He established Dharma Productions and went on to produce some super successful films. On Yash Johar's birthday, we recall his milestones as a producer.
Dostana (1980)
Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha and Zeenat Aman, it was one of the last successful films directed by Raj Khosla. A love triangle, it centered around the friendship between Bachchan and Sinha and how a misunderstanding leads to jealously and conflict between the two. The stellar star cast, lavish production values and some great music — it's Mere dost kissa yeh kya ho remains one of the most memorable songs of Mohammed Rafi — became sort of a prototype for Dharma Productions for years to come.
Agneepath (1990)
It's title inspired by a Harivanshrai Bachchan poem of the same name, Agneepath, directed by Mukul Anand and starring Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty and Madhavi was a gangster drama on an epic scale. It's camerawork, it's grim storyline and the production values were way ahead of its time. Bachchan's portrayal as Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, a man who takes to a life of crime to clear his father's name was much appreciated and even got him a National Award. The film didn't do well commercially but has acquired a cult status since then, with its popularity increasing each passing year.
Gumrah (1993)
The gamble of casting Sridevi with Sanjay Dutt worked out in the film's favour. Directed by Mahesh Bhatt, Gumrah was both a love story between an unlikely couple and fast paced thriller as well. Sanjay's macho charm matched Sridevi's oomph and the film clicked at the box office. Sri excelled as a woman caught in a situation not of her making and was a natural in front of the camera. It's soundtrack was successful as well.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
This was the film which turned Dharma Productions into the numero uno studio. Directed by Yash Johar's son Karan Johar, it was a coming of age drama, as also a heartwarming love story. Slick production values, designer togs, and some great songs — all eight tracks were successful and enjoy popularity even now — elevated the film above the rest. Great performances by Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukherji helped it break concurrent box office records both in India and overseas as well.
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001)
Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor it was literally the baap of all multistarrers. It was a family drama to beat all family dramas, relying on emotional content to get the viewers hooked to the silver screen. Yash Johar made sure it surpassed all current norms when it came to production values, shooting the film extensively in Britain and in Egypt as well. Director Karan Johar gave us a visual palette which looked straight out of a painting and extracted seminal performances from his illustrious cast as well.
Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)
This was the first time, after many years, that the banner looked towards an outside talent for helming a film. Karan took a backseat and let newbie Nikhil Advani cut his teeth at the movies. Set in New York and starring Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta, it continued the new Dharma tradition of setting films within the framework of families. The difference here was that the family here was pretty dysfunctional and the leading man suffered from a fatal cardiac disease. The ensemble cast excelled in their roles. Preity's heartbreak was palpable and so was SRK's joie de vivre. The emotionally gripping drama helped make it one of the most successful films released that year. The title sadly, turned out to be prophetic. It was the last film produced by Yash Johar, who passed away the next year.