Vidhu Vinod Chopra Age, Wiki and Bio

Vidhu Vinod Chopra

Quick Info

ProfessionFilm Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Editor
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth05/09/1952
Age72 years
BirthplaceSrinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
HometownSrinagar, Jammu And Kashmir

Bio/Wiki

Other NameVVC

Physical Stats & More

Height175 cm (1.75 m or 5’ 9”)
Weight75 kg (165 lbs)
Eye ColorDark Brown
Hair ColorBlack
Body Measurements
Chest40 Inches
Waist32 Inches
Biceps12 Inches

Educational Qualification(s)

SchoolDAV Institute Magarmal Bagh Srinagar, Kashmir
College/University
  • Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune
  • Film and Television Institute of India in Pune
Degrees
  • BA at Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune
  • A Film Course at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune

Personal Life

Date of Birth05/09/1952
BirthplaceSrinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Zodiac signVirgo
NationalityIndian
ReligionHinduism
EthnicityPunjabi-Kashmiri
Food HabitNon-Vegetarian
Controversies
  • Allegations by Chetan Bhagat: Following the release of his Hindi film 3 Idiots, he called for a press conference to clear the rumours regarding Chetan Bhagat's copyright infringement allegations. However, Chopra lost his cool while responding to a journalist's questions and asked him to 'shut up.' Later, he apologised to the journalist. In 2020, in a tweet Chetan Bhagat accused him of bullying and harassing.
  • Yelled at a Journalist: In October 2016, at a film festival in Mumbai, Chopra again lost his cool on a journalist. Although the reporter's question could not be ascertained, Chopra was heard saying, 'Don't tell me what to speak about, why the F**K should I speak.'

Relationships & More

Marital StatusMarried
Affairs/Girlfriends
  • Renu Saluja (film editor; died of cancer)
  • Shabnam Sukhdev (filmmaker)
  • Anupama Chopra (film critic)
Marriage Date
First Marriage1976
Second Marriage1985
Third Marriage01/06/1990

Family

FatherLala Dinanath Chopra aka DN Chopra (manager at an insurance company in Srinagar and poet)
MotherShanti Devi Mahalakshmi
Siblings
BrotherVeer Chopra (elder; owned a motorcycle company) (deceased)
SisterShailija Dhar (younger; film director)
Spouse
First WifeRenu Saluja (div. 1983)
Second WifeShabnam Sukhdev (div. 1989)
Third WifeAnupama Chopra
Children
SonAgni Dev Chopra (cricketer; from Anupama Chopra)
Daughter(s)
  • Ishaa Vinod Chopra (dancer, filmmaker, and author; from Shabnam Sukhdev)
  • Zuni Chopra (writer; from Anupama Chopra)
Other Relatives
Half BrotherRamanand Sagar (director and producer; from his father’s side)
Father-in-LawNavin Chandra (ex-executive of Union Carbide)
Mother-in-LawKamna Chandra (scriptwriter)
Brother-in-LawVikram Chandra (American-Indian writer)
Sister-in-LawTanuja Chandra (director, writer)

