Yash Chopra

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing look at a romantic genius
Review: Rachel Dwyer spend many months interviewing Yash Chopra and his circle, accompanying him on film shoots, and meeting his extended family and the crew that has served him so well over many years. In a way, to use White House parlance, she has become "embedded" with her subject, to disappointing results. She seems unable to utter a single negative thing about "Yashji," perhaps due to this artificial, extended closeness, and her critical pronouncements suffer from a similar vagueness of effect. I am left unpersuaded that Yash Chopra's genius lies in his ability to reinvent himself a la Picasso for succeeding generations, or is it that (again like Picasso) he just has stayed around for longer than anybody else? Dwyer is far from helpful--just the reverse. Her book seems designed to confuse and delude the reader. There are several beautiful photographs among the pages, but you could practically visit Bollywood yourself for the price of this insanely overpriced volume. Instead, rent a few of Yash Chopra's movies and you'll feel the difference between a tenuous analysis and a life-changing artistic experience.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing look at a romantic genius
Review: Rachel Dwyer spend many months interviewing Yash Chopra and his circle, accompanying him on film shoots, and meeting his extended family and the crew that has served him so well over many years. In a way, to use White House parlance, she has become "embedded" with her subject, to disappointing results. She seems unable to utter a single negative thing about "Yashji," perhaps due to this artificial, extended closeness, and her critical pronouncements suffer from a similar vagueness of effect. I am left unpersuaded that Yash Chopra's genius lies in his ability to reinvent himself a la Picasso for succeeding generations, or is it that (again like Picasso) he just has stayed around for longer than anybody else? Dwyer is far from helpful--just the reverse. Her book seems designed to confuse and delude the reader. There are several beautiful photographs among the pages, but you could practically visit Bollywood yourself for the price of this insanely overpriced volume. Instead, rent a few of Yash Chopra's movies and you'll feel the difference between a tenuous analysis and a life-changing artistic experience.