Simi Garewal remembers cousin Pamela Chopra, calls her ‘guiding light of Yash Raj Films’

Pamela Chopra, wife of the late filmmaker Yash Chopra, died on Thursday, April 20. Several celebrities from the Indian film industry paid tribute to Pamela, who many named as the creative force behind Yash Raj Films, the banner founded by Yash in 1970. Pamela’s cousin, Simi Garewal, also remembered the late singer and writer. She shared that her mother Darshi Garewal had adopted Pamela as their third daughter and called Pamela Yash’s muse. (Also read: RIP Pamela Chopra: Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn remember Yash Chopra’s wife and her impact on the industry)

Simi revealed that she had accompanied Pamela to BR Chopra’s daughter’s wedding, where she ended up meeting Yash Chopra for the first time. The actor recalled that while Pamela thought he didn’t notice her, Simi saw him looking at her many times. After a few months, BR Chopra, Yash’s elder brother, asked Simi’s mother for Pamela’s hand in marriage. While Pamela’s father Mohinder Singh was reluctant at first, Simi’s mother assured them that all would be alright and she would take care of everything.

The veteran actor-host told Mid-Day about their closeness before her marriage, “Although she was my maternal cousin, Pamela [Chopra] was like my own sister. We shared rooms when she visited us four to five months in a year. It was as if my mother [Darshi Garewal] had adopted her as the third daughter. Pam was a movie buff who knew more about cinema than I did. She taught me Bharatnatyam. She was a warm, vibrant, creative, and charming person who would [often] accompany me on shoots.”

Simi also shared that after her marriage, the cousins did not spend that time much together as Pamela distanced herself from the family. But they never discussed the time spent apart. She added, “Pamela was Yashji’s muse, friend, philosopher, and the guiding light of Yash Raj Films in the initial years of their marriage. She was a creative force, musically inclined and his sounding board. She later became busy with the family. Pamela was the gentle, positive, practical influence in Yashji and their children’s lives. She ensured that they were grounded, balanced, and well-mannered. Pamela was the bedrock of their family.”

Simi had worked with Yash on his multi-starrer Kabhi Kabhie (1976) which also featured Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee, Shashi Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor. She played Neetu’s mother in the film. After cutting down on films, Simi hosted the popular talk show, Rendezvous with Simi Garewal.