--- title: Netflix's The Romantics Takes Us Back to Bollywood's Heyday description: Smriti Mundhra's four-part documentary series 'The Romantics' traces the life and legacy of Yash Chopra—the father of Bollywood romance. canonical: https://time.com/6255756/bollywood-the-romantics-netflix/ author: Armani Syed article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-02-15T17:55:06.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:13:11.981Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Netflix’s 'The Romantics' Aims to Give Bollywood the Homage It Deserves og:description: Smriti Mundhra's four-part documentary series traces the life and legacy of Yash Chopra—the father of Bollywood romance og:url: https://time.com/6255756/bollywood-the-romantics-netflix/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt167104bbd3d08683/698a3a600116821b67982bf6/DDLJ_07.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5758 og:image:height: 3239 og:image:alt: Netflix's The Romantics og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Netflix’s 'The Romantics' Aims to Give Bollywood the Homage It Deserves twitter:description: Smriti Mundhra's four-part documentary series traces the life and legacy of Yash Chopra—the father of Bollywood romance twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt167104bbd3d08683/698a3a600116821b67982bf6/DDLJ_07.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Netflix’s _The Romantics_ Aims to Give Bollywood the Homage It Deserves > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Q&A with Smriti Mundhra, Director of "The Romantics" [Watch (HLS stream): Q&A with Smriti Mundhra, Director of "The Romantics"](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/zFkBWHkU.m3u8) (7:01)  _Published 2023-02-14. Smriti Mundhra talks about "The Romantics," her latest Netflix docu-series about the evolution of romance in Hindi cinema._  by [Armani Syed](https://time.com/author/armani-syed/)  ## Armani Syed Syed was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Feb 15, 2023 5:55 PM UTC Smriti Mundhra talks about "The Romantics," her latest Netflix docu-series about the evolution of romance in Hindi cinema.  by [Armani Syed](https://time.com/author/armani-syed/)  ## Armani Syed Syed was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Feb 15, 2023 5:55 PM UTC Shortly after Yash Chopra’s 1976 romantic drama _Kabhi Kabhie_ was released in India, the popular film made its way to a quaint family-run cinema in Culver City, Los Angeles. Thanks to the [late filmmaker](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/director-jag-mundhra-passes-away-at-64/articleshow/9866032.cms) Jag Mundhra, the [Meralta Theatre](https://www.culvercityhistoricalsociety.org/culver-citys-meralta-theatre/) was the first cinema in Hollywood to screen Hindi-language movies, known by the catch-all term Bollywood. Jag and his wife Chandra rented a screen at the theater to exhibit major Hindi releases to a growing audience of local South Asian diaspora communities. As its popularity grew, Mundhra would often invite Bollywood stars and esteemed industry guests to U.S. premiere screenings of the latest blockbusters, an offer Chopra graciously accepted that year. Now—47 years on—Jag’s daughter Smriti Mundhra feels their family story has come back around; her four-part documentary _The Romantics_, an ode to Chopra’s extensive career and entertainment conglomerate Yash Raj Films, arrived on Netflix this Valentine’s Day. Chopra is the filmmaker whose style best defined what we identify as Bollywood today—think autonomous heroines and poetic heroes serenading each other against beautiful landscapes, a chiffon _dupatta_ blowing gently in the wind. The movie mogul is responsible for directing and producing over 40 of the most iconic Bollywood titles to date, and his production company has become a key distributor for films across the industry. “Making this series is really a full circle moment for me in celebrating not only Yash Chopra and his legacy, but also paying tribute to my father as someone who also carried forward the cinema-going tradition,” Mundhra tells TIME. “The \[Culver City\] cinema was gone before I was born but it looms large in my imagination,” she adds. In 2019, Mundhra paid tribute to the theater by naming her production company, also responsible for Netflix’s hit reality show [_Indian Matchmaking_,](https://time.com/5868422/indian-matchmaking-criticism/) Meralta Films. Despite her early reluctance to be pigeonholed as an Indian storyteller, Mundhra’s work has unapologetically centered around her community, whether that’s in a reality show, a sitcom, or a documentary. Much like Chopra, Mundhra is also drawn to romance in her work. “It’s a great litmus test for where we are as a culture,” she says of the genre. “That generational tension that emerges when you’re talking about marriage and romance… who to marry and who can’t marry. It’s ripe for drama.” ## **Giving Indian cinema the homage it deserves**  A still from the 1995 film 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,' featured in Netflix's 'The Romantics' Courtesy of Netflix _The