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India Today
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Does 'Raj' in Yash Raj Films stand for Rajesh Khanna? The partnership that wasn't
Gautam Chintamani's 'Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna', a story told through the actor's cinematic marvels and misses, includes an intriguing anecdote - one that may change how you look at Yash Raj Films (YRF).One of India's biggest film production houses, YRF was founded by Yash Chopra, known for directing classics, and revolutionising Bollywood's idea of romance. And it all began with 'Daag: A Poem of Love' (1973).advertisementStarring Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila Tagore and Rakhee in the lead roles, 'Daag' was Chopra's directorial debut under his own production banner. That Khanna and Chopra didn't collaborate again for over a decade despite the roaring success of the film is a well-known fact. What remains lesser known is the depth of their creative bond before the legendary fallout. As mentioned in 'Dark Star', Chopra had already established himself as a promising director but had worked only under his brother Baldev Raj Chopra's banner, BR Films. Yash Chopra wanted a fresh start, and in Rajesh Khanna, he saw that beginning. According to a section of the industry insiders, their rapport during the making of 'Daag' was so strong that they reportedly decided to co-produce the film. An excerpt from the book reads:The film also went on to create an urban legend that remains one of the Hindi film industry's most romanticized myths. According to a cross-section of people from within the industry, especially Khanna's close confidants, Rajesh Khanna and Yash Chopra had an unofficial agreement that 'Daag' would be a co-production between the two. Even though Yash Chopra, like his brother Baldev Raj Chopra, was officially Yash Raj Chopra, the presence of 'Raj' in Yash Raj Films banner is believed by many to stand for 'Rajesh' (sic). Even with Chopra's proven talent, the project may not have taken shape without Khanna's book further states: "If stories are to be believed, the circumstances in which Yash Chopra started his production house were far from rosy. It had been a decade since he started directing, and all his films had been for BR Chopra's production house, and it was Khanna, along with producer Gulshan Rai, who helped Yash in more ways than one when he decided to go independent (sic)."Khanna's presence in the film helped Yash put the project together with less difficulty than it otherwise might have entailed, because when 'Daag' was beginning to be filmed, Khanna was at the peak of his popularity. The falling out between Khanna and Yash Chopra following 'Daag' that resulted in the actor not featuring in any of the director's ventures over the next decade and a half, and Khanna teaming up with BR Chopra, add to the mystery surrounding the whole issue. But the perceived veracity of his tale depends largely on which side one chooses to view the whole affair from, as the bigger the myth, the more sides a story tends to have in the world of Hindi cinema (sic). What led to the rift between them remains a mystery. Chopra, in later interviews, hinted that he didn't want to deal with Khanna's infamous "tantrums," Khanna, on the other hand, claimed Chopra would make him work unnecessarily long hours."Regardless, the success of 'Daag' should have ideally inspired a creative partnership between Rajesh Jhanna and Yash Chopra, who had seen a successful collaboration with 'Ittefaq' too. But that wasn't meant to be (sic)," Chintamani it was not just Chopra's journey that Khanna played a role in. According to the book, Khanna is believed to have discovered the iconic writing duo Salim-Javed. But like Chopra, they too eventually drifted away.'Dark Star' notes:And while Chopra went on to helm 'Deewar' which, in a way, sealed Khanna's fate, Khanna not only had to be content with seeing Yash collaborate with the very man who would take away his crown, but was also at the receiving end of the wrath of Salim-Javed, the writing duo he practically discovered (sic). Rajesh Khanna, the first superstar of the Hindi cinema, died on July 18, 2012 in Mumbai after a prolonged illness. He is survived by his wife, Dimple Kapadia, and daughters, Twinkle and Rinke Khanna.- EndsMust Watch
