making a picture.
08:40It's a documentary picture.
08:41Don't make it.
08:42So,
08:43Dad said,
08:44I want to make confidence.
08:46He said,
08:47okay,
08:48I made confidence.
08:49But,
08:50I don't like that picture.
08:51He said,
08:52I was making a picture.
08:53I was making a picture.
08:54I was making a picture.
08:55I was making a picture.
08:56I was making a picture.
08:57I was making a picture.
08:58I was making a picture.
08:59I was making a picture.
09:00I was making a picture.
09:01I was making a picture.
09:02I was making a picture.
09:03I was making a picture.
09:04I was making a picture.
09:05I was making a picture.
09:06I was making a picture.
09:08I was making a picture.
09:09About the doorstep.
09:10They were standing seated.
09:11And they said,
09:12you are making a picture.
09:13I was making a picture.
09:14This person standing here.
09:15This person is better direction.
09:16They are the best director.
09:18And we are the best director.
09:19Because no one could think
09:21that this picture can be so good.
09:22And he has more beautiful pictures.
09:24And the whole industry
09:25has rejected this picture.
09:27To me,
09:28I will give a offer.
09:29Then I will give you a happiness.
09:30to say that when it's a silver lining, it will give trophies trophies.
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