MUMBAI – Yash Chopra, the grand old man of Bollywood directors, turned 80 today. And as a birthday treat, actor Shah Rukh Khan hosted a very special live chat with Chopra who has directed SRK in Darr, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Veer-Zaara and now in Jab Tak Hai Jaan. In conversation with SRK, Chopra spoke about he became a filmmaker even though his family originally wanted him to become an engineer. His elder brother, director-producer B R Chopra, wanted the young Yash to study engineering. With his mother's blessing and Rs200 in his pocket, Yash Chopra arrived in Mumbai in the 1950s and was given a job assisting his brother. He ended up working with B R Chopra, who wanted the young Yash to work with Raj Kapoor's RK Films, for two years and directed his first film Dhool Ka Phool in 1959. Chopra also spoke about his love for poetry and how he became good friends with actress Meena Kumari after he wrote her a poem. – Agencies
