Yash Raj Films' legacy a good lens to tell story of Hindi cinema: Smriti Mundhra on ‘The Romantics’

Through 'The Romantics', Mundhra hopes to bring a unique 'insider-outsider curiosity' as an Indian-American

As someone who grew up on a steady diet of Hindi films, particularly the love stories by Yash Chopra, director Smriti Mundhra says she was keen to capture the influence that the filmmaker and his studio Yash Raj Films (YRF) have had on Indian cinema in her upcoming Netflix docu-series The Romantics.

Mundhra, who was also behind the streamer's popular documentary Indian Matchmaking, met 35 film personalities including big stars such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Juhi Chawla, Rani Mukerji, and the late Rishi Kapoor to name a few. She also managed a rare video interview with the studio head Aditya Chopra, who is known for staying away from the limelight.

“Films that came from the studio really reflected so much of what was happening in India over various periods of time. It felt like a good lens. There are many different ways to tell the story of Indian cinema and Hindi cinema, but this was just one lens that was rich and layered,” Mundhra told PTI in a telephonic interview.

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For the director, it all started from a personal memory of being influenced by the films from YRF such as Chandni (1989) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) during her growing up years.

“I remember I watched Chandni from start to finish and felt riveted. It was so epic, effervescent and Sridevi looked like a revelation to me. And then, DDLJ was there during the most formative time in my teenage years. I felt really reflected, the duality of my upbringing between the East and West,” added the Los Angeles-based filmmaker.

Through The Romantics, which Mundhra describes as a "definitive documentary series" on Yash Chopra, she hopes to bring a unique "insider-outsider curiosity" as an Indian-American.

"I have grown up with Hindi cinema. But I'm also a little bit of an insider and outsider. I've watched films, including Yash Chopra and YRF films growing up, but I spent most of my life abroad. So, I was able to bring a little bit of an outsider's curiosity to this subject," she said.

The director said she approached one of YRF’s executives in Los Angeles and pitched the idea for a docu-series and 2023 being the 50th year, the studio seemed interested in exploring their legacy.

Mundhra, who started her career with documentary feature A Suitable Girl, said the studio was accommodating in offering access to the material, including behind-the-scenes footage, that she needed.

She revealed that Aditya Chopra, who had last done a print interview in 1995, was initially not supposed to be a part of the docu-series.

“It was definitely a slow process,” she said, adding that they started with just a conversation on the history of the studio. When she requested it to be recorded, Aditya Chopra reluctantly agreed for an audio interaction, which eventually turned into a video interview.

“I said if we're going to record the audio, we might as well turn the camera on and record the video… 'Obviously, it's up to you to give me permission to use it but at least you'll have it for your archives'. So he agreed to that, but he didn't give me permission to use it," she recounted.

As the docu-series landed on the editing table, Mundhra said she felt it was important to have Aditya Chopra speak on camera for The Romantics.

"When I finally shared it with him after I was done editing, he was shocked to see himself in it. But I think at that point, he recognised that the series was about the legacy of his family and his father, so his presence was important," she said.

The four-part series, slated to be released on February 14, is a tribute to Yash Chopra and his iconic romantic films such as Silsila, Lamhe, Kabhi Kabhie, Dil To Pagal Hai, Veer-Zaara, and Jab Tak Hai Jaan, his swansong.

Other stars that feature in the upcoming docu-series are actors Kajol, Madhuri Dixit, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Hrithik Roshan, Neetu Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, and fashion designer Manish Malhotra.

It's never easy to get the dates of busy cinema personalities hopping from one set to another, but the "love and regard" that Yash Chopra commands made it possible, said Mundhra, the daughter of filmmaker Jagmohan Mundhra.

"There's so much love and regard for Yash Chopra in the industry across multiple generations, his contemporaries, the generation of stars that he launched through his films.

"Then, young people who maybe never had an opportunity to work with him, but who grew up watching his films, and had such a regard for his films. They really found their love of cinema through his films. People were willing and excited to be a part of it."

The docu-series is also a deep dive into the last 70 years of the late filmmaker, Mundhra said, hoping it will inspire people to revisit those films.

Yash Chopra, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 80, had started his career with acclaimed dramas such as his 1959 directorial debut Dhool Ka Phool, followed by Waqt, Daag, Deewaar, and Kaala Patthar, among others.

Asked whether the series captures films other than his romantic dramas, Mundhra said yes.

"The series spans nearly 70 years. So, a lot is covered in four hours. Probably a lot more that could have been covered if I had more time. Hopefully, this will give people a good scope of Yash Chopra's legacy, and also make people curious to revisit his films and the way he's impacted culture and history," she added.

Up next for the director is another non-fiction series that chronicles the ‘desi’ experience through a college and a fiction series for HBO following a multi-generational family.

“I've been writing a lot and am excited to just give myself some time after this series to just explore the world a little bit and find some inspiration for my next project,” she added.