Romantics_ traces the history of Hindi language films with help from 35 of the industry’s most recognizable talents, many of whom arguably owe their careers to Chopra, including Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan, [Shah Rukh Khan](https://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1917090,00.html), Katrina Kaif, Rani Mukerji, Hrithik Roshan, and Ranveer Singh. Viewers also hear from Chopra’s wife Pamela, and sons Uday, a sometime actor, and the elusive Aditya, who took over Yash Raj films two years before his [father’s death](https://world.time.com/2012/10/22/bollywoods-king-of-romance-dies-at-80/) in 2012, and hasn’t given an interview since 1995\. Getting Aditya to speak on camera was notoriously difficult, according to Mundhra, but she knew that a film on his father’s legacy would be incomplete without him. “In so many ways, he carried the torch for his father,” she says. Chopra hailed from a filmmaking family and after some early success working for his brother, he set out on his own path to found Yash Raj films in 1970\. Going to the cinema was somewhat of a special occasion in the 1960s and 1970s and audiences typically wanted to save their money for big action movies. But Chopra’s pioneering, and sometimes risky, approach led viewers loyal to action movies into a new era of popular love stories such as _Silsila_ (1981)_, Chandni_ (1989)_, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge_ (1995)_, and Mohabbatein_ (2000). “Indian cinema was such an integral part of my upbringing, but it’s also a huge part of world cinema history and we’ve seen lots of reverence paid to Japanese cinema, French cinema, Italian cinema, but we haven’t really gotten that sort of deep dive, contextual treatment of Indian cinema,” Mundhra says of her creative inception. She hopes the final product is a nostalgia trip for die-hard fans, and an accessible entry point for those curious about the billion dollar industry. **Read More:** [_How Bollywood Rolled Over to Hindu Supremacists_](https://time.com/6250414/bollywood-hindu-supremacists/) ## **Moving beyond “Bollywood”**  Director Smriti Mundhra Courtesy of Netflix The documentary also digs into the institutional and political issues that shaped the industry. We see actors unpack why Bollywood is an imperfect title despite its convenience as a shorthand. Shah Rukh Khan highlights that the term wasn’t inclusive of [the rest of India](https://www.forbesindia.com/article/storyboard18/the-rise-of-south-indian-cinema-how-southern-movies-are-going-national/81865/1) outside of Bombay (now Mumbai), and doesn’t account for Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam cinema, which all form part of India’s vibrant film scene, with Telugu films now accounting for an even higher percentage of the industry than Bollywood. Additionally, the word places the industry [in the shadow of Hollywood, ](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/bollywood-blame-name-149189/)implying it is derivative of a superior American industry. While Indian talent continue to use the word for convenience, they joke that they wouldn’t be caught saying it in front of Amitabh Bachchan, who particularly dislikes it. The nostalgic series comes as present-day Hindi cinema is finding its way at the box office after a series of major flops. Many star-studded titles with large budgets fell short of expectations in 2022, including the Ranbir Kapoor-led _Shamshera_, which was produced by Yash Raj Films, _Dhaakad_ starring Kangana Ranaut, and _Cirkus_, with Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. The industry’s prospects looked bleak as India—like many other countries—struggled to attract pre-pandemic audiences back to the theater despite operating without any COVID-19 restrictions. But things are starting to look up: _Pathaan,_ Siddharth Anand’s action movie starring Shah Rukh Khan, [topped $100 million](https://deadline.com/2023/02/pathan-100-million-global-box-office-shah-rukh-khan-deepika-padukone-1235251915/) at the global box office after its release on Jan. 27\. “These things are cyclical. We’ve had phases in \[the past\] where it felt like we were sort of losing our touch,” recalls Mundhra, “but it just takes one film to come along and break that mold and show people a new way.” Once lauded for liberal storytelling and inclusive practices, Bollywood appears stagnant under an increasingly right-wing [political landscape](https://time.com/5534273/india-modi-gandhi-movies-election-bollywood/) with Hindu nationalist sentiments, upheld by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (B.J.P.). In 2017, for example, the release of _Padmaavat_ was [delayed after extremist groups](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/10/17/when-the-hindu-right-came-for-bollywood) took offense at the inclusion of a love scene between a Hindu queen from the Rajput caste, Padmavati (Deepika Padukone), and a Muslim sultan. The backlash resulted in threats to burn down any cinema that played the film and even calls from a B.J.P politician to behead Padukone. The movie was ultimately released the following year upon the