Career

Debut
Film (As a director-writer-producer)Sazaye Maut (1981)
Awards
National Film Awards
  • 1976: National Film Award for Best Short Experimental Film
  • 2003: Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment for the film Munna Bhai MBBS
  • 2006: Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment for the film Lage Raho Munna Bhai
  • 2006: Best Screenplay for the film Lage Raho Munna Bhai
  • 2009: Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment for the film 3 Idiots
Filmfare Awards
  • 1990: Best Film for the film Parinda
  • 2004: Best Film for the film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
  • 2004: Best Screenplay for the film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
  • 2007: Best Dialogue for the film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
  • 2007: Best Story for the film Lage Raho Munna Bhai
  • 2007: Best film (Critics) for the film Lage Raho Munna Bhai
  • 2010: Best Screenplay for the film 3 Idiots
  • 2010: Best Film for the film 3 Idiots
  • 2024: Best Editing for the film 12th Fail
  • 2024: Best Screenplay for the film 12th Fail
  • 2024: Best Director for the film 12th Fail
Awards of the International Indian Film Academy
  • 2004: Best Screenplay for the film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
  • 2006: Best Story for the film Parineeta
  • 2010: Best Screenplay for the film 3 Idiots
  • 2010: Best Story for the film 3 Idiots
  • 2010: Best Film for 3 Idiots
ETC Bollywood Business Awards
  • 2015: The 300 Crore Club for the film PK
  • 2019: The 300 Crore Club for the film Sanju
  • 2019: Highest Grosser of the Year for the film Sanju
Screen Awards
  • 2007: Best Story for the film Lage Raho Munna Bhai
  • 2010: Best Screenplay for the film 3 Idiots
  • 2010: Best Film for 3 Idiots
Bengal Film Journalists’ Award
  • 2004: Best Film for Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
  • 2007: Best Film for Lage Raho Munna Bhai
FOI Online Awards
  • 2023: Best Film Editing for the film 12th Fail
  • 2023: Best Screenplay (adapted) for the film 12th Fail
Other Awards
  • 1976: Oscars Nominations for the Hindi-English short film Murder on Monkey Hill
  • 1980: Won Grand Prix at Tampere Film Festival for the documentary An Encounter with Faces
  • 1995: Won Best Film at Shanghai International Film Festival for the film 1942: A Love Story
  • 2006: Best Story for the film Lage Raho Munna Bhai
  • 2007: Won Best Film by Bollywood Awards for the film Lage Raho Munna Bhai
  • 2010: Won Best Film by Annual Central European Bollywood Awards for the film 3 Idiots
  • 2010: Won Best Film by Stardust Awards for the film 3 Idiots
  • 2015: Won Best Film by Apsara Film Producers Guild Awards for the film PK
  • 2015: Won Best Film by IBN Live Movie Awards for the film PK
  • 2019: Won Best Film by Zee Cine Awards for the film Sanju

Favourites

Filmmaker(s)
  • Steven Spielberg
  • James Cameron
Film(s)
  • Ajantrik (1958)
  • Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960)
Film GenreThriller, Comedy
Actor(s)
  • Sanjay Dutt
  • Aamir Khan
  • Dilip Kumar
DessertRasgulla
SportCricket

Some Lesser Known Facts

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's ancestors are from Peshawar, British India (now Pakistan).
He excelled in school, displaying intelligence and sports skills like cricket.
He only began learning English at 16 years old.
Born into poverty, he struggled to pay even a small doctor's fee.
His interest in filmmaking blossomed during his teens.
To pursue his passion for films, his brother supported his education at FTII, Pune.
In his early days at FTII, he carried a knife due to fear of ragging.
Financial constraints prevented him from studying at UCLA.
He met his first wife, Renu Saluja, at FTII.
His directorial debut was the 1976 short film 'Murder at Monkey Hill.'
He directed the documentary 'An Encounter with Faces' in 1978.
His notable Hindi films include 'Parinda,' '1942: A Love Story,' and '3 Idiots.'
He dedicated 'Kareeb' to his wife, Anupama Chopra.
He made a cameo in the 1983 film 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.'
He contributed as a writer to films like 'Munna Bhai MBBS' and '3 Idiots.'
He has produced films like 'Sanju' and 'Munna Bhai MBBS.'
He was a supervising editor for 'Parineeta' in 2005.
He worked as an associate writer and lyricist for 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai.'
He was a screenplay associate on '3 Idiots.'
In 2015, he made his English directorial debut with 'Broken Horses.'
'Shikara' in 2020 was a tribute to his mother's dream.
He co-authored the book 'Unscripted: Conversation on Life And Cinema.'
Apart from films, he has produced ads for brands like Lehar Pepsi.
His merchandise store is known as Creative Ideas.
He enjoys consuming alcoholic beverages at social events.
He loves traveling in his free time and is a pet owner.
He avoids using certain social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
He shares a close relationship with politician LK Advani, who financially supported him during tough times.
LK Advani aided him financially when he was nominated for an Oscar.
His production house uploads work videos on YouTube.
He once gifted Amitabh Bachchan a Rolls Royce worth Rs 4.5 crore.