Yash Johar

{{Infobox person

| name = Yash Johar

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1929|09|06|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Amritsar, Punjab, British India
{{small|(present-day Punjab, India)}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|2004|06|26|1929|09|06|df=yes}}

| death_place = Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

| organization = Dharma Productions

| occupation = Film producer

| yearsactive = 1952–2004

| spouse = {{marriage|Hiroo Johar|1971}}

| children = Karan Johar (son)

| family = Chopra-Johar family

}}

Yash Johar (6 September 1929 – 26 June 2004) was an Indian film producer and the founder of Dharma Productions. His films featured lavish sets, were often set in "exotic" locations, and incorporated Indian traditions and family values.{{cite web |title=Good-bye, Yashji! A Personal Tribute|author=Subhash K Jha|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/good-bye-yashji-a-personal-tribute-news-bollywood-kkfvKSjihab.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101132705/http://www.sify.com/movies/good-bye-yashji-a-personal-tribute-news-bollywood-kkfvKSjihab.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 November 2014 |date=28 June 2004|website=Sify|access-date=16 December 2020}} He is the father of Karan Johar, now a noted filmmaker himself.

Personal life

Johar was born on 6 September 1929 in Amritsar, Punjab, in a Punjabi Hindu family associated with the Arya Samaj.{{cite magazine |title=Remembering Yash Johar on his 11th death anniversary |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/remembering-yash-johar-the-man-who-gave-us-kabhi-khushi-kabhie-gham-259790-2015-06-26 |magazine=India Today |language=en |date=26 June 2015 |location=New Delhi |access-date=16 December 2020 |quote=The founder of Dharma Productions was born on September 6, 1929 in Amritsar, Punjab, British India. |archive-date=19 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819071505/https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/remembering-yash-johar-the-man-who-gave-us-kabhi-khushi-kabhie-gham-259790-2015-06-26 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Goyal |first1=Divya |title=Karan Johar Got A Fact About Amitabh Bachchan Wrong And This Happened On Twitter |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/karan-johar-got-a-fact-about-amitabh-bachchan-wrong-and-this-happened-on-twitter-1793797 |access-date=10 December 2020 |work=NDTV.com |date=30 December 2017 |archive-date=12 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812000248/https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/karan-johar-got-a-fact-about-amitabh-bachchan-wrong-and-this-happened-on-twitter-1793797 |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |last=Johar |first=Karan |title=An Unsuitable Boy |last2=Saxena |first2=Poonam |date=2017 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-670-08753-2 |location=Gurgaon, Haryana, India |pages=6}} He was married to Hiroo, sister of filmmakers B. R. Chopra and Yash Chopra.{{cite news |last1=Kanyal |first1=Jyoti |title=Karan Johar on 50 years of YRF: Yash Chopra was not just a filmmaker but a bonafide institution |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/karan-johar-on-50-years-of-yrf-yash-chopra-was-not-just-a-filmmaker-but-a-bonafide-institution-1725850-2020-09-27 |access-date=11 March 2021 |work=India Today |date=27 September 2020 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Indian film stars you didn't know were related |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/bollywood-film-stars-family-relations-5144762/ |access-date=11 March 2021 |work=The Indian Express |date=23 April 2018 |language=en}} He died on 26 June 2004 in Mumbai, aged 74, of a chest infection, though he had also been fighting cancer. After his death, his son took over Dharma Productions.

Career

Johar began his career as a publicist and still photographer in the early 1950s. He worked for Sashadhar Mukherjee's production company Filmistan as a production executive on the film Love in Simla in 1960. In 1962, he joined Sunil Dutt's production house Ajanta Arts. He was a production controller for films like Mujhe Jeene Do and Yeh Raaste Hai Pyaar Ke. He helped filmmaker Dev Anand handle the production of his 1965 film Guide, which was successful at the box office. He continued with Dev Anand's Navketan Films and handled production of films like Jewel Thief, Prem Pujari and Hare Rama Hare Krishna.{{cite news |last=Ashraf |first=Syed Firdaus |date=27 June 2004 |url=https://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jun/26mum.htm |title=Filmmaker Yash Johar dead |work=Rediff.com |access-date=5 November 2012 |archive-date=12 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181212223155/https://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jun/26mum.htm |url-status=live }}

In 1971, he accompanied martial arts film star Bruce Lee and Hollywood actor James Coburn, who were visiting India on a location hunt for a film which was ultimately never made.{{cite news |title=Throwback: Shekhar Kapur posts a vintage picture of Bruce Lee and Yash Johar |url=https://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/bollywood-news/article/Shekhar-Kapur-Bruce-Lee-Yash-Johar-Vintage-photo-Hollywood-Bollywood-News-Twitter-18313179 |work=Mid Day |date=6 June 2017 |access-date=24 May 2025}}

In 1976, Johar launched his own banner, Dharma Productions.{{cite web |url=http://www3.dharma-production.com/ourprofile.html |title=Our Profile - Dharma Productions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606041145/http://www3.dharma-production.com/ourprofile.html |archive-date=6 June 2008 |access-date=6 March 2022 |url-status=dead}} The first film produced by the company, Dostana, directed by Raj Khosla, was a box office success in 1980. The company produced a handful of other films in the 1980s and early 1990s, most notably Duniya (1984), Agneepath (1990), Gumrah (1993) and Duplicate (1998).

He was also an associate producer on the 1994 Hollywood film The Jungle Book.{{cite web | url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7dbcc8ff | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026144657/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7dbcc8ff | url-status=dead | archive-date=26 October 2018 | title=Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book (1994) }}

The company found unprecedented success with the 1998 award-winning film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, the directorial debut of his son Karan Johar. The film starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Rani Mukerji and Salman Khan was one of the biggest hits of the year both domestically and in the overseas market. The film was critically acclaimed as well, winning major awards at Indian award ceremonies. Karan's second directorial, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... in 2001 was also immensely successful.{{cite web |title=Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... - Movie - Box Office India |url=https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=658 |website=www.boxofficeindia.com |access-date=4 August 2024 |archive-date=4 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804112735/https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=658 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kabhi_khushi_kabhie_gham |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en |access-date=4 August 2024 |archive-date=25 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240925211022/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kabhi_khushi_kabhie_gham |url-status=live }}

Johar was also involved in the production and distribution company Dreamz Unlimited founded in 1999 by Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Aziz Mirza. He helped set up the company as well as handling the production process of their first film, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000).{{cite web |url=https://in.rediff.com/movies/2000/jan/13srk.htm |title=Rediff On The NeT, Movies: Shah Rukh Khan speaks |publisher=IRediff.com |date=13 January 2000 |access-date=5 November 2012 |archive-date=8 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608195914/http://in.rediff.com/movies/2000/jan/13srk.htm |url-status=live }}

Kal Ho Naa Ho, was the last film he was involved in, which was a major critical and commercial success, becoming the top-grossing film domestically and in the overseas market that year.{{cite web |title=Kal Ho Naa Ho |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3663562241/weekend/ |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=4 August 2024 |archive-date=4 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804110819/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3663562241/weekend/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Pais |first1=Arthur J. |title=KHNH makes waves in UK too! |url=https://in.rediff.com/movies/2003/dec/03kal.htm |website=Rediff |language=en |access-date=4 August 2024 |archive-date=4 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804110820/https://in.rediff.com/movies/2003/dec/03kal.htm |url-status=live }}