approval of the [Central Board of Film Certification](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/photo-features/padmavati-incidents-that-made-headlines-about-the-deepika-padukone-ranveer-singh-shahid-kapoor-film/sanjay-leela-bhansalis-padmavati-has-officially-been-renamed-as-padmaavat/photostory/62454006.cms#:~:text=Sanjay%20Leela%20Bhansali's%20'Padmavati'%20has,A'%20certificate%20with%20some%20modifications.), a state authority which can refuse to certify movies at its discretion, for arbitrary reasons that can range from threats to India’s national interests, bold portrayals of nudity, sexuality or provocation, or religious sentiments it deems harmful. A few changes were implemented to keep critics happy, including the addition of multiple disclaimers and a change from its original title _Padmavati_. “We’re in a period of time where art and politics have unfortunately gotten intertwined in a way that leans more towards censorship than speaking truth to power,” Mundhra says of creative freedoms in India. Films are being [censored](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-57676214) by the government via the, the Central Board of Film Certification,. “But India was founded as an inclusive nation,” says Mundhra. “There was a time where the films reflected that and that time will come again.” ## **Representation across the diaspora**  Darren Barnet and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in Never Have I Ever Lara Solanki—Netflix Bollywood was once the only form of [representation for South Asians](https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/south-asian-films-tv-shows) across the globe, as Canadian comedian and actor Lilly Singh laments during a cameo in _The Romantics._ Mundhra says including a diaspora voice like Singh’s was pivotal in showing that Indians are “in every corner of the world… but it’s the movies that connect us all and bring us all back home.” Since then, audiences have enjoyed an increase in shows and films centered on South Asian identity, especially in the last 10 years. These include a wide range of projects, from the Oscar Best Picture-winning _Slumdog Millionaire_ and [_The Big Sick,_](https://time.com/4825536/kumail-nanjiani-the-big-sick-profile/) starring Kumail Nanjiani, on the big screen to TV series like Mindy Kaling’s _Never Have I Ever_ (which Mundhra directed two episodes of), Mundhra’s own show _Indian Matchmaking_, _Bridgerton_, and _Ms. Marvel_, to name just a few more prominent titles. While many lauded these stories as groundbreaking firsts, others felt they can sometimes fall short of expectations. Some critics have [argued](https://www.vice.com/en/article/ywy9zm/mindy-kaling-is-finally-changing-her-disappointing-track-record-on-diversity) that Mindy Kaling tends to create and portray characters whose obsession with their white male counterparts is one-dimensional, while others took issue with the callous discussions around caste and colourism in _Indian Matchmaking._ Mundhra says that when you are “starved” of representation, you will rarely be satisfied with the few examples you have. While her work doesn’t exist to flatten Indian identity into a monolith, she hopes her body of work “is a step in the right direction” towards multitudes. Indo-Western shows are also able to sidestep the tricky cultural challenges that Hindi language media is still shaped by, such as on-screen depictions of sex, and the prevalence of colorism within casting. [South Asian colorism](https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/07/09/860912124/black-lives-matter-gets-indians-talking-about-skin-lightening-and-colorism) is widely regarded as a [colonial hangover](https://time.com/5860313/unilever-fair-and-lovely-name-change-colorism/) from the rule of the British Raj between 1858 and 1947, and in India specifically, it is also rooted in Hinduism’s caste system. Characters such as Devi Vishwakumar (played by [Maitreyi Ramakrishnan](https://time.com/5827768/maitreyi-ramakrishnan-never-have-i-ever/) in _Never Have I Ever_) and [Kate Sharma](https://time.com/6160937/simone-ashley-bridgerton-kate-sharma/) (Simone Ashley in _Bridgerton_) were rare instances of dark-skinned Indian women claiming leading parts. But Mundhra is hopeful that diverse characters will continue to be centered in Indian storytelling on screen, both in India and across the diaspora. “Audiences are hungry for it,” she says. “They do reward it when they see it—it just requires bravery.” ## Transcript [00:09] We could jump straight in, and you can tell me how this incredible [00:12] project came about and, and how you got 35 of the most famous [00:15] faces on board. [00:17] Yes, certainly will let you know for a long time. [00:19] I've been wanting to make something about Indian Cinema was such [00:22] an integral part of my upbringing, but also Indian Cinema is [00:26] huge. Part of world Cinema history. [00:28] We've seen lots of books, written and lots of reference [00:32] page who ebony Cinema French, Cinema Italian Cinema, [00:35] but we haven't really gotten that sort of Deep dive, [00:37] contextual treatment of Indian