Mint
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Meet India's richest family in Bollywood with ₹10000 crore net worth, not Khans or Kapoors or Chopras
Bollywood is home to some of the richest directors, actors, singers, and more. From delivering box office blockbusters to securing big brand endorsements and launching successful business ventures, many celebrities have built massive fortunes over time. But Bollywood isn't just about individual stars; it's also home to some of the wealthiest families in the entertainment world. Among them, one family stands tall at the top. Their journey began humbly, selling mere music cassettes, and today, their legacy is worth an astonishing ₹ 10,000 crore. The richest filmy family in Bollywood is T-Series' Bhushan Kumar's family, as per the Hurun Rich List. In fact, not just in the Hindi film industry, they are also the wealthiest family in the entire Indian cinema. As per the latest Hurun list for India, the T-Series family has a net worth of $1.2 billion (over ₹ 10,000 crore). They easily surpass some of the legendary families in Bollywood, such as the Khans, Kapoors and even Chopras, with their staggering wealth. After the Kumars comes the Chopra family on the list. With a net worth of over ₹ 8000 crore, the owners of Yash Raj Films and BR Films are the second richest family in the Indian film industry. Next comes the Shah Rukh Khan family aka the Khan family. Shah Rukh who is already the richest actor in India, has a net worth of ₹ 7800 crore, reported Forbes. The Chopra family - owners of Yash Raj Films and BR Films - have a combined reported net worth of over ₹ 8000 crore, putting them in second place after the Kumars. Shah Rukh Khan's family has a net worth of ₹ 7800 crore according to Forbes. Once considered the richest family in Indian cinema, the Kapoors have now slipped down the list, with a combined net worth of a little over ₹ 2,000 crore. In down South, some of the richest film families include the Telugu film industry superstars. It is none other than Chiranjeevi's Konidela-Allu family. Comprising of Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan, Ram Charan, and Allu Arjun—and the Akkineni-Daggubati family, including Nagarjuna, Naga Chaitanya, Venkatesh, and Rana Daggubati. Reportedly, the the Konidela-Allu family boasts an impressive estimated net worth of ₹ 4,000 crore. On the other hand, the Akkineni-Daggubati clan leads the pack with a combined net worth exceeding ₹ 5,000 crore, thanks to Nagarjuna's considerable fortune. However, these figures are nowhere close to Bhushan Kumar's family wealth. The Kumars of Bollywood have built a massive empire worth ₹ 10,000 crore. Interestingly, there is no superstar in their family, unlike other filmy families on the list. So, where does their wealth come from? Bhushan Kumar runs T-Series along with his uncle, Kishan Kumar, an actor-turned-producer and co-chairman of the company. Other family members are actively involved in the industry across various roles. This includes Bhushan's wife, actor-director Divya Khossla; his sister, actor Khushali Kumar; and his younger sister, singer Tulsi Kumar. Besides their individual income, the Kumar family owes most of its massive wealth to T-Series, the media powerhouse that started as a music label. T-Series went on to become one of India's largest film production companies, helming all-time blockbusters like Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, Dangal, 3 Idiots, Aashiqui 2, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Ek Tha Tiger, War, Andhadhun, and Chennai Express among many others. Today, T-Series also operates multiple subsidiaries and even runs an acting school, T-Series StageWorks Academy in Noida. The story behind T-Series began with Bhushan Kumar's father and Kishan Kumar's brother, Gulshan Kumar who was once a fruit vendor in Delhi.
