Happy Birthday Aditya Chopra!

Comments [ 1 ] By Jenifer Y. | 21 May 2014 | 3:27am

Today, BollyCurry celebrates the birthday of a well-known director, producer, screenwriter and distributor! We're talking about none other than the very talented Aditya Chopra!

Born on 21^st May, 1971 to popular filmmaker, the late Yash Raj Chopra and Pamela Chopra, Chopra hails from a predominately Punjabi family. He studied at Bombay Scottish School and graduated from Hassaram Rijhumal College of Commerce and Economics. He is infamously known to shy away from the media and has been accused of society anxiety disorder.

Starting his career at the age of eighteen, Chopra assisted his father in the direction of films such as Chandni (1989) and Darr (1993). His first independent film as a director was the blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol Devgn in lead roles. The movie, produced under the banner of Yash Raj Films, became the biggest hit of the year and is still playing in theaters today. It also won him a Filmfare Best Director Award, a Filmfare Best Screenplay Award and a Filmfare Best Dialogue Award.

Chopra then went on to direct his second film, Mohabbatein (2000), starring Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and six young debutantes - including Chopra's younger brother, Uday Chopra. The film did extremely well at the Box Office, received positive reviews from critics and earned him an IIFA Award for Best Story.

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, released in 2008, is Chopra's last directional movie till date. Starring his lucky mascot Shah Rukh Khan and the debutante Anushka Sharma, the film created the same impact as DDLJ and Mohbbatein on the audience and critics.

As a writer, Chopra has written story for films such Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Veer-Zaara (2004), Salaam Namaste (2005), Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007), New York (2009), Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and Dhoom 3 (2013).

Chopra is currently the chairman of Yash Raj Films and has produced critically and commercially successful films such as Hum Tum (2005), Fanaa (2006), Tara Rum Pum(2007), Chak De India (2007), Ishaqzaade (2012) and Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012).

After a divorce from his first wife, Chopra recently married his lady love, actress Rani Mukherjee, in Italy on 21st April, 2014 in a small function attended by close relatives and friends. The secret wedding was revealed the following day by Chopra's younger brother via Twitter.

On Chopra's birthday, below is a mini-playlist of some of his top songs from films he has been a part of: