New
Delhi:
Industrialist-politician
T
Subbarami
Reddy,
who
produced
Hindi
films
like
Vijay,
Chandni
and
Lamhe,
today
announced
a
national
award
in
memory
of
filmmaker
Yash
Chopra
to
be
given
to
an
outstanding
film
personality
each
year.
"In
my
friend's
memory,
I
want
to
constitute
Yash
Chopra
National
Memorial
Award.
It
consists
of
Rs
10
lakh
and
a
citation.
The
award
will
be
given
to
an
outstanding
film
personality
every
year
by
TSR
foundation," said
Reddy,
a
Congress
leader
who
was
a
close
friend
of
Chopra
for
three
decades.
Describing
Chopra
as
a
great
filmmaker,
the
Rajya
Sabha
MP
told
reporters
here
that
the
award
is
likely
to
be
given
on
Chopra's
death
anniversary.
The
Bollywood
icon
died
in
Mumbai
on
October
21.
Recalling
his
friendship
with
Chopra
dating
back
to
Silsila
days,
Reddy
said
Chopra
continued
to
direct
hit
films
for
almost
60
years
because
he
understood
the
audience's
pulse.
"In
1981,
Silsila
screened
in
my
Hyderabad
theatre
Maheshwari
Parmeshwari.
Though
the
film
did
not
do
that
well
in
other
parts
of
the
country,
we
celebrated
silver
jubilee
in
Hyderabad.
I
met
Yashji
during
that
time
and
we
became
great
friends.
It
was
a
31-year-old
friendship,"
he
said.
Reddy
is
credited
with
helping
Chopra
at
a
time
when
the
filmmaker
was
disheartened
as
several
of
his
films
failed
at
the
Box
Office
in
the
80s
post-Silsila.
"After
Silsila,
Mashaal
and
Faasle
did
not
do
well.
His
confidence
took
a
dip.
We
decided
to
join
our
luck
together
to
make
Vijay
in
1988.
The
film
was
a
success
and
we
went
on
to
make
hits
like
Chandni
and
Lamhe,"
he
said.
The
69-year-old
national
award-winning
filmmaker
said
he
was
shocked
to
hear
about
Chopra's
death
just
weeks
before
the
release
of
his
last
film
Jab
Tak
Hai
Jaan.