"Вир-Зара: Һинди киносының махаббат дастаны"

2004 film directed by Yash Chopra

Veer Zaara is a 2004 Indian Hindi language epic romantic drama film directed and produced by Yash Chopra, from a screenplay written by his son Aditya Chopra. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta as the eponymous star crossed lovers: Veer Pratap Singh (Khan) is an Indian Air Force officer, and Zaara Hayaat Khan (Zinta) is the daughter of a Pakistani politician. Veer is imprisoned on false charges, and 22 years later, a young Pakistani lawyer, named Saamiya Siddiqui (Rani Mukerji), fights his case. Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Divya Dutta, Manoj Bajpayee, Boman Irani, Anupam Kher and Kirron Kher play supporting roles. Chopra expressed his desire to make a comeback to the film industry after a gap of seven years, as he was unsatisfied with the scripts he had been offered. It was during this time that Aditya narrated a few scenes from a story he had written, which intrigued Chopra and sparked his interest to direct it. Chopra envisioned the film as a tribute to Punjab, aiming to capture the essence of the region. It was to be titled Yeh Kahaan Aa Gaye Hum, based on an eponymous song from Yash Chopra's Silsila (1981). Set in India and Pakistan, principal photography took place in Punjab and various locations in Mumbai; parts of the film were also shot in Pakistan. The soundtrack album, based on old compositions by Madan Mohan with lyrics by Javed Akhtar, was the highest selling album of the year in India. Veer Zaara was released on 12 November 2004 during the Diwali festival. The film earned over 105 crore worldwide, becoming the highest grossing Indian film of the year in both India and International territories. It received widespread critical acclaim, with high praise directed to the story, screenplay, dialogues, soundtrack, performances and sensitive portrayal of India Pakistan relations. It was described by analysts as having themes pertaining to a shared Punjabi culture, secularism and feminism, among others. The film is considered as one of the greatest romantic films of Indian film history. At the 52nd National Film Awards, Veer Zaara won the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. At the 50th Filmfare Awards, the film received a leading 15 nominations, and won 4 awards, including Best Film and Best Story (Aditya). At the 6th IIFA Awards, it won a leading 7 awards of its 11 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Chopra), Best Actor (Khan), Best Supporting Actress (Mukerji) and Best Music Director (Mohan).

The government of Pakistan decides to review unsolved cases pertaining to their Indian prisoners as a gesture of goodwill. Saamiya Siddiqui, a budding Pakistani lawyer, is given the defense of prisoner 786 as her first case. The prisoner, documented under the name Rajesh Rathore, has not spoken for twenty two years. However, when Saamiya addresses him by his real name, Veer Pratap Singh, he breaks his silence and opens up to her about his story. Twenty two years earlier, Zaara Hayaat Khan is a lively young Pakistani woman whose family is of political background and high standing in Lahore. Her engagement is arranged to Raza Shirazi, a wealthy, influential lawyer. Zaara travels to India to fulfill the last wish of her Sikh nanny: to have her ashes scattered in the Sutlej River. Her bus meets with an accident. Veer, then an Indian Air Force pilot and a Punjabi Sikh, rescues Zaara and helps her complete her nanny's final wish. She accompanies him to his village to celebrate the festival of Lohri, where she meets his loving aunt and uncle, who raised him. The next day, Veer takes Zaara to the train station for her return to Pakistan and is shocked to see her fiancé Raza there to accompany her. Veer confesses that he has fallen in love with her, accepting that they cannot be together. Both depart, believing they will never meet again. Amidst her wedding preparations back home, Zaara realises that she too is in love with Veer. Her mother, however, is against this, as marrying Raza will further her father's political career. Zaara's friend Shabbo secretly calls Veer, begging him to take Zaara away. He promptly quits the Indian Air Force and arrives in Pakistan. Zaara tearfully runs into his arms, causing her father to fall ill of shock and anger. Zaara's mother begs Veer to leave Zaara, fearing for her father's reputation and health. Veer respects this and attempts to return home but Raza, outraged and jealous, has him arrested by Pakistani police. He blackmails Veer with two choices: be imprisoned for life on charges of being an Indian spy, or walk free knowing that Raza will make Zaara's life a living hell. Veer sacrifices his freedom out of his deep love for Zaara and is imprisoned in Pakistan. Meanwhile, his return bus falls off a cliff, killing all the passengers, so he is presumed dead to the world. Veer requests Saamiya not to mention Zaara whilst fighting the case, believing that she must be married by now; he does not want to ruin her reputation or make her settled life difficult. Saamiya travels to his village to find someone who can prove his true identity. She is shocked to find Zaara and Shabbo at his home. Shabbo explains that after Zaara thought Veer died, she broke off the marriage with Raza with her father's support. Her parents and Veer's aunt and uncle all eventually passed away within a few years. With the Hayat Khan family basically perished, Zaara and Shabbo left Pakistan and settled in Veer's village in India to fulfill Veer's dream of developing their village further. Zaara is shocked to learn that Veer is alive. She accompanies Saamiya back to Pakistan, where the old lovers share an emotional reunion. Her statement and evidence in court prove Veer's innocence and true identity. The judge frees him, apologizing on behalf of Pakistan. Veer and Zaara marry, bid goodbye to Saamiya at the Wagah border crossing, and return home, finally able to live their life together.

