Netflix’s much-discussed docu-series The romanticsa tribute to the legacy of Yash Chopra & YRF and their cultural impact on India and the Indians over the past 50 years, was released on February 14 to unanimous acclaim and love.
The national outburst of love for Yash Chopra and YRF was evident when The Romantics became the number 1 trending title on Netflix within 48 hours of its release, a rare feat for a documentary! The docu-series pays homage to Sridevi, the iconic heroine of Yash Raj Films who made the whole country fall in love with her in Yash Chopra’s romantic blockbuster, Chandni!
The late Yash Chopra reveals why he wanted to make a pristine love story for the public. He says: “Our industry had reached the saturation point of violence. I said okay, now I’m making the biggest gamble of my life no matter what. I’m not going to make a movie with formulas, with calculations. I’m going to make a movie that will touch my heart. I started with Chandni.”
However, the career of the legendary Yash Chopra was at an all time low, after he delivered some unsuccessful films. So it was not easy for him to sign Sridevi who was considered bigger than the heroes of India in her prime. Although he had never worked with Sridevi, Yash Chopra admitted that he was impressed by the Tamil drama Moondram Pirai that Amitabh Bachchan had shown him.
Anil Kapoor reveals: “Sridevi was the top star at the time. He didn’t know how to approach her. He asked my brother (Boney Kapoor) to talk to her. So my brother flew to Chennai to talk to her mother. She didn’t care who Yash Chopra is, who made such great movies, it was all about the money.”
Chandni’s success was a turning point for the fate of Yash Chopra & YRF and Sridevi’s brilliance in Chandni has inspired the leading ladies of our time to follow in her footsteps and deliver groundbreaking performances on screen.
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Rani Mukherji says, “As every woman wanted to be Sridevi. She was the epitome of grace, beauty and performance. She was just everything a Hindi film actress needed.”
On her memory of Sridevi as Chandni, Bhumi Pednekar says, “Oh my God. She was just so amazing and beautiful and vulnerable, but she was still so feminine.”
Even the men were charmed by Sridevi’s beauty, grace and shrewdness in Chandni. However, Hrithik Roshan, who has been close to the Chopra family, reveals the pre-release vote. He says, “It was the premiere (of Chandni). Then we heard reports – mixed reports that it wasn’t going well, or that some people didn’t like it. So I remember being part of that conversation and feeling the jitters.
The rest, of course, is history as Chandni is regarded as one of the all-time biggest blockbusters in the history of Hindi cinema!
From Aamir Khan to Salman Khan, from Shah Rukh Khan to Ranbir Kapoor, from Amitabh Bachchan to Ranveer Singh, from Rani Mukerji to Hrithik Roshan, from Katrina Kaif to Anushka Sharma, the megastars and icons of Hindi cinema have gathered and spoken about Yash Chopra and YRF’s contribution to India’s cinema in The Romantics.
The Romantics is directed by Oscar & Emmy-nominated filmmaker Smriti Mundhra, who returns to Netflix following the phenomenal success of Indian Matchmaking and the Never Have I Ever franchise.
Netflix, in this four-part docu-series, will also feature 35 leading film industry personalities who have worked closely with YRF throughout its 50 years of glorious existence.
YRF is currently at an all-time high as their latest release Pathaan. It is now the number one Hindi film in the world and has become the biggest blockbuster of all time in the history of Hindi cinema with a worldwide gross currently at 1021.50 crore!
