I regret that dad never directed me: Uday Chopra

Actor remembers late father as a legendary director.


Ians December 09, 2013
Uday says that his father was like a friend to him. PHOTO: FILE

MUMBAI: Actor Uday Chopra, who will next be seen on the big screen in Dhoom 3, says his biggest regret is that he never worked with his father Yash Chopra, one of the finest and most celebrated directors in the Bollywood film industry.

The late film-maker was known for having worked with all the superstars of Hindi cinema – Rajesh Khanna in Daag, Amitabh Bachchan in several hits such as Deewaar and Kabhi Kabhie and Shahrukh Khan in Darr and Dil To Pagal Hai, but somehow never got an opportunity to direct his son Uday in a single movie.

“That’s my biggest regret. When he was making Jab Tak Hai Jaan, I told Aditya ‘please give me one small scene, give me anything’ – I just want to get directed by dad, but it didn’t happen and we didn’t expect that he would die,” Uday told IANS.

Although Uday featured in several of his home banner Yash Raj Films’ production ventures, such as Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai and the Dhoom series, they were all directed by others. Chopra, who was in the last lap of shooting Jab Tak Hai Jaan, died last year after succumbing to dengue fever. He was 80 years old.

“I was shooting for Dhoom 3 in Chicago when I got the news that he was not well. I heard he had dengue, but dengue is not fatal, and my brother was not even telling me the truth. By the third day, I realised that things are not fine and I just flew back. It was a complete shock. I am still not over it,” he said.

“My father and I were like friends. We would joke about the fact that dad and I are brothers and Adi is our father. He took that role in our lives,” he added.

Dhoom 3 marks Uday’s return to the big screen after three years and he says that he has an emotional connect with his character Ali in the sleek action thriller.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2013.

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