'Yash Chopra's a legend, his retirement will be a huge loss for actors'

Mumbai: Actress Rani Mukherji says actors have to face a great loss as ace director Yash Chopra will retire post ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’. “He gets everybody to participate, gives everyone lot of love and every actor on his sets is pampered. So obviously actors will lose out on working with a great director like him. I am lucky to have got the opportunity to work with him,” Rani told PTI. [caption id=“attachment_476538” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] Rani’s first film with Chopra was Mujhse Dosti Karoge which he had produced and later she did half-a-dozen films produced by him including Saathiya, Hum Tum, Bunty Aur Babli and Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. Chopra also directed Rani in Veer Zaara. On his 80th birthday, Chopra, who has given several golden hits to Indian cinema including Waqt, Deewar, Silsila, announced that he will end his directorial innings with the upcoming Shah Rukh Khan-Katrina Kaif starrer Jab Tak Hai Jaan , which is releasing on November 13. “I think it will be a huge loss but it is a personal decision and everybody should respect it. He has been a legend. He has given us films like Deewar, Trishul, Daag, Waqt, Chandni, Lamhe and Silsila, it is amazing,” she said. On her experience of working with the veteran director-producer, Rani said, “My association with him has been wonderful. I think Yash Chopra is a legend; he is one person who we all look up to not only for the kind of movies he has made but also because he is a great human being. He is a very passionate person.” The Bengali beauty could not stop heaping praises on the legendary director. “…I have seen him interacting with other actors and they just love him. He does not put any pressure. He makes his actors be spontaneous and act from the heart.” “Today directors mostly watch monitors and not the actors. But he comes from the time where he used to connect with actors and he follows that. He watches them (actors) behind the camera and not in the monitor,” she said. “There are times when you feel that you could have done better and he is like I have seen, I have got the shot I wanted. The confidence that he brings on sets, it is very natural,” she added. Meanwhile, Rani is looking forward to the release of Anurag Kashyap’s next home production ‘Aiyyaa’. ‘Aiyyaa’ is the story of a woman who finds a man desirable because he smells good. The film is slated to release on October 12. “If girls see this film, they will identify with my character - Meenakshi. I don’t think I ever do any character which I feel is away from reality,” Rani said. Directed by Sachin Kundalkar, ‘Aiyyaa’ also marks the arrival of Malayalam superstar Prithviraj Sukumaran in Bollywood. Rani said though she has done many romantic films but when Sachin came to her with this different film idea, she decided to give it a go. PTI