Singer-writer Pamela Chopra's death: Remembering her career, life, and journey
Singer-writer-producer Pamela Chopra passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 74. She was the wife of Yash Raj Films's founder Yash Chopra, the mother of its honcho Aditya and actor-producer Uday, and the mother-in-law of actor Rani Mukerji. Per reports, she was unwell for the past few days and was admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital. We revisit her life and career.
Pamela had married Yash in 1970
Pamela was reportedly the daughter of an Army officer. She and Yash had an arranged marriage in 1970 and Pamela had revealed in an interview that Yash was instantly smitten by her. The duo was married for 42 years, until Yash's demise at the age of 80 in October 2012. Pamela was the first cousin of actor and talk show host Simi Garewal.
Did you know she sang timeless melodies for several films?
Pamela didn't simply live under her husband's shadow but was popular in her own right, thanks to her work in numerous filmmaking departments. She was closely associated with the projects created/produced by her husband and sang songs for movies such as Kabhi Kabhie, Mujhse Dosti Karoge, Kaala Patthar, Doosra Aadmi, Darr, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Chandni, and Lamhe, among others.
She was also a writer and a costume designer
In addition to lending her voice to several timeless melodies, Pamela's contribution to YRF also came in the form of writing, designing, and production. She reportedly penned the story of Amitabh Bachchan-Raakhee starrer Kabhi Kabhie and was also the screenwriter for Shah Rukh Khan-Karisma Kapoor-Madhuri Dixit's Dil To Pagal Hai. She was credited as a dress designer for Silsila and Sawaal, too.
Chopra was seen in 'The Romantics' in February
She had been an associate producer on Veer-Zaara, Mohabbatein, and DDLJ, among others. Her last onscreen appearance was for Netflix's documentary The Romantics, which traced the stellar journey and legacy of YRF. She spoke about her husband's vision for YRF, her son Aditya Chopra's contribution to its brand value, and recounted several memories from the time Chopra Senior used to rule the industry.
