The Romantics, a Netflix docuseries that pays homage to the heritage of Yash Chopra and YRF and their cultural influence on India and Indians over the past 50 years, premiered on February 14 to universal acclaim and adoration throughout the world. Smriti Mundhra, an Emmy and Oscar nominee, is the director of The Romantics.
She believes that because of Pathaan’s historic triumph, Bollywood has recovered and silenced those who were spreading the myth that the Hindi cinema industry and its stars were being shunned by the public. She believes that Bollywood is finally in a celebratory mood once more, as seen by the box office success of The Romantics, another film that pays tribute to Hindi cinema by examining the influence of Yash Chopra and YRF on Indian popular culture.
“It is fantastic to see viewers embracing Bollywood again after a dark period marked by bad faith attacks and worldwide uncertainty about the theater sector. That demonstrates that people still love movies, and they are rejecting efforts like #BoycottBollywood that are cynical and polarizing, according to Smriti.
Smriti is alluding to the two-year online harassment of Bollywood by anonymous, faceless critics who insulted the business at every turn without any evidence or valid justification. According to Smriti, “The Romantics has had an overwhelmingly positive reception in this regard. I’m really happy that the series was able to bring to people’s attention how movies can bring us together. As Indians, seeing movies together in a theater is one of our most beloved rituals. Cinema is in our DNA.
“As the series demonstrates, the industry has experienced downturns before, and eventually, fans find their way back to theaters and to one another,” she continues. To draw them in, all it takes is the perfect movie with the right actors.
