Smriti Mundhra, the director of Netflix's The Romantics, talks about the research that went behind the docu-series on Yash Chopra.
The new Netflix documentary The Romantics traces the journey of Yash Raj Films, including the careers of Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra. The four-episode docu-series includes interviews with 35 Bollywood personalities, ranging from Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar, and a host of other big names from the B-town. With the show receiving rave reviews, many are wondering if there is more in store. director Smriti Mundhra spoke to DNA about the research and the possibility of a second season.
Talking about the logistical challenge of getting interviews from almost three dozen celebs, Mundhra says, “It was challenging but the most rewarding work is always challenging. It’s been over three years in getting the project here. The logistics of coordinating the interview was definitely a big challenge but not for lack of will of the participants, including the big stars. Coordinating interviews with some of the busiest people on earth is no easy task.”
In any such endeavour, there is almost always hundreds and hundreds of hours of unused footage of interviews. Ask Mundhra if there are unused bits that she wanted in the show and she only replies, “So much!” The filmmaker says the candidness of the stars meant that she and her team were able to get great material.
“I really mean this genuinely that all of the interviews we did were so riveting. It was because we had the opportunity to speak with these big stars in an environment where they weren’t promoting anything. They were talking about a filmmaker and a studio they love and have a deep, personal connection with. But also, I was able to speak to them as experts in their field and as fans as well. To get anecdotes from them was amazing and they all had amazing insights to share. So, there is lots of stuff I wish I could include. Who knows, depending on what Netflix wants to do, maybe they’ll make little shorts or something,” she says.
Does that mean the unused footage could make another four-episode season? “Oh, I’d love that. I honestly don’t know if there is a plan but there is unused footage for sure,” she says. The Romantics began streaming on Netflix on Valentine’s Day, February 14.
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 "The Romantics is streaming on Netflix")
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