What Is the Story About?
The Romantics, on Netflix, is a documentary series that captures the essence of eminent Indian filmmaker Yash Chopra, and his brand of cinema. Over four, hour-long episodes, and through never-seen-before archival footage and one-on-ones with industry bigwigs, the series touches upon the far-reaching impact of Yash Chopra and his son Aditya Chopra on the Hindi film industry, and the legacy of Yash Raj Films.
The Romantics is written and directed by Smriti Mundhra, Michael T. Vollmann is the co-writer. The series is produced by Yashraj Films and Smriti Mundhra.
Analysis
The Romantics on Netflix is basically a Yash Raj Films showreel, which showcases all that eminent filmmaker Yash Chopra stands for, in the Hindi film industry. It’s quite obvious that it’s more a series commissioned by YRF, in celebration of the completion of fifty glorious years of Yash Raj Films. YRF has produced the series, while Yash Chopra’s younger son Uday Chopra has executive produced it.
However, commissioned or otherwise, The Romantics is a mesmerising watch by any standards. Right from the first frame, it sucks you into the inner workings of one of the most formidable film production companies in Bollywood, and keeps you hooked until the end. So even if it comes across as a commissioned series, and almost like an advertisement for Yash Raj Films, we’re certainly not complaining. Neither are any serious film enthusiasts — film lovers who live and breathe Hindi cinema.
Through the YRF story, The Romantics takes an in-depth deep dive into the Hindi film industry and its machinations. It highlights the many quirks of Bollywoodwallahs, and most importantly, gives us a glimpse of the passion that drives filmmakers into making the films they do.
The four episodes of the series each focuses on one crucial aspect of the journey of Yash Chopra and Yash Raj Films into becoming the first family of Bollywood. Episode 1 centres on the man himself — the late Yash Chopra — and reveals a lot of things about him that the common man knows nothing about. How he broke away from the shadows of elder brother B. R. Chopra to establish Yash Raj Films, his conviction in making towering films like Deewar, Kaala Patthar, Kabhi Kabhie, Chandni, among scores of others; the highs and lows of his filmmaking journey, and finally, how he reinvented himself to emerge from the ashes of failure in the 1990s.
Episode 2 proves to be an eye opener of sorts — mainly because Smriti Mundra has managed to do what NOBODY has been able to do before – she’s got the notoriously reclusive and very private Aditya Chopra to face the camera, and pour his heart out on his films and filmmaking style. It is an enlightening episode for sure.
Episodes 3 & 4 are average fare. Episode 3 centres on younger YRF scion Uday Chopra, and his glaring failure in Bollywood, but in a refreshingly candid manner. Your heart goes out to Uday Chopra, and his beguiling honesty. Throughout the four episodes, we’re made privy to how the landmark films of Yash Raj Films came to be, from conception to completion, to the final verdict at the box office.
The most interesting part of The Romantics is easily the never-seen-before behind-the-scenes footage of Yash Chopra making his films, his interactions with his stars, and, to an extent, his family life. The series carries on in the same vein with Aditya Chopra and his films. Also immensely entertaining are the one-on-one chats with all the YRF stars, from Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Abhishek Bachchan, to Kajol, Rani Mukherji, Juhi Chawla, Anushka Sharma, and even Rishi Kapoor, in the last ever interview he shot for.
To sum it up, The Romantics is an entertaining documentary series, which die-hard film enthusiasts are sure to enjoy watching. If you’re one of those, have a go at it, and we guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Now waiting for Netflix to come up with a series on the Rajshris – should be an even better watch.
Highlights?
Never-seen-before behind-the-scenes footage
Candid interviews
Great production values
Well-directed
Drawbacks?
Drags in the latter two episodes
An expensive advertisement for YRF
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, but more for die-hard film lovers
The Romantics Series Review by Binged Bureau
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
