The Romantics Review: A tribute to Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra’s journey of building a film empire in India MGG

There are some things which are not meant to be watched, they are meant to be experienced. And the newly released Netflix Documentary, The Romantics, falls in this zone.  The Smriti Mundhra directorial is loaded with anecdotes and trivia to take us through the glorious history of Yash Raj Films. The journey of YRF is as filmy as it gets but cut to the present and the dream that Yash Chopra once saw is now a reality. The series starts off with the story of two brothers, and how the elder brother, BR Chopra, gives a break to Yash Chopra and since then it’s no looking back.

From working under the guidance of BR Chopra to turning into a producer by himself – the journey of Yash Chopra is motivating to say the least. The series takes us through the highs and lows of his illustrious 5-plus decade-long career, not just as a director but also as a producer. It reiterates why ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ was more of a statement by Yash Chopra about his love for cinema. It’s not all white, as Smriti doesn’t shy away from touching upon sensitive topics too – right from failures and losses to nepotism.

While we leave the plot for the audience to explore through the series, the appearances by almost all top stars in the documentary speaks volumes about the impact that Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra had on the Indian Film Industry through YRF. The documentary is an engaging watch, as you are invested in the rise and fall of the empire as if it’s your own story. The documentary is relatable too, as the phase that industry is in today is a photocopy of something that happened back in the 80’s and right now, we are in the search of Yash Chopra to bail us out. Didn’t get us? The smaller films have lost theatrical value due to the advent of OTT and it’s only the big stars and tentpole films that are being patronized. Back in the day, it was VHS that killed the scope of romantic films.

YRF has been the rule breaker right since their inception. 

The Romantics speak about how one doesn’t have to follow the rules to be successful but make new ones in a way that the rest follow. Filmmaking is not just an art, it also needs the vision to understand the content that the audience is willing to watch 2 years from now. The investment in a feature film today will be out for public exhibition two years later – it’s the vision that comes into play. YRF has been the rule breaker right since their inception.

Late actor, the legendary Rishi Kapoor is a delight to watch, and probably comes up with the most interesting anecdotes. “After sex, cinema is the best form of entertainment in India,” he exults and forces us to think that what he is saying is actually true. The actor laughs to say, “I was silly to reject Kabhi Kabhie. Thank god, I did it eventually”.  Amitabh Bachchan’s explanation of shifting from something as intense as Deewaar to something as romantic as Kabhi Kabhie speaks about how versatile the actors and directors were back in the day. And well, then there is Shah Rukh Khan as his charismatic best. It’s amusing how Shah Rukh narrates every story by bringing in a humorous undertone to it. You feel like listening to him for the entire day. He makes for a great narrator and makes us wonder, how about him writing a feature film one day? The surprise in the series is Hrithik Roshan, who gives some wonderful anecdotes about his childhood memories with Adi Chopra.

Did you know – Hrithik lost almost all dance competitions to Adi? Well, that’s true and many more anecdotes in the documentary. And last but not the least, Aditya Chopra’s interview is worthy of all the hype. He’s the man of few words – but it’s as articulate and meaningful as it gets. His insights on the trends of what’s working and what’s not working is also a reason why he is there right at the top. Taking us on a trip down memory lane, the music will force you to reminisce the old memories and is proof Yash Chopra defined romance on Indian celluloid.

The series also speaks about the pressures on a son of filling a void in the legacy left by a father – In a world that’s conceived to be so superficial, Smriti brings in the humane elements of how there is a family literally ruling the Hindi Film Industry and yet manage to stick by each other on a personal level. It speaks about the importance of women too in the world of showbiz that’s perceived to be run by men. While the world knows it all about the head honchos – Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra – we get an insight into the contributions of the boss lady, Pamela Chopra in the career of the legendary director.

A must-watch for all cine lovers

The journey of YRF has enough potential to be weaved into a feature film, but well, the real people talking about the real story and the real struggles is what makes it an impactful watch. This is a docu-series that teaches you a lot of things about filmmaking and the world of cinema – without even being preachy one. It’s a must-watch for all cine lovers. It’s a series that will push you to revisit the illustrious filmography of Yash Chopra and YRF.