Rajesh Khanna Ittefaq,Daag,Vijay That Chopra had an eye for the stars is evident from the fact that he worked with Rajesh Khanna much before he earned the superstar tag. In a thriller,titled Ittefaq,Chopra made Khanna portray the role of a neurotic who is blamed for his wifes murder. Soon after,when Khannas superhit Aradhana made him an overnight superstar,Chopra took stock of Khannas romantic image and cast him in a musical love triangle Daag and in the multi-starrer family drama Vijay. Amitabh Bachchan Deewaar,Trishul,Kabhi Kabhie,Kaala Patthar,Silsila The angry young man was called Vijay and the romantic hero was called Amit in all of Chopras films with Bachchan. Deewaar,Trishul and Kaala Patthar showcased Bachchans angst towards the society at large and earned him the tag of angry young man. Chopra,who saw Bachchan as a complete actor,also projected the actors softer side through romantic dramas such as Kabhi Kabhie and Silsila. Shashi Kapoor Deewaar,Kaala Patthar,Trishul,Kabhi Kabhie,Waqt The first time Chopra worked with Kapoor was in Dharamputra. So impressed was he with Kapoors work ethics that Chopra continued to cast him in his future films. Kapoor,more often than not,played second fiddle to Bachchan. It was perhaps Chopras directorial skills that gave Kapoor his careers best roles from the righteous police officer Ravi in Deewaar to the happy-go-lucky,understanding husband Vijay in Kabhi Kabhie,the peace-loving engineer in Kaala Patthar and the cheerful Shekhar in Trishul. When it came to Kapoor,Chopras moulding qualities were impeccable. Rishi Kapoor Kabhi Kabhie,Vijay,Chandni He was christened the romantic hero soon after the release of his debut film Bobby. But Chopra played an important role in taking his romantic image forward first in Kabhi Kabhie and then in Vijay. But Kapoors biggest test as a romantic hero came with Chandni,where he showcased a range of emotions from being a lover boy to playing the exasperated paralytic. Sanjeev Kumar Trishul,Silsila It wasnt a difficult task to get a performance out of a powerhouse actor like Sanjeev Kumar,but to Chopras credit,Kumars roles in Trishul and Silsila have varied shades. In Trishul,he goes from playing a romantic,caring lover to Waheeda Rehman,to portraying the temperamental rich man,fighting with his stepson Amitabh Bachchan. In Silsila,he plays the accommodating husband to Rekha. Anil Kapoor Mashaal,Vijay,Lamhe Chopra has the rare distinction of convincing Anil Kapoor to shave off his moustache and play the role of a man who falls in love with an older woman,and several years later with the womans daughter,in his masterpiece Lamhe. This came after Mashaal where he played a vagabond,and Vijay where he played the feisty son. Shah Rukh Khan Darr,Dil Toh Pagal Hai,Veer Zaara,Jab Tak Hai Jaan Shah Rukh Khan was introduced as the anti-hero with Darr,but for two decades he was a permanent hero for the Yashraj banner. The role of an obsessive lover is what made critics and audience take notice of Khan. When he was bombarded with negative roles like these,Chopra took him and put him in a romantic setting in his son Aditya Chopras debut venture,Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Along the way,Khan,with the tilt of his head and the stretch of his arms,earned the title of the King of Romance,and as he himself admits,he has Chopra to thank for it.
