Bollywood has seen many popular filmmakers who have shaped the careers of millions. From Mahesh Bhatt, Ramesh Sippy, Rajkumar Hirani, and Karan Johar, Hindi cinema has seen many legends and their passion for cinema. But the one filmmaker who has changed the face of modern-day cinema is Aditya Chopra.
Elder son of Yash Chopra and Pamela Chopra, Aditya Chopra, the scion of Yash Raj Films, is the reclusive brain behind the production house. He rarely talks to the media and is hardly spotted at parties. Despite his rare public appearance, Aditya boasts a huge power—the power to change the destiny of a struggling actor. He has given wings to some of the leading millennial actors.
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Following the footsteps of his popular filmmaker father, Aditya Chopra created an empire of his own. Often referred to as a magician behind the camera, Aditya redefined the meaning of romance in Hindi cinema. Let us look at the ace filmmaker’s journey and some unknown aspects of his personal life.
Born on May 21, 1971, Aditya completed his schooling at the Bombay Scottish School and graduated from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics. He began his career as an assistant director at the age of 18 and assisted his father in films like Chandni, Lamhe, Darr, Parampara and a few others.
After gaining significant experience behind the camera, Aditya Chopra gave his first solo hit with his debut film, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge at the age of 23. The romantic comedy drama, DDLJ, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol broke all the records and became a blockbuster. The film created history for its longest-running time in theatres.
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Aditya’s next venture was Mohabbatein, which also became the highest-grossing film in 2000. Aditya’s successful career was unstoppable with films like Hum Tum, Veer Zaara, Dhoom, Fanaa, Sultan, Pathaan and many more.
Not many people know this, but Aditya Chopra got married to his best friend, Payal Khanna, in 2001 in a private ceremony. Aditya and Payal were high-school sweethearts, and Aditya’s parents were very fond of Payal. She was an interior designer by profession and post-marriage, she contributed her skills to design under the Yash Raj Studio. However, after a few years of marriage, cracks started appearing in their relationship, and the duo parted ways, and their relationship ended in divorce in 2009.
After Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Aditya Chopra rose to prominence, and every budding star wanted to meet the ace director to get a chance to work with him. Rani first encountered Aditya at the Sampan Hotel in Mumbai, but to his surprise, the then-young starlet did not pursue him, vying for a role. Impressed by this and her performance in films she had done before, Aditya recommended Rani to Karan Johar for his film, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
Soon, Rani bagged many roles from Yash Raj Films, but despite being the frequent leading lady for the banner, she was never directed by Aditya Chopra himself. Soon, Rani and Aditya became friends and gradually fell in love. Though Rani was tagged as a homebreaker, she only started dating Aditya after his divorce from Payal.
Aditya Chopra and Rani Mukerji were head-over-heels in love with each other. However, it was reported that his parents, the late Yash Chopra and Pamela Chopra, were not happy about their relationship. They disapproved of Rani’s match with him as they were too fond of Payal and did not want the actress to replace her. It was also reported that things took an ugly turn when Yash Chopra asked Aditya to leave their home. According to a report in the Mumbai Mirror, Aditya walked out of the home immediately and stayed in a five-star hotel for almost a year.
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The situation got so bad that the matriarch of the family, Pamela, had to intervene and sort things between the father and son. A report by the Mumbai Mirror back then claimed that:
"Adi is back because his mother was very keen to have her son back home. She does not like Rani much, but has had to bend because she could not stay away from her son. A family reunion has happened and now things are better, though still not fully fine. In fact, he categorically told his parents that he would shift only if they did not interfere in his personal life."
After nearly five years of dating, Aditya and Rani tied the knot on April 21, 2014, in a hushed and very secretive Bengali wedding in Italy. The couple had strict adherence to a no-picture policy for their wedding, so much so that even today, there isn’t any picture related to their wedding. Fast forward to now, the couple is proud parents to a lovely daughter, whom they have named Adira.
Aditya Chopra is the face of Yash Raj Films, who carried forward his father, Yash Chopra’s legacy. He is one of the leading filmmakers of Indian cinema and boasts a whopping net worth of Rs. 6,500 crores.
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