B. R. Chopra: A Director Who Made Bollywood Socially Relevant
Baldev Raj Chopra was a unique Bollywood director because he was able to relevant social films that still appealed to popular tastes. Shown above is Naya Daur from 1957 which shows post-independence India where Industrialization is slowly creeping in. The plot deals with the conflict between rich and poor which Chopra brought to the screen during his career:
B. R. Chopra, a Top Indian Filmmaker, Dies at 94
“B. R. Chopra, a leading Indian filmmaker who found rare success creating both hit Bollywood musicals and dramatic, socially conscious films, died on Wednesday at his home in Mumbai. He was 94. An architect of the golden era of Hindi cinema, Mr. Chopra had a reputation for making quality movies and injecting them with socially relevant themes while still catering to popular tastes and fostering the careers of Bollywood stars like Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala Bali.
Perhaps his most accomplished and well-known film was the 1957 musical “Naya Daur,” highlighting the conflict between rural tradition and modern technology. Made in the first decade of Indian independence, it coincided with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s initiatives promoting economic planning and rural community development.”
Here is a clip from Gumrah (1963):
And a clip from Humrāz (1967):