Pamela Chopra, singer & writer, passes away in Mumbai

MUMBAI: Pamela Chopra, whose voice was synonymous with the folk-flavoured wedding and festive songs of Yash Raj Films, and who creatively contributed to the making of superhits such as 'Kabhi Kabhie' (1976) and 'Dil To Pagal Hai' (1997), passed away in Mumbai on Thursday. She was 74.

"She was... intelligent, educated, warm and witty. Those who like me have worked closely with Yash (Chopra) ji know about her contribution in his scripts and music. She was an exceptional person," tweeted writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar.

Pamela and Yash were married in 1970. Till then, Yash had directed five films, most notably 'Waqt' (1965), for his elder brother producer-director B R Chopra's banner, BR Films. The same year he founded his own banner, Yash Raj Films, and forged his own path producing and directing a clutch of box-office winners such as 'Daag' (1973) and 'Kabhi Kabhie' (1976).

In the 2023 OTT series, 'The Romantics', which maps the filmmaker's life and legacy, several actors acknowledged Pamela's positive role in what happened before and behind the camera. "Pam-ji had a big contribution to Yashji's success, especially in the early years when he started off on his own," said actor Poonam Dhillon. Dhillon was introduced in 'Trishul' (1979) and 'Noorie' (1979), both Yash Raj productions.

Pamela penned the story of 'Kabhi Kabhie' and was credited with the story idea of 'Dil To Pagal Hai,' which she also co-scripted.

From all accounts, she had a strong sense of music. "Music is my passion. Yash knew that and invited me to attend the music sittings. And slowly I became part of that group," Pamela said in The Romantics.

In debutant director Ramesh Talwar's 'Doosara Aadmi' (1977), which was produced by Yash, Pamela sang two duets for music director Rajesh Roshan-one with Kishore Kumar ('Aafat mein pad gayee jaan'), the other with Deven Verma ('Maathe pe lagaike bindiya'). Over the years, her voice was employed by renowned composers Khayyam and Shiv-Hari and became part of many albums of Yash Raj productions.

Her songs, generally part of a wedding or festive celebration scene, were often flavoured with Punjabi folk rhythms. Among the most noteworthy were the naughty 'Main sasural nahi jaaongi' ('Chandni', 1989) and the pining 'Ghar aaja pardesi tera des bulaye re' ('Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge', 1995). She also sang 'Chale aao saiyyan' with Khayyam's wife, Jagjit Kaur, in Sagar Sarhadi's 'Bazaar' (1982). Sarhadi had written 'Kabhi Kabhie' and penned the dialogues of 'Chandni'. Pamela possessed a fairly wide vocal range, best exhibited in 'Lamhe' (1991) where she crooned several old film songs in a medley with Sudesh Bhonsle.

"Her cremation took place at 11am in Mumbai," Yash Raj Films tweeted from their official handle on Thursday.

Yash Chopra had passed away in 2012.



Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays, public holidays, and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.