It's a tragedy that a filmmaker who gave Bollywood some of its best cult classics has to wait four decades to finally get a blockbuster success for his directorial at the box office, that too perhaps for one of his weaker movies. That's the story of Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the director responsible for making one of Bollywood's finest gangster dramas, Parinda. Born on September 5, 1952, in Srinagar, India, Vidhu Vinod Chopra is one of Indian Cinema's most prolific filmmakers who almost tasted Oscar. An FTII alumnus, his 1978 short film An Encounter with Faces was nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Live-Action Short Film (it didn't win, though). Vidhu Vinod Chopra Birthday: Did You Know The Shikara Director's Documentary Was Nominated At Academy Awards In 1979? (Watch Video).

Chopra first caught the attention of the industry with his National Award-winning short film Murder at Monkey Hill (1976) and, later, his feature-length directorial debut Sazaye Maut (1981). However, it was with Parinda (1989), a gritty and realistic portrayal of Mumbai's underworld, that he firmly established himself as a filmmaker of repute. The film not only won critical acclaim but also set a new benchmark for crime dramas in Indian cinema. VVC went on to direct movies like 1942: A Love Story (1994), Kareeb (1998), Mission Kashmir (2000), Eklavya (2007), Shikara (2020) and recently, 12th Fail (2023). He also made a Hollywood film in 2015 called Broken Horses, which was a remake of his own Parinda.

Even though Vidhu Vinod Chopra didn't find much box office success as a director, he had much better luck as a producer. His collaboration with director Rajkumar Hirani led to a series of blockbuster films, including Munna Bhai MBBS (2003), Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), and the record-breaking 3 Idiots (2009) and Sanju (2018). Vidhu Vinod Chopra is married to Anupama Chopra, a prominent film critic and journalist.

On the occasion of his 72nd birthday, we look at five of Vidhu Vinod Chopra-directed movies that got the highest rating on IMDb and where to watch them online.

1942 A Love Story (IMDb Rating: 7.2)

A Still From 1942 A Love Story

A love story set against the backdrop of the Quit India movement, 1942 A Love Story is still remembered for RD Burman's beautiful soundtrack and some amazing performances. The movie stars Anil Kapoor, Manisha Koirala and Jackie Shroff. 1942 A Love Story is streaming on Prime Video.

Sazaye Maut (IMDb Rating: 7.4)

Poster of Sazaye Maut

The 1976 short film Murder at Monkey Hill marked VVC's first directorial effort, and he later adapted the story into his first feature-length film in 1981. Sazaye Maut is a taut and twisty thriller that starred Naseeruddin Shah, Radha Saluja, and the late Dilip Dhawan. Unfortunately, it is not available on any streaming site. When Birthday Boy Vidhu Vinod Chopra Single Handedly Took on Bollywood Stars!

Khamosh (IMDb Rating: 7.5)

A Still From Khamosh

VVC's second feature-length film as a director was Khamosh, a murder-mystery that features an amazing ensemble cast. The movie starred Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Amol Palekar, Soni Razdan, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, and Pankaj Kapoor. You can watch Khamosh full movie on YouTube.

Parinda (IMDb Rating: 7.8)

A Still From Parinda

Parinda is perhaps the best film directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, that is also considered one of the best in Indian cinema. A gangster drama, the film features terrific performances from its lead cast - Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit and Nana Patekar. Parinda is streaming on Prime Video.

12th Fail (IMDb Rating: 8.9)

A Still From 12th Fail

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's most recent film is not only a commercial success but has also accumulated a strong fan following, which explains why 12th Fail is rated so high on IMDb. An inspirational saga based on real-life events, the movie stars Vikrant Massey in the lead. 12th Fail is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2024 08:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).