In their only joint and exclusive conversation, legendary filmmaker brothers B.R. Chopra and Yash Chopra sat down for a rare chat where they reflected on the iconic debut of B.R. Chopra’s 1951 film 'Afsana'. The film which was initially offered to Dilip Kumar but eventually went to the actor which B.R. Chopra initially envisioned for the role, legendary Ashok Kumar. But did Dilip Kumar later regret turning it down? And was it this regret that led him to ask B.R. Chopra to remake the film with him which later remade in 1972 as 'Dastaan'? What is the real story behind this cinematic twist? The full untold and unheard truth finally comes to light in this once-in-a-lifetime conversation between the Chopra brothers. Watch the legendary duo share their memories and revelation, only on Lehren Podcast!
00:00And that picture flopped very badly. I had nothing on my hand. I had no money to pay. I had nothing and not even a person whom I could go to.
00:09He says, you let me tell you one thing. Want to anything? You want to work in a paper? Okay, come tomorrow.
00:16But there is one line he wrote down. Don't come back with a defeat.
00:22Friends, today we are going to introduce you the greatest filmmaker in our country, the greatest legend.
00:30Who few months back won the Dada Falke Award and now he has got Badam Bhushan Award.
00:36We are so proud of him because he is the complete filmmaker, the best filmmaker we have got in our times, Mr. B.R. Chopra.
00:43Faisal, you made Daastan after Afsana for such a long time. In that film, Ashok Kumar was working.
00:54In this period, you took a great, great actor. Again, you took Dilip Kumar.
00:56What did you experience working with Dilip Kumar after a long time after Nayadol and then this last time?
01:06You see, Ash, normally we make pictures of some subject and we don't repeat our subjects.
01:15This you will say that we have repeated it. Yes, we did.
01:18And perhaps knowingly, but why we did it, there is a small story behind it and I would like to take it in confidence.
01:25You see, when he landed in Bombay in 1947 with a view to become a producer, the first picture I made with the partners who wanted to make only a picture which clicks and that picture flopped very badly which landed me in absolute distress.
01:49I had nothing on my hand. I had nothing on my hand. I had no money to pay. I had nothing and not even a person whom I could go to.
01:56I applied. I want to say that because I want to pay a compliment to that person.
02:04You see, I applied, not applied, but he was my uncle, you must be knowing, Dugadas of Hindustan.
02:13He was a thousand times.
02:14He was a thousand times.
02:15I wrote to him, look, sir, I am absolutely stranded and I have got no way to live. I have got a house all right, but I don't know how to pay the rent.
02:26He says, you let me say, tell you one thing. You want to become, want anything? You want to work in a paper? Okay, come tomorrow.
02:37If you are not able to come tomorrow, I will put you in Bombay. But there is one line he wrote down, don't come back with a defeat.
02:47That changed my style. I said to him, I will not, I will not do it. I told my wife, whatever happens, I will back borrow steel, but I will make only a film now.
02:58And luckily, for one thing or the other, the sheer guts maybe, God was kind. And somebody offered me that I am prepared to finish your picture because your story is very good.
03:14So, what will you take? What will be these terms? I said, what are the terms? Let us take a director, let us take artists and things. Who am I? I am nobody.
03:24He said, no. If you want my money, then I only will give you money for direction. You direct the picture, you take the money. Here is 50,000. I did get 50,000.
03:40And if you don't get it, I will draw, we shake hands. Now, that is when they became a...
03:47Condition sort of way.
03:49Now, that prompted me to do something. That when that person who was financing me, he said, let us think of an artist. Who is that artist?
03:59So, I said to you, I personally feel that the Shokabar would be very good. He said, no. Shokabar is all right. But I would like to take Dilipkabar. Now, I couldn't say no. Dilipkabar, you can't say no.
04:18Yes. So, I went to his house. I was waiting at his house till one o'clock, along with that Agarwal. He came and he apologized that I was shooting and he said that. And his people were very nice.
04:35His father was a wonderful man with beer and all. His brothers were very, very wonderful people. And I was looked after up to one o'clock.
04:42Looked after. Somebody said, take some milk, some no chai, milk. Because they were all along at that time. Anyway, he came.
04:52He came and he apologized and then he said, have a wash and all. He said, no wash wash. Let's start work because you have waited off so long.
05:00We stole the story. Do you know what he said? I am bald over the story. It's one of the best stories I've heard.
05:09So, I had to wash wash. Then that means you are working. No. I am not working in the scripture.
05:18Somebody elder to me should be working because I as a judge will look no good. And a judge, I have no personality.
05:25But this is what happened. Anyway, the picture was made of Sana. It was a big weight, recognized by everybody.
05:34But the first man who came to me, the first man without, because he had not done my picture before.
05:40The first man who came to me was Mr. Nirip Kumar, who says, congratulations, we will make this picture.
05:47Make this picture. He was promised at that time. He continued that every time we met, he says, I am only stuck on that. I like to make that picture.
05:58So, anyway, we did do it. And of course, against my own principles, I must say. Because when I was making the picture, I was afraid of this. That is against my principle.
06:08Against my principle. And Dilip Kumar, what he did? Of course, it was a mistake, which I allowed him to make.
06:18That he changed the characters. It had a dual role. In one role, Dilip Kumar was to be a villain.
06:27Mawzi villain, who was a killer. And in that original picture, he did kill. In the... In the... In the... In the... In the... In the... In the second role, he was a judge.
06:38In the second role, he was a judge. And the judge was all right. Now, when I saw, when I did this, he says, Mr. Oprah, I would like to do one thing.
06:46I like to make a comedy. Second character comic. Second character, how can it become a comic? He is a villain. And on him, the whole thing stands.
06:57Because, because of the villain, the judge comes into being, judge comes like that, then he writes, and all that.
07:03He says, no, I personally feel. No, you can't sometimes. And you do wait, bow down. And I think you are one of them to do it. Also with me.
07:14Yes. And we did it.
07:18In that film, you, first time, you worked with Lakshmi Ghat Beryalala.
07:22Yes. And they give wonderful music.
07:24What is your experience working with them?
07:27My experience was really very good, to be very frank with you.
07:32And, but the problem again is, that having worked with Mr. Sahil Rani, and Rami, you know, this thing sometimes did not really get together.
07:44But there was a very good song. That's what I felt.
07:47That's what I felt.
07:48That's what I felt.
07:49That's what I felt.
07:50That's what I felt.
07:51That's what I felt.
07:52I say, I, I mean, I did like that song of Dilip Kumar. That's what I felt.
