Meet Yash Chopra's favourite actors

Familiarity breeds comfort too.

Many filmmakers form such a fine tuning with their actors that they tend to work with them again and again. 

One of Hindi Cinema's finest filmmaker Yash Chopra enjoyed that comfort and prolific rapport with some of the actors he worked with, ranging from Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan.

Here's a look at the stars who grabbed the maximum opportunities to work under the late legend.

Amitabh Bachchan 

Directed by Yash Chopra: Deewar, Kaala Patthar, Trishul, Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila, Veer-Zaara
Produced by Yash Chopra: Mohabbatein, Bunty Aur Babli and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom
Total: 9 films

Apart from Hrishikesh Mukerjee, Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra, contributing to Amitabh Bachchan's most successful phase around the 1970-80s were Chopra's masterful creations like Deewar, Trishul and Kaala Patthar. While these reinforced his 'angry' persona, others like Kabhi Kabhie and Silsila drew us close to his appeal as a passionate, poetry-reciting romantic. 

Due to an alleged strain in their relationship post-Silsila co-starring Jaya Bachchan and Rekha, the duo didn't work together for a long gap. Letting bygones be bygones, Big B agreed to do an extended guest appearance in Veer-Zaara but not before he made his first decent comeback as Narayan Shankar in son Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein. 

Bachchan has since worked on two other Yash Raj productions -- Bunty Aur Babli and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.

Directed by Yash Chopra: Darr, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Veer-Zaara, Jab Tak Hai Jaan
Produced by Yash Chopra: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Mohabbatein, Saathiya, Chak De! India, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Total: 9 films

After Amitabh Bachchan, Yash Chopra found his blue-eyed boy in Shah Rukh Khan. The latter's regard for YC is well-known given that he never asks for money or script and simply shows up on the day of shoot making him a long-time Yash Raj favourite. 

His faith in home-like production house and father-figure filmmaker has produced only blockbusters like Darr, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Veer-Zaara and in all probability Yash Chopra's swan song, Jab Tak Hai Jaan.

Besides the privilege of working with the filmmaker on multiple films, SRK's golden association includes playing Raj Malhotra in Aditya Chopra's epic romance Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and delivering one of his career-best performances in Chak De! India.

Directed by Yash Chopra: Kabhi Kabhie, Vijay, Chandni, Jab Tak Hai Jaan
Produced by Yash Chopra: Doosra Aadmi, Hum Tum, Fanaa, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic
Total: 8 films

One is the King of Romance. The other is Bollywood's ultimate loverboy. Together, they made mush look like magic in some of Yash Chopra's most effective love stories like Kabhi Kabhie and Chandni.

Rishi Kapoor is said to have a small cameo in the latter's last directorial effort as well.

Under the Yash Raj banner too, RK has taken on several assignments ranging from the engaging Doosra Aadmi to the utterly dreary Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic.  

Directed by Yash Chopra: Dharmputra, Waqt, Deewar, Kabhie Kabhie, Trishul, Kaala Patthar, Silsila 
Produced by Yash Chopra: Sawaal
Total: 8 films

Long before Amitabh Bachchan came into the picture; Shashi Kapoor was a part of several Yash Chopra classics like Dharmaputra and Waqt.

Even after Big B's phenomenal entry, the dashing star continued to shine by his side as the righteous brother and cop in Deewar, gem of a husband in Kabhi Kabhie, fun-loving businessman in Trishul, determined engineer in Kaala Patthar and affectionate, exuberant friend in Silsila.

The troika delivered some of the most iconic moments in Hindi cinema including the one with Maa.

Directed by Yash Chopra: Vijay, Chandni, Lamhe, Parampara, Darr, Veer-Zaara, Jab Tak Hai Jaan
Produced by Yash Chopra: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Mohabbatein, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Dil Bole Hadippa, Badmaash Company, Pyaar Impossible 
Total: 13 films

Only it's not a Kapoor or a Khan but a Kher who's worked most repeatedly with Yash Chopra. It's no surprise he's part of Jab Tak Hai Jaan too.

Ever since they collaborated on Vijay, the two developed a keen understanding and fondness resulting in some of Kher's most memorable roles in films like Lamhe and Darr.

Even in films not directed by Chopra Sr, Kher made a lasting impact. Like the indulgent, goofy dad of Shah Rukh Khan in Bollywood's longest running film, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.  

Directed by Yash Chopra: Daag, Joshila, Kabhi Kabhie, Trishul, Kaala Patthar 
Produced by Yash Chopra: Doosra Aadmi 
Total: 6 films

Be it as Chandni in Daag, Pooja in Kabhi Kabhie, Geeta in Trishul or Sudha in Kaala Patthar, Yash Chopra reserved some of the strongest and sensitive female protagonists for Raakhee. Their wonderful equation translated on screen leading to quality roles and marvelous aesthetics.

Though only produced by Chopra, Raakhee looked and delivered her best as the independent, unapologetic woman who falls in love with a married man in Doosra Aadmi. 

Directed by Yash Chopra: Kabhi Kabhie, Trishul, Mashaal, Chandni, Lamhe 
Produced by Yash Chopra: Sawaal
Total: 6 films

Barring Kabhi Kabhie, Waheeda Rehman mostly played an elderly figure in Yash Chopra films lending it her characteristic grace and warmth.

After essaying Amitabh Bachchan's docile wife in Kabhi Kabhie, she signed up to play a brief part as his bitter, suffering mother in Trishul. 

But it was her tragic demise as Dilip Kumar's significant other in Mashaal that tug the heartstrings. Her effortless convictions made her a perfect choice to play Vinod Khanna's doting mom in Chandni and concerned nanny to Sridevi and Anil Kapoor in Lamhe.

Total: 5 films

Even though his best known heroine-oriented films feature Sridevi (Chandni and Lamhe), Yash Chopra made a greater number of films (five each) with Neetu Singh, Hema Malini and his discovery Poonam Dhillon.

While Neetu Singh-Kapoor provided her brand of effervescence in films like Deewar, Kabhie Kabhie, Kaala Patthar and his home production Doosra Aadmi (She's also making a brief appearance in Jab Tak Hai Jaan with hubby Rishi Kapoor).

Hema Malini oozed glamour in Joshila and Trishul and later a maternal aura in Vijay, Veer-Zaara and most recently a enigmatic courtesan in Yash Raj's Laaga Chunari Mein Daag. 

After introducing the pretty Poonam Dhillon as the vivacious kid sister of Shashi Kapoor in Trishul, Chopra launched her in a titular role in and as Noorie (directed by character actor Manmohan Krishna) and later standard heroine parts in Kaala Patthar and Sawaal. The Yash Raj discovery returned to work for her debut banner as Shahid Kapoor's mom in Dil Bole Hadippa. 

Directed by Yash Chopra: Mashaal, Vijay, Lamhe 
Produced by Yash Chopra: Tashan
Total: 4 films

From playing a street-side tapori who gets his life back on track following some valuable guidance from Dilip Kumar in Mashaal (a role originally offered to Kamal Haasan) to a man facing the dilemma of being in love with a slightly older woman and later her much younger lookalike daughter in Lamhe, two of Anil Kapoor's most significant acting jobs are in a Yash Chopra film.

He also worked on the latter's semi-Mahabharat inspired Vijay, which was a huge box office failure. 

Most recently, AK worked as the ultra flamboyant don with a penchant for broken English in the Chopra produced, Tashan.