The credits of Chandni: When the most powerful man in the Hindi film industry was AD: Aditya Chopra

 Watching Chandni on Amazon Prime, was refreshing to see the film in mint condition in all its glory. 

At that age now where you don't skip through credits, noted that one of the Assistant directors is now the biggest name in the Hindi film industry; Aditya Chopra. 

He must have been in his early 20s then - if even that. 

He got to witness Sridevi during the peak of her magnificence in two of her - and Yash Chopra's - finest films, Chandni and Lamhe. 

No wonder he's supported her throughout her comeback endeavors and she's been a VIP guest all Yash Raj events and functions long after she stopped working in film. 

If only he had directed her in a film... 

Aditya Chopra: A Sridevi fan?

Indian film writer, director, producer, the famously reclusive Aditya Chopra -  a Sridevi fan? We think so. We'd never know as the elusive scion has given oh-so-few interviews and done even fewer shoots.

But as actively involved as he was with the making of the magnificent film Lamhe, and with the number of times the Yash Raj camp has approached Sridevi, all signs indicate that father and son are fans of the legendary south Indian actress.

To top it all, the only two guests at the first day of shoot of English Vinglish, Sridevi's comeback film, were Chopra and Son. Indeed Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra were on the set to wish Sridevi the best on her return to films after 14-15 years! 

Aditya Chopra's portrait here, shot by Sheena Sippy, daughter of iconic director Ramesh Sippy. It was a Filmfare exclusive in the late 90s. 

July 2011

Day 1 of English Vinglish, Summer of 2011: Sridevi returns to set after 15 years

After 15 long years, the actress gave her first shot for Gauri Shinde's  film English Vinglish at Yash Raj Studio on Thursday

Subhash K Jha 

Friday, July 08, 2011 at 03:55:44 AM 

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Yash Raj Studio, Wednesday July 07, 2011, Sridevi came back in front of the camera. Having stayed away from the flashlights for fifteen long years, the actress shot the first scene for her comeback film, Gauri Shinde's English Vinglish yesterday. 

And though both the lead heroine of the film, Sridevi and her debutante director Gauri were doing just fine by themselves, the concerned husbands, Boney Kapoor and filmmaker Balki respectively, couldn't keep themselves from worrying. 

Boney, who had been looking after Sri's career from before they tied the knot, not only called his wife on the sets every hour, but also couldn't help himself from dropping by at the studio to check on her. 

As for the other husband, Balki, he stayed by his wife's side throughout the day's shoot. As the day went by, even YRF head honcho Yash Chopra dropped by to meet his Chandni. His son Aditya, too joined in. Yash Chopra, incidentally had offered Sridevi a role in Veer Zaara asking her to come back to films. Sri at that moment had to refuse the offer, since she had just delivered her first baby [editor's note, second baby!]. 

Speaking about his wife's comeback, Boney said, "Of course, I am nervous. But Sri, even today, is a head turner. We were at a global awards function in Toronto recently and people just couldn't stop complimenting her. I'm confident about her debut. She'll sail through it." 

-- From Mumbai Mirror

Right: Rare pic of Aditya Chopra, holding his first Filmfare award - one of many.

Below: Sridevi on the sets of the film Chandni back in 1989