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Ravi Chopra

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Ravi Chopra
Born(1946-09-27)27 September 1946
Lahore, Punjab, British India
Died12 November 2014(2014-11-12) (aged 68)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
EducationSt. Xavier's College, Mumbai (BA)
Occupations
  • Director
  • producer
Years active1969–2009
Spouse
Renu Chopra
​
(m. 1975)​
Children2
FatherB.R. Chopra
FamilyChopra family

Ravi Chopra (27 September 1946 – 12 November 2014) was an Indian filmmaker, best known for directing the television show Mahabharat (1988–1990).

Life

Chopra was the son of producer and director B.R. Chopra and nephew of Yash Chopra and Yash Johar. Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra and Uday Chopra are his cousins.

Ravi with his father B.R. Chopra (left) and uncle Yash Chopra in 2008 on the re-release of 1957 film Naya Daur in Mumbai

He was married to Renu since 1975, they have two children together.

On 23 October 2012, he was diagnosed with a severe lung ailment and was discharged from Breach Candy Hospital after a week. "He was discharged from hospital on October 26," hospital sources said, without going into details. He was being treated for lung cancer at CMC Vellore.[1] Chopra died on 12 November 2014 at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai where he had been admitted a few days earlier for a lung ailment. He was 68 years old, and survived by his wife and two children.[2][3][4]

Career

Film career

Chopra started his career assisting his father B.R. Chopra in films like, Dastaan (1972) and Dhund (1973). He also assisted his uncle Yash Chopra in Ittefaq (1969). Eventually, he made his independent directorial debut with Zameer (1975), produced under the family banner, B. R. Films. In 1980, he directed the ensemble disaster film The Burning Train, which over the years is considered a cult classic.[5] Other films he directed included Mazdoor (1983), Aaj Ki Awaaz, Dehleez (1986), Pratigyabadh, Kal Ki Awaz (1992). Then he, along with his father, directed TV series Mahabharat (1988–89)

Since 2006, the only movies Ravi produced after his father's death was Bhoothnath (2008).

Television career

Ravi directed the highly successful television serial Mahabharat, which aired during 1988–1990, and the television mini-series, Ramayan, which was aired in 2002. He also directed mythological shows like Vishnu Puran and Ma Shakti. His TV series Aap Beeti was one of the most popular TV show on Doordarshan National in the early 2000s.

Plagiarism controversy

Chopra was served with a legal notice in 2009 by 20th Century Fox, which charged that Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai blatantly plagiarised their 1992 film My Cousin Vinny.[6] Chopra and the production company, BR Films, denied the charges in court in May 2009. The film's release was to be delayed until June 2009 by order of the Bombay High Court.[7][8]

A lawsuit was filed against BR Films by 20th Century Fox for copying their film without buying the rights.[8][9] Fox sought damages of $1.4 million; they had given Chopra permission "to make a film loosely based on the Academy Award winning movie" but concluded the final product was a "substantial reproduction" of the original.[10] Fox eventually accepted a $200,000 settlement from the film's producer.[11] Although since the death of Ravi Chopra in 2014, it has not seen a theatrical release.[12][13]

The Telegraph, listing a number of other Bollywood movies "inspired" by Hollywood blockbusters, noted that the case would "decide whether Indian filmmakers can continue to get their 'inspiration' with impunity, or buy rights the legal way."[9]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Director Producer Writer Notes
1969 Ittefaq No No No Assistant director only
1972 Dastaan No No No
1973 Dhund Associate No No
1975 Zameer Yes No No
1978 Tumhari Kasam Yes No No
1980 The Burning Train Yes No Yes
Insaf Ka Tarazu No Associate No
1981 Agni Pareeksha No Associate No
1982 Nikaah No Associate No
Teri Meri Kahani No Associate No Television film
1983 Dharti Aakash No Associate No
Mazdoor Yes No No
1984 Aaj Ki Awaaz Yes Associate No
1986 Dahleez Yes Associate No
1987 Awam No Associate No
1991 Pratigyabadh Yes No No
1992 Kal Ki Awaz Yes Yes No Co-directed with B.R. Chopra
1999 Eastside No Yes Yes
2003 Baghban Yes No No
2004 Karma No Yes No Short film
2006 Baabul Yes No Yes
2008 Heaven on Earth No Executive No
Bhoothnath No Yes No
2009 Cooking with Stella No Executive No
Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai Yes Yes No Unreleased

Television

Year Title Director Producer
1986 Bahadur Shah Zafar Yes Yes
1987 Chunni Yes No
1988–1990 Mahabharat Yes No
1993–1996 Kanoon Yes No
1995 Ek Se Badhkar Ek Yes No
1995–1996 Jhansi Ki Rani Yes No
1997 Aurat Yes Yes
1997–1998 Mahabharat Katha Yes Yes
2000–2002 Vishnu Puran Yes No
2001 Aap Beeti Yes Yes
2001–2002 Ramayan Yes Yes
2002–2003 Maa Shakti Yes Yes
2004–2005 Kamini Damini Yes Yes
2008 Sujata No Yes

Awards

In 1985, Chopra was nominated for Best Director at the 32nd Filmfare Awards for his film Aaj Ki Awaaz (1984).[14]

In 2004, he was nominated at the IIFA Awards and Screen Awards for Best Director for his film Baghban (2003).[15][16]

References

  1. ^ "Noted filmmaker Ravi Chopra discharged from Mumbai hospital". The Times of India. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Filmmaker Ravi Chopra Dies at 68". NDTV Movies. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  3. ^ "Baghban director Ravi Chopra dies at 68". Hindustan Times. 12 November 2014. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  4. ^ "Mahabharat co-director Ravi Chopra dies". The Times of India.
  5. ^ Dubey, Bharati (6 November 2008). "Films transformed Chopra's destiny and vice-versa". Times of India. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  6. ^ Adarsh, Taran (29 April 2009). "Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai in deep trouble". Oneindia. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  7. ^ "Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai: stuck in copyright row, release on hold for multiplex stir". The Indian Express. 21 May 2009. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  8. ^ a b Pradhan, Bharathi S. (19 July 2009). "Goodbye to copy cat days". The Telegraph (India). Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  9. ^ "B R Films settles plagiarism charges with Fox". The Indian Express. 8 August 2009. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  10. ^ Wax, Emily (29 August 2009). "Hollywood Finally Challenging India's Booming Bollywood Over Knockoffs". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  11. ^ Srivastava, Sumeysh (28 March 2018). "'Raabta', 'Partner', 'Kaante': How Bollywood has dealt with plagiarism cases". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  12. ^ "After It's My Life, 15 More Delayed Films That Deserve a TV or OTT Release!". ZEE5. 5 November 2020. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Filmfare Awards 1985". IMDb.
  14. ^ Kay, Jeremy (2 April 2004). "Kal Ho Naa Ho leads IIFA nominees". Screen Daily. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  15. ^ Screen Award for Best Director
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