Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh paid tribute to legendary Indian filmmaker Yash Chopra (80), who died on Sunday evening in Mumbai, and sent his condolences to the Chopra family and the film fraternity.
"An icon of Indian Cinema, he entertained many generations with his rare creativity. He had an aesthetic talent to make his films look larger than life. His flourish in essaying romance and social drama was unmatched. Shri Chopra established the popularity of Indian cinema internationally and was honoured by many governments. He will be remembered by millions of his fans around the world and his work as a director and producer will be treasured by the nation for many more generations," said the PM in a statement.
"I send heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and the film fraternity," he added.
Vice President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari also condoled the death of the filmmaker and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the members of the bereaved family and prayed that the Almighty give them strength and fortitude to bear this loss.
In his condolence message, he said that he is deeply saddened by the passing away of Shri Chopra. "His valuable contribution to Hindi cinema and the wholesome entertainment his films gave us will be long remembered," he said in a statement.
Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat, also took to twitter to express his grief on the death of the filmmaker. "Yash Chopra ji made a mark as an excellent film maker. Indian film industry & movie lovers will truly miss him. May his soul rest in peace," he tweeted.
Yash Chopra, who was known as "king of romance",had been undergoing treatment for dengue at Lilavati hospital, Mumbai since October 13 before he breathe his last on Sunday. He is survived by wife Pamela and sons Aditya and Uday Chopra.
His last film as a director titled, "Jab Tak Hai Jaan", starring Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma is scheduled for release this Diwali on November 13. He had produced over 50 films under his production house Yash Raj Films and directed over 20 films.
