| Veer-Zaara | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical-release poster | |
| Directed by | Yash Chopra |
| Written by | Aditya Chopra |
| Produced by | Yash Chopra Aditya Chopra |
| Starring | Shah Rukh Khan Preity Zinta Rani Mukerji |
| Cinematography | Anil Mehta |
| Edited by | Ritesh Soni |
| Music by | Original Songs: Madan Mohan Background Score: R. S. Mani Revision: Sanjeev Kohli |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Yash Raj Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 192 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹23 crore[2] |
| Box office | ₹97.64 crore (initial run)[3] ₹4.25 crore (re-releases)[4] |
Veer-Zaara is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language epic romantic drama film directed and produced by Yash Chopra, and written by his son Aditya Chopra. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta as the titular star-crossed lovers: Veer Pratap Singh is an Indian Air Force officer, and Zaara Hayaat Khan is the daughter of a Pakistani politician. Veer is imprisoned on false charges, and 22 years later, a young Pakistani lawyer, named Saamiya Siddiqui (Rani Mukerji), fights his case. Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Divya Dutta, Manoj Bajpayee, Boman Irani, Anupam Kher and Kirron Kher play supporting roles.
Chopra expressed his desire to make a comeback to the film industry after a gap of seven years, as he was unsatisfied with the scripts he had been offered. It was during this time that Aditya narrated a few scenes from a story he had written, which intrigued Chopra and sparked his interest to direct it. Chopra envisioned the film as a tribute to Punjab, aiming to capture the essence of the region. It was to be titled Yeh Kahaan Aa Gaye Hum, based on an eponymous song from Yash Chopra's Silsila (1981). Set in India and Pakistan, principal photography took place in Indian Punjab and in Mumbai; parts of the film were also shot in Pakistan. The soundtrack album, based on old compositions by Madan Mohan with lyrics by Javed Akhtar, was the highest-selling album of the year in India.
Veer-Zaara was released on 12 November 2004 during Diwali. The film earned over ₹97 crore worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film of the year. It received universal acclaim, especially for its story, dialogues, soundtrack, performances and sensitive portrayal of India-Pakistan relations. It was described by analysts as having themes pertaining to a shared Punjabi culture, secularism and feminism, among others. Veer-Zaara is ranked among the greatest romantic films of Indian cinema.
At the 52nd National Film Awards, Veer-Zaara won Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. At the 50th Filmfare Awards, the film received a leading 15 nominations, and won 4 awards, including Best Film and Best Story (Aditya). At the 6th IIFA Awards, it won a leading 7 awards of its 11 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Chopra), Best Actor (Khan), Best Supporting Actress (Mukerji) and Best Music Director (Mohan).
- ^ "Yash Chopra's Veer-Zaara". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ Nag, Ashoke (2 December 2004). "Diwali releases fail to light up box office". The Economic Times. Times News Network. Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ "Veer Zaara". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 18 July 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
- ^ "Veer Zaara Global Box Office Update: Shah Rukh Khan-Preity Zinta film is now part of the coveted Rs 100 CRORE CLUB". PINKVILLA. 18 September 2024. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.