Yash Chopra was due to return to directing after 7 years since Dil To Pagal Hai (1997). After his son Aditya completed filming for Mohabbatein (2000), they started to look for a new script for Chopra's return as a director. None of the new scripts excited Chopra; he expressed his disdain at the new trend of the films of the time, stating, "I was tired of television promos. All the semi clad girls look the same." Chopra stated he was as nervous of his return as he was while directing his debut Dhool Ka Phool (1959). He then finalised another script and began casting for roles. Aditya then provided a narration of a few scenes of a new script, but conveyed that he would be unable to direct it. Chopra was interested and began to work on the new project. Speaking about the film's theme, Chopra said, "Veer Zaara is a humble tribute to my home in Punjab. It is my tribute to the oneness of people on both sides of the border." While completing the film, Chopra and Aditya had a discussion about the film's title. Yeh Kahaan Aa Gaye Hum was one of the contenders for the title, but Veer Zaara was ultimately chosen. Chopra said, "The film's lovers are not bothered with the strife around them. For them, love is the only religion." The film's titled was officially confirmed by Sanjeev Kohli, CEO of Yash Raj Films, who stated that the title was chosen after "much deliberation". Khan shortly played a 60 year old man in the film, which he felt was a difficult role for him. Zaara's role was first offered to Kajol, upon her rejection, the role went to Zinta. According to Chopra, Zinta was a person whose "looks and personality could be transformed." He wanted to break the Western stereotype characters played by Zinta. Based on the Pakistani human rights activist Asma Jehangir, the role of Saamiya Siddiqui was initially offered to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Pakistani actress Nadia Jamil, but upon their refusal, it went to Rani Mukherji. Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini were cast as Veer's foster parents. Manoj Bajpayee was cast as Zaara's fiancé, a role which was originally offered to Ajay Devgn. Boman Irani was cast in the supporting role of Zaara's father. The film's costumes were handled by Manish Malhotra. Khan's costumes were specifically designed by Karan Johar. Anil Mehta, the cinematographer, was requested by Chopra to give the scenes a feel of olden times, in contrast with other films of the time like Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). Saroj Khan and Vaibhavi Merchant were the choreographers.

In October 2004, Rediff. com published an exclusive "On The Sets" report for Veer Zaara. The website reported that the cast members wore expensive costumes, one being Zinta, who wore a flurocent green lungi outfit; Khan was late for the shot. In 2004, the National Geographic reported that a folk festival sequence was being shot in Film City, Mumbai. An set that represented Punjab was created and Sikh dancers were brought in, whom, according to the report, look like peacocks due to their colorful turbans. at a jail in Pakistan. The court scenes were shot in a Pakistani law court. Veer Zaara was filmed entirely in sync sound. Khan stated that although he did not have to dub lines for the film separately, he did dub a few dialogues for the film. Saif Ali Khan's palace in Pataudi served as Zaara's mansion. A shoot was carried out in Punjab during a particular season, after which the indoor shooting was completed. Most of the filming was done in secrecy and no official announcements were made. The film's reel length was 17757.61 ft (5412.52 m).

