It was a sad yet unsurprising moment when Mr Yash Chopra announced a few weeks ago, on his 80th birthday, that Jab Tak Hai Jaan will be his last ever directed film. The great auteur is now preparing to say goodbye to his profession once and for all. Chopra, Shahrukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and the rest of the crew are now heading to Switzerland to shoot one last romantic song for the film, which will mark the end of Chopra’s fifty-three year career as a director. There are two big romantic numbers in the film’s soundtrack, which was launched on 9 October 2012. They are ‘Saans,’ performed by Shreya Ghoshal and Mohit Chauhan and the title track ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan,’ performed by Javed Ali and Shakthisree Gopalan. As the video promo to ‘Saans’ has already released, it is most likely that the song they are going to film for is the title track. Apparently, all the assistant directors involved in the making of Jab Tak Hai Jaan are planning something special in order to make this a moment which Chopra, the crew and the audience will never forget.
One source reported the following to a leading Indian newspaper: “Adi (Aditya Chopra), who is an assistant director on the film, along with the other ADs, came up with the idea of making the last shot magnificent. To make it stand out, they’ve decided to use multiple cameras and shoot from various angles, giving it a multi-dimensional feel. Yashji is a living legend, and obviously, his last shot has to be a huge moment.” This is most certainly a brilliant way to pay homage to Chopra and the contributions he has made towards Indian cinema. However, despite Aditya Chopra playing an instrumental role in this idea, he will not be present at the shooting due to other commitments.
In addition, an official spokesperson for the film added the following to the same newspaper regarding the final shooting of the film: “It’s a special moment for the unit. We’re planning to shoot it in a grand way to be able to freeze that moment for posterity.” Surely for many devoted Yash Chopra fans, Jab Tak Hai Jaan will be an emotional moment for them. After this, they can no longer expect any more films from this absolute legend who has given us many memorable and everlasting classics.
Jab Tak Hai Jaan releases in cinemas this Diwali on 13 November 2012. The soundtrack to the film is out now. Grab your copy if you want to listen to the songs which the music maestro A.R. Rahman and the legendary lyricist Gulzar have created for the film and for us!
