"Yash Chopra and his legacy would be incomplete without Aditya Chopra's presence": Smriti Mundhra on The Romantics

We have grown up watching Yash Chopra's films. The romance, the togetherness, actresses dancing in Switzerland. Be it Gen Z or millennials, they learned to love or even understand the term love via YRF's film. His films have and will always have a special place in our hearts and mind. Yash Chopra's films have always enchanted the beauty of Switzerland as most of the films were shot in plush snow-clad alps. Actress donning a chiffon saree, the romantic moments became magical with the perfect blend of music, love and YRF's storytelling.

And now YRF is set to enthrall cinephiles with The Romantics, which is a tribute to Yash Chopra, who is regarded as the 'Father of Romance' in India because of his iconic romantic films like Silsila, Lamhe, Kabhi Kabhie, Veer-Zaara, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Chandni, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, etc.

Helmed by Smriti Mundhra, the docu-series showcases the impact of YRF films in shaping India's pop culture for the past 50 years and Aditya Chopra's vision of building the first and only studio in India - YRF.

Before Smriti Mundhra started filming the documentary, she was in India to research the history of Yash Raj Films.

In an exclusive conversation with International Business Times, India, director Smriti Mundhra spoke at length about her love for Yash Chopra films, how she convinced Aditya Chopra to appear on camera, her favourite films and more.

On why she choose The Romantics in first place

"I was surprised to learn how unanimously people in the industry hate the term Bollywood. But in hindsight, it makes perfect sense. Who would want to be defined in the context of a totally different entity, especially with a term that feels reductive and derivative? The Hindi film industry, and indeed all the regional industries that make up Indian cinema, are juggernauts unto their own. It's just too bad that the word 'Bollywood' is so catchy!"

How did she convince Aditya Chopra to appear on camera?

"It was a delightful experience working on the project, from watching his film to watching the history of the films, there was a lot of research that was involved in the making of the docu-drama. Definitely, the hardest part was to convince Aditya Chopra to appear on camera. The story is about Yash Chopra and his legacy would be incomplete without Aditya's presence. He was generous enough to talk about it."

Favourite film

"I love watching romantic movies. Chandani, I have watched it many times over the years. It has a great story, and complexities in it and the way it portrays relationships touches my heart. Other than that, I love DDLJ it captured the essence of NRI, it's excellently shot, and It's a nostalgic trip, from my favourite decade of cinema. Dum Laga Ke Haisha is also what I like."

Favourite film stars from the last generation and the current lot

"From the earlier generations, Sridevi will be top for me and Aamir Khan (if he can be considered a previous generation). And from the younger generations, it's Ranbir Kapoor I like his real charisma on-screen, and from the actresses, I really like Bhumi Pednekar."

On films that she loves apart from the romantic genre

"I saw Pathaan in theatres, before coming to India, I had fun watching an action film after a very long time. It's not my first instinct to watch an action film, but I loved the way it was shot. After romantic, I enjoy watching thrillers."

A film by Yash Chopra that she hasn't watched 

"I really wanted to see Naya Daur, it is tough to get my hands on the earlier films of Yash Chopra. They were really remarkable."