Celebrating DDLJ in its 601st week

Courtesy: IndiaFM
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Some films are just made and they go on to make history. They create and break records, which are not easy to repeat again. Like I am very sure that even Aditya Chopra will never be able to make another Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge again, specially in these days when massive, ambitious, star-studded and spectacular films and their makers cry themselves hoarse when they complete a half-hearted run of 'fifty glorious days' and most fadeout after just the first three or four weeks and even an Amitabh Bachchan starrer like Nishabd directed by Ram Gopal Varma fizzles within the first three days. Aditya's first film as a director DDLJ quietly entered its 601st week at the Maratha Mandir in Mumbai.

Now tell me if this is not a world record then what is? And tell me if this record can be beaten by anyone, even by Aditya's great 'Baap', Yash Chopra in this age of multiplexes when twenty-four shows of a film are run at the same time in just one suburb. Not possible unless the God of yash (victory) works another miracle again - and even that seems to be a remote possibility, a distant dream.

A lot of water has flown below the Ganga, the Jamuna and all the rivers of the country ever since the film was released. The industry has changed on its head, for the better or the worse only the experts, the historians and time will tell. At this moment I am very interested to know what changes have come over the team that worked for and in DDLJ.

Yash&Aditya Chopra:

Yash Chopra was a big filmmaker even before he decided to launch his son Aditya as a director with DDLJ. He had all the faith in Aditya and gave him the complete freedom to make his film the way he wanted, with guidance, yes, but interference not at all. And Aditya kept the faith his father had in him and made a film according to his own tastes and sensibilities and when he showed it to his father, the father was extremely emotional and cried with joy and went to sleep peacefully that night. He was sure his banner, Yash Raj Films was in safe hands, the hands of his son, Aditya. The making of DDLJ was the beginning of a new life for Yash Chopra. He himself was inspired to direct two major films after his son's films, Dil To Pagal Hai and Veer Zaara, each a master piece in its own way. He had Aditya standing by him like a rock when he made his films. The son made it point to see that he was not directing any film while his father was at work. He wanted to be of help, to be a support if and when needed. Yash then saw his son take the initiative to invite young and talented directors to make films under his father's banner and every director he selected made some of their best films and did good to themselves and to the Yash Raj banner.

Yash saw the greatest happening in his life when his son took one big step to build a state of the art studio where they could make their own films and let other film makers make films when they weren't. That dream seen by the son and encouraged by the father is a magnificent reality, men's outstanding achievement which makes the Gods smile and the sun proud when it rises every morning. Good things have happened to Yash after DDLJ.

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