Cinema. [00:39] And particularly Hindi Cinema, which is popularly known as Bollywood [00:43] filmmaker, whose style really defined Bollywood as we know it [00:47] today was yesterday. [00:48] Oprah it felt appropriate to tell his story but do it in a way [00:53] that's fun and celebratory. [00:54] Sort of a Nostalgia trip for the die-hard fans, [00:57] the people who grew up with those films, [00:58] but also kind of have an entry point and be accessible [01:01] for audiences, that are maybe a little Bollywood curious. [01:09] Might not be so helpful. [01:10] I've always use that word. [01:12] Bollywood have always use that term meaning of my whole life [01:15] but every time I do, if there's a little bit of a cringe, [01:18] you know, that comes in and I think that has to do with defining [01:22] an entire industry that's as old as Hollywood as prolific [01:27] as Hollywood as illustrious, as Hollywood as big of an economy, [01:31] nearly is Hollywood in the shadow of Hollywood. [01:34] Hindi Cinema is its own thing and it felt kind of weird to allow [01:38] it to be defined as a derivative of another industry. [01:40] I heard people from with inside the industry saying that, [01:43] no, we don't like it. [01:44] We don't like to Define ourselves. [01:45] What is your relationship with Hindi language Cinema, [01:48] you grow up 10 a.m. [01:50] in LA in India, if I'm correct relationship for the most part, [01:56] I was raised in America and as a dinosaur a kid, [02:00] a lot of my cultural Roots came from watching Hindi Cinema. [02:03] I was lucky enough that I got to travel back and forth quite [02:06] frequently, but for most guys for kids [02:09] Go home, you know, to the motherland much. [02:11] It's the movies that really connected us to our routes for a lot [02:14] of us. That's how we learned even to speak Hindi. [02:17] It was a reflection of our culture, [02:19] our values on screen in a way that just wasn't accessible [02:23] to us, especially when I was growing up in the 90s, [02:25] we just weren't represented on screen and leading roles in that [02:28] way. Anything being in this documentary which was so great. [02:31] Why was it important to include that Bass Pro voice? [02:34] And then what role have you found Hindi Cinema to play in those [02:37] communities? Indian Cinema isn't just you know limited and constructed [02:42] to the border is Benzino in d r southeast Asia at its Global. [02:47] It's connected diaspora all over the world where everywhere [02:52] it's the movies that kind of connect us all and bring us all [02:54] back home, run a cinema a while I wondered. [02:58] If you could tell me about about about how that came and your [03:00] family, and I'm screening Hindi films and what that meant to you. [03:04] So my parents in the 1970s, before I was born, [03:07] they had a single screen movie theater. [03:09] But they operated in Los Angeles and Culver City. [03:11] And they were the first exhibitors of Hindi films in the United [03:15] States. At that point, the theater really built the community. [03:19] You know, in Southern California of South Asians and people [03:22] from all over would come to the cinema, [03:24] you know, on the weekends to see these movies and also just [03:27] kind of form of community and bond with each other. [03:29] The cinema was gone before I was born. [03:31] So I never got to experience it for myself but it looms large, [03:35] you know, in my imagination and I think about it a lot. [03:37] The Romantics. I wonder what it is about this subject that that, [03:41] especially as it pertains to Indians that that fascinates [03:44] you. I was always fascinated me that that inherent tension [03:48] that generational tension, you know, that emerges when you're [03:51] talking about marriage and romance and love and you know who [03:54] to marry and who he can't marry. [03:55] And all of that, it's right for drama as of culture as a society, [04:00] our relationship to love and marriage and in answer to the norms and [04:06] the Traditions around, it is a great litmus test for Where [04:09] we are as a culture that he thinks that on screen two pictures of [04:12] Indian remnants of changed up a time. [04:14] Do you believe it's becoming more westernized to use cheese? [04:17] Lots of what do you think? [04:18] It's kind of State Route, 222. [04:20] What it was was. [04:22] It's always an interesting push and pull because I think filmmakers [04:25] go like two steps forward and then the audience, [04:27] bring some ones that back. [04:28] It's an interesting Dynamic to see you. [04:30] Once more see when were, when were, [04:31] you know, our custom to a certain static in a certain style, [04:35] when it comes to depiction is of love and romance scene of the [04:37] classic like dancing around, the tree, almost embracing, [04:40] but then pulling away at the last second when we go farther [04:44] from that into more western-style traditionally western-style, [04:47] depiction of a romance that can feel a little jarring sometimes, [04:50] but we are evolving. [04:51] Do you think that he's able to let you know, [04:55] to tell, