Yash Raj Films (YRF) is an Indian film production and distribution company founded by veteran filmmaker Yash Chopra in 1970 and being handled and led by his son, Aditya Chopra since 2012. The company mainly produces and distributes Hindi films. The company has grown to be one of the largest film studios in India, releasing various films.[1]
Upon realising the lack of a proper film shooting studio during their years of film-making, YRF went on build their dream film production studio in the year 2005, located in Mumbai city. The first film to be shot in YRF Studios was the company's 2006 critical and commercial blockbuster romantic thriller Fanaa. Some of the notable films of outside banners that were shot in the studio over the years are; Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), Partner (2007), Taare Zameen Par (2007), Dostana (2008), Wanted (2009), 3 Idiots (2009), Dabangg (2010), Bodyguard (2011), Ra.One (2011), Agneepath (2012), Chennai Express (2013), Jai Ho (2014) and PK (2014). The studio was created and designed by Chopra and his then-wife, Payal Khanna and is equipped with high technology film shooting equipment and materials. The studio, sprawling over 20 acres (81,000 m2) and towering up to six floors, is used to shoot films for the company and is also rented for other filming and television shoots such as 10 Ka Dum and Kaun Banega Crorepati for Sony and Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?, Koffee With Karan and Satyamev Jayate for STAR.[2]
After constantly delivering musical successes such as Darr (1993), Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995) and Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) throughout the years of its existence, the company decided to leverage their growing clout in the music industry. YRF established their independent feature music distribution leg under the name YRF Music in 2004. The leg was developed for the purpose of digital as well as physical distribution of all the film soundtracks released under the banner. The first soundtrack to be distributed under YRF Music was the company's critical and commercial blockbuster epic love saga Veer-Zaara. The leg established careers of many budding music composers throughout the years, who leveraged themselves by scoring music for YRF projects such as Jatin–Lalit (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge), Anu Malik (Dum Laga Ke Haisha), Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy (Bunty Aur Babli), Pritam (Dhoom), Vishal–Shekhar (Salaam Namaste), Salim–Sulaiman (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi), Amit Trivedi (Ishaqzaade), Ram Sampath (Luv Ka The End), Sajid–Wajid (Daawat-e-Ishq), Sohail Sen (Mere Brother Ki Dulhan), Raghu Dixit (Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge), Sachin–Jigar (Shuddh Desi Romance), Mithoon (Shamshera), Jasleen Royal (Hichki), and Amartya Rahut (Aurangzeb).[5]
Walt Disney buyout-refusal
The Walt Disney Company entered Indian Entertainment in 2007 through a three-film co-production agreement (Ta Ra Rum Pum, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic and Roadside Romeo) with YRF. Disney's move was seen as a bid to increase its global clout and finally enter the increasingly lucrative Indian Cinema arena. The company offered a 49% acquisition of YRF at ₹2,500 crore (US$310 million)[6] (unadjusted for inflation) in 2009, which took the valuation of the Indian entertainment company to ₹5,000 crore (equivalent to ₹130 billion or US$1.6 billion in 2023),[7] at the time. YRF however declined the acquisition offer made by the American conglomerate.
In 2011, a 99% share acquisition offer by Disney was accepted by UTV at ₹2,000 crore (US$250 million)[8] (unadjusted for inflation). The two companies together established Disney UTV, that functioned as the Indian subsidiary of the American company. In December 2016, Disney announced that is restructuring its Indian operations and UTV will no longer produce movies and will focus only on distribution of its Hollywood films.[9]
Aditya Chopra then took over as the Vice-Chairman of Yash Raj Films in 2010, soon after the release of the film Badmaash Company under the same banner.[10]
In 2011, the company went into production of three individual mainstream films with Aamir Khan for Dhoom 3, Shahrukh Khan for Jab Tak Hai Jaan and with Salman Khan for Ek Tha Tiger, the first installment in the YRF Spy Universe. The three films turned out to be the most expensive productions by YRF; Ek Tha Tiger[11] was produced at ₹75 crore (US$9.4 million),[12]Jab Tak Hai Jaan was produced at ₹60 crore (US$7.5 million)[13] and Dhoom 3 was produced at ₹150 crore (US$19 million).[14]
All three of these films broke box office records in India and went on to become some of the highest-grossing films of their time. Ek Tha Tiger,[11] which released on the 66th Independence Day of India, earned approximately ₹320 crore (US$40 million)[22] and became the eleventh highest-grossing film of Indian cinema. Jab Tak Hai Jaan opened worldwide on the Diwali day of 2012 and went on to earn ₹241 crore (US$30 million)[18] and became the fifteenth highest-grossing film in India. Dhoom 3 released in (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Arabic) on the Christmas week of 2013 and grossed approximately ₹542 crore (US$68 million),[23][24] in the worldwide market and went on to become the twelfth highest-grossing film of Indian cinema, as of January 2022[update].
Aditya Chopra as Chairman
After the demise of Yash Chopra in October 2012, Aditya Chopra was elevated to the position of chairman and Chief Executive of the company's studio wing. Facing overwhelming pressure by the Indian bourses to be publicly listed around the same period, the company went for a soft-launch on 3 January 2013.
In November 2011, YRF Entertainment was announced as a subsidiary of Yash Raj Films, set in Beverly Hills, US, with Uday Chopra serving as CEO.[26] Under it they produced two English films:
Apart from producing big-budgeted films with established actors, YRF also announced several films featuring relative newcomers in the fourth quarter of Fiscal year 2012; Aurangzeb starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Sashaa Agha and Arjun Kapoor, Gunday starring Ranveer Singh, Bewakoofiyaan starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sonam Kapoor, Daawat-e-Ishq with Aditya Roy Kapur, Mardaani with Rani Mukerji, and Kill Dil starring Ali Zafar and Govinda.[32] The films released all through 2013 and 2014 were seen as a strategic move by the company to infuse newer talent into Indian Cinema in the form of actors, screenwriters, directors and technicians. In a bid to break away from the traditional star system of Indian cinema, the company ventured into producing low-budgeted independent films with new talent (actors, creatives and technicians) from 2008. Apart from working with upcoming actors, the company independently launched several new faces as leading actors in several of their big-budgeted films through their home banner and through Y-Films,[33] including:
Throughout the years of its existence, YRF inked various strategic business agreements with independent film and media entities present in the country.
Satellite and home entertainment rights to all films produced under the Raj Kapoor Films banner through the company's home entertainment division, YRF Home Entertainment