In her book Violent Belongings: Partition, Gender and National Culture in Postcolonial India, Kavita Daiya, associate professor of English at the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences feels that Zaara represents secularism in Pakistan. She refers to the encounter between Zaara and Choudhary Sumer Singh, where Zaara persuades Singh to promote women's education as an instance of the theme. Sangita Gopal, associate professor of English at the University of Oregon and author of the book Conjugations: Marriage and Form in New Bollywood Cinema, notes that Veer's identity dies after 22 years and even after reuniting with Zaara, they are too old to reproduce. Bharat and Kumar feel that Veer Zaara and Main Hoon Na (2004), also starring Khan, accepts Pakistan's status as a separate entity from India. Dudrah notes that the ease with which the protagonists move across borders without going through legal procedurings could be a source of criticism. Gopal feels that the film's dual time and use of old music was the reason for its appeal to masses and its commercial success. In her book Dreaming in Canadian: South Asian Youth, Bollywood, and Belonging, Faiza Hirji feels that cultural and religious differences were not acknowledged in the film, while noting Pakistani and Muslim traditions were highlighted. Comparing the film with Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), Rini Bhattacharya Mehta and Rajeshwari V. Pandharipande (authors of the book Bollywood and Globalization: Indian Popular Cinema, Nation, and Diaspora) state that while Veer Zaara manipulates the state's critique to make it appear "progressive" at first glance, Gadar does not. Bhattacharya agrees and also equates it with Gadar and others like Mother India (1957), where the "identity of the normative citizen" is established. The vocals are provided by Lata Mangeshkar, Jagjit Singh, Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Gurdas Mann, Roop Kumar Rathod, Ahmed and Mohammed Hussain and Pritha Mazumder. The lyrics were written by Javed Akhtar. The soundtrack was released by YRF Music on 18 September 2004. Mohan was nominated for the Best Music Director at the 50th Filmfare Awards, and won the Best Music Director at the 6th IIFA Awards. Akhtar got nominated for the Best Lyricist at the 50th Filmfare Awards for "Aisa Des Hai Mera", "Main Yahaan Hoon" and "Tere Liye", winning for "Tere Liye"; he also received a nomination for the IIFA Award for Best Lyricist for "Tere Liye".

Veer Zaara was released on 12 November 2004 and promoted with the tagline, "A Love Legend". Apart from that, it was screened at the Berlin Film Festival, where it received high critical acclaim. On 26 April 2006, Veer Zaara had its French premiere at The Grand Rex, the biggest theatre in Paris. It is the first Indian film to premiere in such a large and luxe venue. It was released in 60 prints in the United Kingdom, and in the United States in 88 prints.

On 6 June 2005, Yash Raj Films released the DVD of Veer Zaara. The film was released on Blu ray in December 2009. In September 2007, a book based on the making of the film, titled They Said It The Memoirs of a Love Legend Yash Chopra's Veer Zaara, was released. The book contains testimonials from members of the film's cast and crew and follows the production stages of the film. The film was made available on Amazon Prime Video.

Veer Zaara was commercially successful at the box office.

It was released in 625 screens in India and grossed 24.6 million nett on its opening day, the year's second highest opening for a film in India. Veer Zaara topped the week's highest grossing films in India in the first week, grossing an average of 6,85,948 per print. It earned 175.7 million nett in its first week, the highest first week collection of an Indian film. Since its release, it topped the weekly charts 39 times in India. It also had the highest weekend collection of the year, earning 97.8 million over the weekend. The film remained at the first position in its second week of release, grossing an average of 1,89,502 per print. At the end of its theatrical run, it collected 580 million in India, becoming the highest grossing film of the year.

The film earned 357 million in the international markets 152.5 million from the United Kingdom, 140 million from the United States and 65 million from other territoriesmaking it 2004's highest grossing Indian production overseas. In its first week in the United Kingdom, the film collected $900,000, for the fourth position on the local box office chart. The film collected the same amount in North America, 15th on the local box office chart. The film was a blockbuster, with regard to its overseas collection. Veer Zaara grossed a total of worldwide, becoming the highest grossing Indian film of the year. On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average to films, it has a score of 67 based on five critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The film featured in the British Film Institute's list of 10 Great Bollywood Romances, with commentary by Rachel Dwyer. Dwyer feels that the film represents the "much shared culture and history" of the Punjab. She writes, "Their dramatization in the film shows Chopra’s skill with film and music."

