In a career spanning nearly 60 years, he directed 22 films and came to be regarded as a behemoth in the Indian film industry. His contribution towards Hindi cinema is immense and we can safely say that love stories in particular would forever remain in his debt.
Dhool Ka Phool (1959)
Mala Sinha and Rajendra Nath played a couple who cross all bounds in an era where pre-marital sex was considered taboo. The unmarried heroine not only had sex but delivered a child too. The fact that Dhool Ka Phool was the highest grossing film for its year is a tribute to Yashji’s sensitive handling of the taboo subject.
Waqt (1965)
Waqt was one of our first multi-starrers, starring top stars like Sunil Dutt, Sharmila Tagore, Raaj Kumar, Sadhana, Shashi Kapoor and Balraj Sahni. It was one of the first films to successfully employ the lost and found formula. It was also indicative of the lavishly mounted films he later became famous for.
Ittefaq (1969)
Ittefaq
He took cue from his brother BR Chopra’s Kanoon and made a taut songless suspense thriller called Ittefaq. It was based on a play and shot apparently in 20 days. The film starred Rajesh Khanna, known for his romantic songs and yet was accepted with much gusto by the audience.
Daag (1973)
Starring Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila Tagore and Raakhee, Daag brought out bigamy from the closet. It made a case out for the fact that it was possible for one individual to love two people at the same time. That heart can be a big enough place if you allow it to be.
Deewaar (1975)
Amitabh Bachchan excelled as a coolie turned gangster who can’t understand why his mother rejected him now that he has come up in life. Deewaar carried shades of Mother India in the sense the here too was a wayward son shunned by the strong willed mother for his own good. The film has become famous for Mere Paas Maa hai... the retort by Shashi Kapoor to his elder brother when the latter starts listing his ‘achivements.’
Kabhi Kabhie (1976)
It was a film carrying strains of a love story spanning two generations. Amitabh Bachchan plays a poet, who gets shattered when he loses the love of his life (Raakhee) to another man (Shashi Kapoor). Years later, his daughter gets into a love triangle with Raakhee’s son (Rishi Kapoor). Ironically, the other end of the triangle is none other than Neetu Singh, his wife Waheeda Rehman’s daughter born out of wedlock.
Trishul (1978)
The film was all about a man wanting justice for his mother and employing every just and unjust means while doing so. Sanjeev Kumar, Amaitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor slugged it out in this bout of egos, of personalities.
Kaala Patthar (1979)
The protagonist, Amitabh Bachchan battled with his one act of cowardice every day and in the end puts his life in extreme danger to get out of the rut. It was also an eye-opener about the plight of coal workers in India.
Silsila (1981)
Marriage doesn’t mean you stop loving the person you’ve not married (or start loving the person you have). This home truth, which was relegated to hushed whispers, was brought out in a loud and extremely close way in Sisla. The film starred Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan as well as Rekha and the real life casting was too close to the audiences’ comfort. The film wasn’t a hit when released but today has developed a cult status.
Chandni (1989)
This love triangle, starring Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor and Sridevi, reiterated her position as the female superstar. Her white dresses and sarees became the rage all over India.
Lamhe (1991)
Women do get turned on my men their father's age and in Lamhe we saw the June-December fixation on screen the first time. It wasn't the Lolita complex he brought on screen but pure emotional maelstrom.
Darr (1993)
In loves becomes a morbid obsession that turns fatal. The director knew that there is a thin line separating love and madness and showcased that in chilling detail. It remains one of his most violent films till date. It changed the way Shah Rukh Khan’s career was taking shape.
Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)
Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Karishma Kapoor starred in this love triangle. He changed tracks and made a musical in the true sense of the word by doing away with traditional choreographers and employing Shiamak Dawar, a man known for his modern dance recitals.