Mint
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Meet India's richest family in Bollywood with ₹10000 crore net worth, not Khans or Kapoors or Chopras
Bollywood is home to some of the richest directors, actors, singers, and more. From delivering box office blockbusters to securing big brand endorsements and launching successful business ventures, many celebrities have built massive fortunes over time. But Bollywood isn't just about individual stars; it's also home to some of the wealthiest families in the entertainment world. Among them, one family stands tall at the top. Their journey began humbly, selling mere music cassettes, and today, their legacy is worth an astonishing ₹ 10,000 crore. The richest filmy family in Bollywood is T-Series' Bhushan Kumar's family, as per the Hurun Rich List. In fact, not just in the Hindi film industry, they are also the wealthiest family in the entire Indian cinema. As per the latest Hurun list for India, the T-Series family has a net worth of $1.2 billion (over ₹ 10,000 crore). They easily surpass some of the legendary families in Bollywood, such as the Khans, Kapoors and even Chopras, with their staggering wealth. After the Kumars comes the Chopra family on the list. With a net worth of over ₹ 8000 crore, the owners of Yash Raj Films and BR Films are the second richest family in the Indian film industry. Next comes the Shah Rukh Khan family aka the Khan family. Shah Rukh who is already the richest actor in India, has a net worth of ₹ 7800 crore, reported Forbes. The Chopra family - owners of Yash Raj Films and BR Films - have a combined reported net worth of over ₹ 8000 crore, putting them in second place after the Kumars. Shah Rukh Khan's family has a net worth of ₹ 7800 crore according to Forbes. Once considered the richest family in Indian cinema, the Kapoors have now slipped down the list, with a combined net worth of a little over ₹ 2,000 crore. In down South, some of the richest film families include the Telugu film industry superstars. It is none other than Chiranjeevi's Konidela-Allu family. Comprising of Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan, Ram Charan, and Allu Arjun—and the Akkineni-Daggubati family, including Nagarjuna, Naga Chaitanya, Venkatesh, and Rana Daggubati. Reportedly, the the Konidela-Allu family boasts an impressive estimated net worth of ₹ 4,000 crore. On the other hand, the Akkineni-Daggubati clan leads the pack with a combined net worth exceeding ₹ 5,000 crore, thanks to Nagarjuna's considerable fortune. However, these figures are nowhere close to Bhushan Kumar's family wealth. The Kumars of Bollywood have built a massive empire worth ₹ 10,000 crore. Interestingly, there is no superstar in their family, unlike other filmy families on the list. So, where does their wealth come from? Bhushan Kumar runs T-Series along with his uncle, Kishan Kumar, an actor-turned-producer and co-chairman of the company. Other family members are actively involved in the industry across various roles. This includes Bhushan's wife, actor-director Divya Khossla; his sister, actor Khushali Kumar; and his younger sister, singer Tulsi Kumar. Besides their individual income, the Kumar family owes most of its massive wealth to T-Series, the media powerhouse that started as a music label. T-Series went on to become one of India's largest film production companies, helming all-time blockbusters like Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, Dangal, 3 Idiots, Aashiqui 2, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Ek Tha Tiger, War, Andhadhun, and Chennai Express among many others. Today, T-Series also operates multiple subsidiaries and even runs an acting school, T-Series StageWorks Academy in Noida. The story behind T-Series began with Bhushan Kumar's father and Kishan Kumar's brother, Gulshan Kumar who was once a fruit vendor in Delhi. His life changed after he and his father purchased a small shop selling music cassettes. With time, Gulshan Kumar rose to become India's "Cassette King." He went on to launch his own record label, Super Cassettes, the company we now know as T-Series.
News18
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
BR Chopra Defended Muslim Writer For TV's Mahabharat, Said People Thought Of It As 'Hindu Story': 'It Isn't'
In the Making of Mahabharat, BR Chopra said that making Mahabharat was a dream for many producers, including him. But he knew the story was too big for a short film. 'Every producer dreams of making Mahabharat. I also wanted to make it but I knew that you can't make it in a three hour film. If you want to make it, you have to make it in a long format, and the only option for that was television," he had said. For Mahabharat to work, BR Chopra knew it needed to be easy for everyone to follow. With so many characters and events, the story had to be clear. Once the audience understood who the good and bad characters were, the show needed something to tie it all together. That's when BR Chopra found Rahi Masoom Raza. In the Making of Mahabharat, Chopra said they needed a narrator for each episode to explain the events. After a lot of discussion, Raza came up with the famous line, 'Main Samay hoon" (I am Time), suggesting Time be the narrator. BR Chopra agreed right away. He said, 'All the restrictions that a Muslim man will write a Hindu story… People think of this as a Hindu story. We don't think so but anyway… Everything just went out of the window. The way he wrote it, we signed him." people were not happy about Rahi Masoom Raza joining the writing team. When Doordarshan saw the episode plan from BR Films, they were mostly happy but asked how a Muslim writer could write the show. BR Chopra's daughter-in-law, Renu, shared this on Kapil Sharma's show. She said Chopra said,
Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Mahabharat: BR Chopra stood by Rahi Masoom Raza when Doordarshan questioned how a Muslim man could write the show, ‘It's not Hindu or Muslim'
Many years ago, Aamir Khan hinted that he was keen on making Mahabharat for the big screen. It wasn't even an announcement but it prompted the trolls. The idea that a Muslim man wanted to make an epic that's sacred for the Hindus was too much for the naysayers. On Tuesday morning, Aamir reiterated his thoughts and said that he would want to make multiple films on the epic as the story is so vast that it can't be summarised in one film. 37 years ago, when BR Chopra made Mahabharat, he faced something similar because he hired a Muslim writer, Rahi Masoom Raza, to write the show. BR Chopra was considered to be one of the pioneers of the Indian film industry. He started making movies in the 1950s and with films like Naya Daur, Waqt, Dhool Ka Phool among many others under his banner BR Films. It was in the 1980s that Doordarshan approached him to make either Ramayan or Mahabharat as a television show, and he chose to make Mahabharat. 'Every producer dreams of making Mahabharat. I also wanted to make it but I knew that you can't make it in a three hour film. If you want to make it, you have to make it in a long format, and the only option for that was television,' he shared in the 'Making of Mahabharat'. Chopra believed that Mahabharat was a bigger challenge as compared to Ramayan as the latter was the story of what to do, and the former was the story of what not to do. Unlike Ramayan, which was seen as a collection of tales of morality, Mahabharat was perceived as a cautionary tale. This was a complex story that went on for generations and here, most characters weren't heroes or villains, but had traits of both. So when BR decided to make Mahabharat, he knew that the key was in the writing. BR Chopra on the set of Mahabharat. (Photo: Express Archive) For the show to work, it was extremely essential that a lay person understood the chronology of events and not lose themselves in the hundreds of characters within the story. After the audience understood the interpersonal relationships, and who could broadly be classified as the 'good' and the 'bad' guys, the show needed something that could hold it all together and when BR found it with Rahi Masoom Raza, he knew this was the man for the job. In the 'Making of Mahabharat', as BR talked about every producer's lifelong dream of making Mahabharat, he shared that they knew that they needed a narrator for every episode to set context for the events. After much back and forth, when Rahi came up with the now classic lines 'Main samay hoon', and announced that 'Samay (Time)' would be the narrator of every episode, BR said an instant yes. 'All the restrictions that a Muslim man will write a Hindu story… People think of this as a Hindu story. We don't think so but anyway… Everything just went out of the window. The way he wrote it, we signed him,' he said. Rahi knew that he could present this story in a 'contemporary' way and get people to relate to it. But, as one would have expected, there was strong opposition to Rahi's inclusion in the writing team. When Doordarshan saw the plan of episodes submitted by BR Films, they were largely satisfied by what they were seeing but they were blunt enough to ask BR Chopra how a Muslim man would write the show. His daughter-in-law Renu, in an earlier appearance on Kapil Sharma's show, recalled his conversation with Doordarshan and shared, 'Dad said Mahabharat isn't Hindu or Muslim, it is the story of every family. There is dispute in every family. Every house should have a Mahabharat so people know what they should not be doing. If Rahi saab is asked to leave, then I will walk out as well.' ALSO READ | Govinda recalls being thrown out of BR Chopra's office for refusing Mahabharat; says filmmaker called his mom 'mad': 'Bahar nikalo isko' In a 1990 interview with India Today, Rahi opened up about the threats he had received and expressed his shock wondering, 'Am I not an Indian?' When asked if 'Hindu fundamentalist groups' had threatened him, Rahi said, 'I'm hurt and amazed at the furore created about a Muslim writing the script. Am I not an Indian? The Vishwa Hindu Parishad did write a letter, to which I replied. They later sent an apology. The threats don't worry me.' What Rahi Masoom Raza created with Mahabharat is still seen as a benchmark in storytelling. The visual effects, the costumes and the aesthetic of the Doordarshan show might be dated but the central storyline, which was simplified by the Rahi so it could be understood by the masses, continues to inspire many, including Aamir Khan. It is yet to be seen if Aamir actually gets down to making his Mahabharat because whenever he does so, his films will be compared to what BR Chopra made in 1988.