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave it 4.5 stars out of five and comments, "There's romance, there's a strong dose of emotions, there're songs aplenty, there's drama But, most important, it has soul, which has been lacking in most movies of late". Writing for India Today, Kaveree Bamzai gave a positive review and compliments Khan's performance, writing, "Khan strides across Aditya Chopra's screenplay with assured ease." Subhash K. Jha gave Veer Zaara a positive review for Indo Asian News Service, praising the performances of the leads as "old yet passionate, frail yet sublime" and writes, "The surge of love between two people belonging to entirely different cultures and lands is collected into a quaint and quivering collage of memory and melody." Jitesh Pillai of The Times of India rates it 3.5 stars out of five, crediting Aditya's writing and its execution. He writes, "Yash Chopra's Veer Zaara may be woefully long and meandering. But this one works and grabs us where it matters. VZ is one from the heart." Also writing for Times of India, Nishtha Bhatnagar called it a "must watch". Deepu Madhavan of NDTV praised the execution of the plot and writes, "the love story of Squadron Leader Veer Pratap Singh and Zaara Hayaat Khan is an ode to ageless romance and timeless love." Avijit Ghosh gave the film 7/10 in The Telegraph and writes, "The film works because the stars shine. Preity's Zaara is both restrained and dignified. This is her most nuanced performance to date." He criticised the film's length and excessive use of Punjabi, but finally writes, "We have an honest to the heart film that remarkably bypasses the bitterness of Indo Pak relations in a cross border love story Veer Zaara is for all seasons and every reason." Namrata Joshi of Outlook described it as "a good hearted film wherein the underlying theme is the all embracing goodness of 'people'." Chitra Mahesh of The Hindu writes, "Veer Zaara is inordinately long and sentimental. Certain things like fabulous camera work, art direction, and sensuousness of the moods, are a given. And you would overlook the cliches simply because there are such good performances, especially from Zinta and Mukherji," while also appreciating that Khan "looks good and performs most creditably." Sukanya Varma of Rediff. com criticised Chopra for repeating content from his previous films, while appreciating the performances and finally writes, "if you are a fan of the Chopra factory of filmmaking and looking for plenty of eye candy, Veer Zaara promises to make your Diwali a happy one." In another review for The Times of India, Teena Malik heavily criticised it in agreement with Verma for repetition of content, and labelled the film "horrifying".

Anita Gates of New York Times writes that Veer Zaara "would be embraced as fabulously trashy" had it been an American film but credits the cultural impact, writing, "the cultural assumptions of Veer and Zaara add a welcome element of freshness for American audiences. When Zaara's mother reminds her daughter that women always love fully, with heart and soul, she casually adds, "Men don't have the strength to love like that." Derek Elley of Variety observes that while it does not have "technique and production sheen" as recent Hindi films, Veer Zaaras "in depth star casting and thorough entertainment values" make it a "must see" for Indian filmgoers. Maitland McDonagh of TV Guide wrote, "Though Chopra's film is emotionally extravagant even by the standards of India's epically unrestrained cinema, the star crossed lovers bear the weighty metaphorical significance of their travails surprisingly lightly, particularly Zinta's radiantly lovely Zaara." Jonathan Curiel of San Francisco Chronicle was particularly fond of the film, finding the movie experience "so arresting, its scenes so full of beauty and colors, that the three hours go by almost too fast". He further noted that unlike other Hindi films, it deserves a wider audience for portraying "the humanity in characters who represent 'the other'", done "in a way that's dramatic, funny, fun, silly, musical, stylish, romantic and redemptive". Carrie R. Wheadon of Common Sense Media gives it four stars out of five and rates it as 11+, writing, "Those who watch can't miss the pleas for understanding and peace between India and Pakistan or the film's strong support of equality for women." She compliments the picturization of the songs, opening, "Even the slower love songs will hold viewers, especially as Zaara dreams about seeing Veer everywhere while she prepares for her wedding." Manish Gajjar of BBC commented, "Veer Zaara has a great storyline with some unpredictable twists and emotions, keeping you engrossed throughout."