Art with heart

BR and his family fled from Lahore in 1947 and soon after they settled in Bombay. Although his first production, Karwat, 1949, was a flop, with the support of his old friends from Lahore, he made Afsana 1951, where he said he learnt much from his well-established hero Ashok Kumar. In 1955, he founded BR Films and their first movie was a jubilee hit: 19568217;s Ek Hi Raasta, as were his next two films, Naya Daur 1957 and Sadhana 1958. These films established the banner of BR Films and its style of film-making.

BR liked to work with a regular team. He generally used the same lyricist, soon replacing Majrooh Sultanpuri with Sahir Ludhianvi from Naya Daur, although his music directors varied. As someone with a literary background, it is not surprising that BR8217;s films were narrative driven. BR had a 8216;story writing department8217; for his films which included Kamil Rashid, F.A. Mirza, C.J. Pavri, Akhtar-ul-Iman, Dr. Rahi Masoom Reza, Satish Bhatnagar and Hasan Kamaal, while he commissioned stories from outsiders such as Pandit Mukhram Sharma Dhool Ka Phool, Ek Hi Raasta. Each film was to deal with a specific social problem: Ek Hi Raasta, widow remarriage; Naya Daur, industrialisation; Sadhana, prostitution, and so on. This was a feature of much Indian literature of the 1930s when socialist realism was at its height, most so in the writings of the Progressive Writers8217; Movement and then through the Indian People8217;s Theatre Association IPTA, of which many of the Chopras are life-members. Chopra8217;s religious background, as a keen Arya Samaji, made him keen to address issues of social reform as a form of religious duty. This emphasis on stories with a purpose remained true of B.R. Films to the present day. Although arguing for social reform, the films always uphold the sanctity of the home, embodied in the wife. BR never shied away from controversy, taking on issues such as Muslim personal law Nikaah, 1982 nor espousing causes that have been forgotten about today, such as the inhumanity of the death penalty, which he dealt with in one of the few successful songless films, Kanoon, 1960.

As well as being popular for these stories and good music Ude jab jab zulfen teri, Chalo ek baar phir, Chupke chupke and many more, the banner was also known for its organisation, its ability to make films quickly by having a firm script and careful advance planning. BR8217;s emerged as a spokesman for the film industry.

Even when his health was in decline, B.R. Chopra led every family event from weddings to the launch of my biography of his brother. His late wife, Prakash, was his great support, and the devotion and respect of his family showed he was a true patriarch. B.R. Chopra was brother, teacher and father figure to Yash Chopra, the current leading producer and director in the Hindi film industry.

I met B.R. Chopra on several occasions. Even in old age, his lively nature and his intelligence were clear and he was always willing to argue his views. He took my over-exuberant delight in finding his living room was modelled on the set for Waqt with great aplomb. There is no doubt B.R. Chopra is and will remain one of the great names in the history of Indian cinema, recognised late in his career by the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 1999. BR Films8217; motto says, ars longa, vita brevis: art is long-lived but life is short. The second part of the motto was not true for B.R. Chopra but his films will remain a key contribution to the history of Indian cinema.

The writer is professor, Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, University of London