Yash Chopra Is The Only Major Director To Have Shot A  Lohri Song

It may sound strange. But  a celebration as festive  as  Lohri  has never been as popular  in  Hindi cinema as  Holi or Diwali.  This could be  because Lohri is predominantly a Punjabi  event.

The only  filmmaker  who has actually shot an elaborate  Lohri song is   Yash Chopra.  This  was for  the  film Veer-Zaara. The  Lohri song-and-dance featured  Amitabh Bachchan, Hema  Malini, Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta, none of whom  incidentally  is Punjabi.

But they all loved the  festival.

Says Preity Zinta, “When we shot that song(Lo aa gayee lohri ve sung by Lata Mangeshkar,  Gurdas Mann and  Udit Narayan) we were  all very excited. But most excited  of all was  Yash Uncle. I think it  was  a big moment for  him to actually shoot a Lohri song. He  had  waited  long  for it.”

Yash Chopra  was  indeed  very excited  abou  this  Lohri song in Veer Zaara (incidentally composed  by  the late  and great  Madan  Mohan).  With the childlike excitement that  never left  his side he  said  to me, “I don’t think too many Lohri songs have been  filmed in our cinema. I don’t know why. When the  situation for this  number came up in  Veer-Zaara I was  very happy.My artistes Amitji, Hemaji, Shah Rukh and Preity threw themselves into it unconditionally.”

Interestingly Hema  Malini was to originally  play  a  Punjabi woman in Veer-Zaara. But after her Tamilian  accent got in the way,a dialogue was introduced saying she  was  a South Indian beauty whom Mr Bachchan wedded and brought to Punjab.

Balle balle to that.