Vintage love story: When Yash Chopra said ‘Ghanti baj gayi’ after meeting Pamela

Pamela Chopra, the wife of Yash Raj Films founder and famous director late Yash Chopra passed away today. Yash Chopra is known for starting an era of romantic movies in Bollywood and most of his films had great music and a well-scripted role for the lead actresses. Many people would think that being the leading director of super hit romantic movies, Yash Chopra also must have a romantic story to tell.

Surprisingly, he had an arranged marriage with Pamela; it was not a regular mushy love story. Even then the way the two met and stayed together for decades is certainly very interesting. Pamela Chopra was a playback singer from Delhi. She had gone to watch the star cricket show in Delhi along with her two cousins when she first saw him. He was sitting a few rows ahead of them and kept looking back at them.

Meeting for the first time

Pamela Chopra during one of her interviews said that Yashji had an eye for pretty girls and kept on looking back at the trio all through the match but did not talk or meet. She met and spoke with Yashji for the first time at the wedding sangeet of Yashji’s niece in Mumbai. Incidentally, Simi Garewal is a cousin of Pamela Chopra and she was staying with her in Mumbai.

At the event, Yash Chopra was busy convincing Hema Malini to do a movie with him while Pamela Chopra was singing Punjabi songs. After the event, Yash Chopra complimented her for her singing. At that time, Pamela Chopra knew that Yashji was a film director but she was a fan of Raj Kapoor and hence showed no interest.

When marriage talks began neither Yash nor Pamela was interested

Romesh Sharma’s mother was a common friend of both Pamela and Yashji’s families. Since she had watched her singing at the Delhi wedding, she contacted B.R. Chopra’s wife (elder brother of Yash Chopra) and told her about Pamela. Incidentally, Yash Chopra was also coming to Delhi at that time for auditions. First Romesh Sharma and his father met Pamela at the office of British Airways where she was working.

Later on, Pamela and her family went to meet him. But this particular meeting was a big disaster as Yashji did not say a word when the two were left alone to talk. When asked by family members after the meeting, the Chandni director said, “Ghanti nahi baji.” Even Pamela was not particularly impressed with Yash Chopra.

Destiny had other plans

Yashji was going to Mumbai the next day, but he missed the flight and his stay in Delhi was extended by a day. So when both Pamela and Yash Chopra met once again at the house of Romesh Sharma, the director was in a relaxed mood playing dholki sitting on the floor. Since marriage was not on the minds of both Pamela and Yashji this time, they relaxed in each other’s company and enjoyed their time.

And this time Yashji said, “Ghanti baj gayi.” The two enjoyed marital bliss for more than 40 plus years and it was only broken after the famous director died in 2012.