Happy Birthday Yashji!

On this joyous occasion of Yash Chopra's 79th birthday, we take a look back into time with one of Yashji's most memorable movie, Veer Zaara..

• Director Yash Chopra had begun work on a script, and had even completed casting, when Aditya Chopra, came up with the story of VEER-ZAARA (’04), as a vehicle for him to return to his Punjabi roots. Yash Chopra heard just three scenes of the film, and decided to make it. 
• Yash Chopra began his career as a director with DHOOL KA PHOOL (’59) and Lata Mangeshkar had lent her voice for the film, after which they worked together ina  number of films. 45 years after they first worked together, while directing VEER-ZAARA (’04), Yash Chopra approached her again and convinced her, that between them and the tunes of late Madan Mohan, they could create magic and the songs of this film could become legendary
• For the lead role, Yash Chopra wanted to cast a girl whose entire personality could be transformed from her existing image. He chose Priety Zinta, because she had always been presented as tomboyish and westernized. He took about four – five screen tests, before signing her on. Rani Mukherjee’s character, Saamiya Siddiqui, is based on Pakistani human rights activist and well-known lawyer, Asma Jehangir.  
• When Yash Chopra approached Amitabh Bachchan, to do a cameo in VEER-ZAARA (’04), he was shooting for AB TUMHARE HAWALE WATAN SAATHIYON (‘04) in Chandigarh. He agreed immediately, because of his friendship with Yash Chopra and shot his portion of the film.
• The film was originally going to be called YEH KAHAAN AA GAYE HUM, named after the song from Yash Chopra’s film, SILSILA (’81), but Yash Chopra felt that ‘VEER-ZAARA’ went better with the mood of the film. However, there’s a song in VEER-ZAARA (’04) which is called "Yeh hum aa gaye hain kahaan."

And indeed, Veer Zaara was a true Yash Raj masterpiece! 

Don't forget to wish Yashji in the comments section below :)