Yash and Aditya Chopra in a still from The Romantics trailer. (courtesy: YouTube)
There is no denying that Bollywood has had a profound impact on how people in the Indian subcontinent fall (and live) in love. Hindi romantic films have been at the forefront of pop culture in India and have affected lives in more ways than one. One of the figures behind the rise and rise of the romantic genre in Hindi films is legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra. On the occasion of Valentine's Day this year, streaming giant Netflix will release a docuseries with some of the biggest names of Bollywood, including Yash Chopra's media-elusive son, director Aditya Chopra, speaking of the late filmmaker and his work.
Celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar, Katrina Kaif Rani Mukerji (also Yash Chopra's daughter-in-law), Juhi Chawla and Anushka Sharma, among others feature in the trailer. Late Rishi Kapoor is seen with wife, actress Neetu Singh in the video released by Netflix on social media.
The icing on the cake is the promise of Aditya Chopra's appearance in the series. We do not see him in the teaser, with an empty chair filling the frame. His voice, however, marks its presence in the video. The trailer begins with the actors being asked whether they like the term Bollywood. To this, legendary writer Salim Khan says, “No, I don't like that word.” Ranbir Kapoor too says, “Hate it!”
Next, Abhishek Bachchan takes viewers through the ethos of Bollywood. He says, “Films that come out of India are completely unique to our culture. They don't try to be like anybody else.” Speaking on Yash Chopra, Karan Johar says, “I'd watch all those beautiful movies but it was Yash Chopra's cinema that caught my eye.”
Adding to this, we hear Amitabh Bachchan say, “He was this young director wanting to make different films.” Aamir Khan is also in the trailer and says that for him “Yash Chopra stood for romance.”
Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji, among others, also discuss Aditya Chopra. After assisting his father for years, Aditya Chopra wore the director's hat, ushering in a new era for Yash Raj Films. “There was a gentleman always standing next to Yash ji. His son, Adi,” SRK adds, pivoting the conversation towards Aditya Chopra. Rani Mukerji, who is married to Aditya Chopra, says that he always believed in her.
The trailer ends with the stars behind being told that the Netflix team had interviewed Aditya Chopra extensively. Reacting to this Abhishek Bachchan jokes: “What? Aditya Chopra is a rumour. He doesn't exist.” Aditya Chopra's reluctance to come on-screen has led to jokes among colleagues and fans that he is “invisible” or a “myth”.
The video was shared on social media with the caption: “To-do list for the day: Find someone who believes in us like he did in them. Celebrate the story of the storyteller who created magic and love over generations in #TheRomantics, releases on February 14.”
In addition to being a prolific filmmaker, Yash Chopra is the founding chairman of the film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films.
The Romantics is a four-part series that will be released on February 14. It has been directed by Smriti Mundhra. The documentary comes close on the heels of Pathaan, one of Yash Raj Films' and Bollywood's biggest successes.