From Yash Chopra to Stanley Kubrick: 5 iconic directors who said goodbye with a memorable last film
As David Dhawan announces his retirement, here are 5 legendary directors from global and Indian cinema who said goodbye to the director’s chair with a memorable final film. Whether planned as a graceful retirement or cut short by fate, their films remain iconic.
David Dhawan announces retirement
Comedy veteran and filmmaker David Dhawan has announced he will be hanging his boots soon. The director’s next film Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai starring Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde, will be his last film. While Dhawan has announced the film to be his last film, during the trailer launch event recently, the director admitted that the world of showbiz relies on a "law of averages." For directors like these, their final films ensured that their averages ended on an undeniably legendary note.
Yash Chopra
Final Film: Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012)
The Farewell: The undisputed 'King of Romance' in Indian cinema built a career defining Bollywood's romantic aesthetic over five decades. He explicitly announced that Jab Tak Hai Jaan, an intense romantic drama starring Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Anushka Sharma, would be his final directorial venture so he could focus on his personal life and production. Tragically, Chopra passed away just weeks before the film's theatrical release, making the movie a deeply emotional, bittersweet farewell to a master. Many felt the film was Chopra's weakest, but the film remains iconic as it is his swansong.
Stanley Kubrick
Final Film: Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
The Farewell: Known for his absolute perfectionism, Kubrick spent a record-breaking 400 consecutive days shooting this erotic psychological mystery featuring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Kubrick famously delivered his final cut of the movie to Warner Bros. and, just six days later, passed away from a sudden heart attack. It stands as a haunting, complex final chapter to one of the most meticulously crafted filmographies in history.
Satyajit Ray
Final Film: Agantuk (1991)
The Farewell: One of the most influential filmmakers in world cinema, Ray wrote and directed Agantuk while dealing with severely failing health. The film follows a mysterious long-lost uncle who suddenly reappears in a family’s life, disrupting their lives and eventually changing the dynamics of the family. Ray passed away less than a year after his release, leaving behind a masterpiece that perfectly capped off his intellectual legacy.
Hayao Miyazaki
Final Film: The Boy and the Heron (2023)
The Farewell: The visionary co-founder of Studio Ghibli is famous for "retiring" multiple times, but the 2023 film The Boy and the Heron was hand-crafted specifically as his ultimate, deeply personal swan song—largely intended as a visual letter to his grandson. The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2024, serving as a triumphant, magical finale to a legendary career in animation.
Akira Kurosawa
Final Film: Madadayo (1993)
The Farewell: The Japanese master who brought the world Seven Samurai and Rashomon closed his 50-year career with a gentle, touching drama. Madadayo translates to "Not yet!"—a phrase taken from a Japanese tradition where an aging professor playfully tells his former students that he isn't ready to die just yet. It was a beautiful, meta final bow for a director who dedicated his entire life to the screen.
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