The 14th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) has announced that legendary Bollywood director-producer Yash Chopra will receive its Asian Filmmaker of the Year award.

PIFF stated: “As the most influential producer and director in India over decades, Chopra has made remarkable contributions to establish Bollywood cinema on the global stage. His tireless five-decade long devotion has made considerable contributions to enhance the global status of Indian films as well as Asian cinema.”

Chopra also founded Yash Raj Films in 1970 which has churned out more than 40 films. Chopra directed 12 of these, starring Bollywood icons such as Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan.

Yash Raj Films has also joined with Walt Disney Studios to create a series of animation films and premiered the first co-production Roadside Romeo last year.

PIFF is curating a commemorative section of four films directed by Chopra and/or produced by Yash Raj Films:

  • Lamhe (1991), dir. Yash Chopra
  • Dhoom 2 (2006), dir. Sanjay Gadhvi
  • Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), dir. Aditya Chopra
  • New York (2009), dir. Kabir Khan

Previous awardees of PIFF’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year since it was inaugurated in 2003 include Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Hou Hsiao Hsien, Andy Lau and the late Edward Yang.

The 14th Pusan International Film Festival will run October 8 -16.

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