Yash Chopra, the grand old man of Bollywood directors, turned 80 today. And as a birthday treat, actor Shah Rukh Khan hosted a very special live chat with Mr Chopra who has directed SRK in Darr, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Veer-Zaara and now in Jab Tak Hai Jaan.

In conversation with SRK, Yash Chopra spoke about he became a filmmaker even though his family originally wanted him to become an engineer.

His elder brother, director-producer B R Chopra, wanted the young Yash to study engineering. With his mother's blessing and Rs 200 in his pocket, Yash Chopra arrived in Mumbai in the 1950s and was given a job assisting his brother.

He ended up working with B R Chopra, who wanted the young Yash to work with Raj Kapoor's RK Films, for two years and directed his first film Dhool Ka Phool in 1959.

Mr Chopra also spoke about his love for poetry and how he became good friends with actress Meena Kumari after he wrote her a poem. "I was a Punjabi munda and I had hair," that Meena Kumari encouraged him to be an actor. He said to her, "I speak so fast that the film made will be very short." While working on his brother B R Chopra's Sadhna (1958), Yash Chopra became acquainted with the film's heroine Vyajayanthimala, who told him he had the focus to be a director.

Yash Chopra spoke about how his elder brother gave him his first break as director with Dhool Ka Phool. The elder Chopra decided to allow his assistants on Naya Daur and Sadhna to direct their own films. Yash Chopra landed the director's job after O P Bedi, the chief assistant, left to do an independent film.

SRK, an admirer of Dilip Kumar, asked Mr Chopra what it was like working with the actor in Mashaal. Mr Chopra spoke about how Dilipsaab had rejected his film initially even though he said he liked the story. When he later agreed to do the film, he invited Mr Chopra to his Juhu cottage where they discussed each scene in detail, over some home-cooked chicken meals. Mr Chopra said that he found Dilipsaab's inputs very helpful, and the food delicious - especially a keema and egg dish!

Shah Rukh Khan related to Yash Chopra an anecdote about how he had abandoned watching Mr Chopra's Lamhe, starring Sridevi, halfway through the movie. He had just started out in Bollywood and had gone to watch the film with his friend Vivek Vaswani, his co-star from Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman. Midway through the movie, SRK's secretary arrived to tell him that Yash Chopra was considering casting him in a movie and was asking to meet him. SRK left the movie straightaway, without even pausing to ask if Mr Chopra wanted to meet him at that very moment, and went to the director's office. The movie was, of course, Darr.

Why did Yash Chopra wait for eight years after Veer-Zaara to make Jab Tak Hai Jaan? The biggest reason that he didn't direct a film for this long was because he felt there very good films were being made and that he would have to make something extra special to match up.

The director say that he would retire after Jab Tak Hai Jaan, his 22nd and last movie.

Yash Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan also treated the audience to an impromptu rendition of classic hit song Ae Meri Zohrajabeen from Mr Chopra's movie Waqt.

Karan Johar and superstar Shah Rukh Khan have always created magic whenever they have teamed up, delivering hit films including Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kal Ho Na Ho and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, and the filmmaker feels that SRK is the ultimate king of romance and no one can beat him in that space.

"I think no one can beat Shah Rukh in romance, he owns that space. If and when I am challenged to write a love story which I feel I can justify, I will definitely make it. Right now, I don't know if there is enough of me to make another love story," Karan told PTI in an interview.

With Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) Karan attempted a love story between three college students (Shah Rukh, Kajol and Rani Mukherjee).In 2003 super hit film Kal Ho Na Ho, Karan again formed a love triangle between terminally ill Shah Rukh, an uptight student Priety Zinta and her friend Saif Ali Khan.

While with  Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna he explored the side of adultery and extramarital affair. Karan hopes to make an unusual love story yet again hopefully with Shah Rukh. "There are so many love stories that are being made.. I feel I should have something unusual about the love story for me to tell through the film. And working with Shah Rukh is always great. I hope and pray that I should come up with films that would justify his tremendous star presence," he said.

Shah Rukh is now back to woo his fans once again with a romantic film with Yash Chopra's Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra, written and produced by Aditya Chopra, stars Shah Rukh, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma in the lead. "Shah Rukh is doing Yashji's film after a gap. I can't wait to see Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Its a film by Yash uncle, coupled with Shah Rukh's romance with Katrina and Anushka.. will be spectacular," Karan said.

Karan tasted success this year with the remake version of Agneepath that had Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra in the lead. It retold the 1990 film of the same name and was directed by Karan Johar's former assistant Karan Malhotra.

Through this film, Karan paid a tribute to his father Yash Johar, the producer of the original. "I believed in Agneepath. I have grown up watching Hindi films, so I like film drama. In case of Agneepath, I liked the drama, emotional violence and I believed in Karan Malhotra. I am glad I made this film. It was the only film of my father that I wanted to remake," he said.

The 1990 original film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty, Danny Denzongpa, Madhavi in the lead did not do well at the box office. But the remake version which released this year in January was a huge hit earning approximately Rs 190 crore at the box office.

"I felt this film broke my father's heart when it did not run.. he felt very dejected. But I am sure wherever he is in the universe he will be very proud that we got it right," Karan said.

Meanwhile, Karan is quite kicked about yet another reality show India's Got Talent. He will be judging the show alongside Kirron Kher, Maliaka Arora Khan and Farah Khan. "This show happened as I was doing Jhalak Dikhla Jaa. I have loved watching this show. Ironically I was offered the first season but I couldn't make it then.

So I was fourth time lucky to be part of the show. There are so many talented people and they come with so many contestants from different parts of the country," he said. We got see different art forms, different dance forms and various other things. It is the human story that moved me as there are people who leave their jobs for the passion of their craft and art, it is fascinating and heartening. I am happy that I did the show. I got a lot from the show than I contributed to it," he said.

Well, Karan revealed that he was moved by a three-year-old boy who was drumming. "This child was drumming like a rockstar. I went on stage to see if he is actually doing it himself or not. He is just awesome," he said. As the show, India's Got Talent is all about showcasing what you are best at, Karan feels he only has the talent of making films.

;"I have no talent barring being a director and producer. That I feel this is my only talent. I can't sing, I can't dance.. I can't do anything. I don't have great talent I can't write poetry all I can do is make films. But I wish I could sing," he said. The show will go on air from September 22, every Saturday and Sunday at 10 pm on Colors channel.