Yash Chopra receives University of London honorary degree
Chopra, 77, best known for his melodramatic romances, began directing in the 1950s. He started his own production company, Yash Raj Films, in 1973 and it is today one of the largest in Bollywood. He was instrumental in the making of two of Bollywood's biggest stars ever, Amitabh Bachchan—with Deewaar (1975), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), and Silsila (1981)—and Shahrukh Khan—whom Chopra launched in Darr (1993) and who starred in the last film Chopra directed, Veer-Zaara (2004).
This is Chopra's second honorary degree from a UK university—the first was from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2007. He was similarly honored by India's Punjab University in 2008 and Guru Nanak University in 2004. Chopra was a recipient of France's Legion of Honour, the country's highest civilian award, in 2008.
Other Bollywood notables who have received honorary degrees from UK universities include Shahrukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan.
The School of Oriental and African Studies was one of the first Western universities to offer courses in Indian film; it plans to start a degree program in South Asian cinema in 2011.
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July 27, 2010
