‘The Romantics’ Netflix’s docu-series: Aditya Chopra finally reveals his face after years of hiding it, and Karan Johar says, “My best friend has a face”

35 movie stars, including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Rani Mukerji, and the late Rishi Kapoor, discuss Yash Raj Films in the four-part documentary The Romantics.

When we consider romanticism in Bollywood, Yash Chopra’s name is the first that springs to mind. Yash Chopra was the pioneer of presenting a unique quality of romance to the viewers, using everything from lovely flower-filled fields to women wearing chiffon saree. The Romantics, a documentary on Netflix, pays tribute to Yash Chopra and the legacy he left behind.

Smriti Mundhra and Netflix’s new documentary series, The Romantics, has achieved what no one has been able to for the past three decades.

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While the four-episode series features interviews with 35 prominent figures from the Indian film industry, The Romantics gained attention mostly because it featured Aditya Chopra and was his first on-camera interview. Actors who closely collaborated with the Yash Raj family, including Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Ranveer Singh, Juhi Chawla, Hrithik Roshan, Bhumi Pednekar, Ayushmann Khurrana, Abhishek Bachchan, and Amitabh Bachchan, Filmmakers Karan Johar, Sooraj Barjatya, fashion designer Manish Malhotra,  open up about their experiences and lessons learned from working with the father-son duo.

Actress Rani Mukerji refers to her country’s film industry, which produces between 700 and 800 movies a year, as “We (Indians) are fanatic about two things: one is cricket and one is movies.”

After binge-watching, the new Netflix docuseries The Romantics, filmmaker Karan Johar on Wednesday wrote a touching note. Johar posted on Instagram and wrote about Yash Chopra’s legacy and the state of the Hindi film industry today.

“Binged watched #theromantics on @netflix_in by @smritimundhra for my alma mater @yrf….
I realised the purity, the innocence and the conviction we all collectively had…is so lost today for most of us…. Yash Chopra is not just a legend of romance … a connoisseur of chiffon, music and beauty… a maestro of musicals… he was also a pillar of belief and conviction… is there any conviction left today? We are burdened by media commentary… box office opening analytics, research engines ( all probably relevant to the technology and times) but where did good old fashioned conviction vanish….The rom doc reminds us of the past that seemed so organic and heartfelt…. Makes me want to go back to that zone of filmmaking …..”
“I am so deeply inspired by the YRF story… it’s origin and it’s journey…. Having learnt everything I know from the corridors of the studio I stand blessed and watching The Romantics made me so self aware … of my strengths and my failings…. Thank you @smritimundhra for weaving a narrative out of the archives and actually making an audience go through the many emotional beats through the 4 episodes…just brilliant!
And finally my Best friend has a face and how beautifully articulate was he!!! Adi does that mean I can post all the images we have shared over decades that you have threatened to never speak to me if I put out ??? #justasking #loveyouAdi congratulations to my dearest friend @udayc for being such a force behind this.”
Kajol commented on the post, “Well said (clapping hands emojis).” A fan said, “You echoed all my emotions while watching this spectacular docuseries. Learnt. Lived. Remembered. Loved.” Another comment read, “Best part was Aditya Chopra.” Aditya made his first-ever on-screen appearance with The Romantics.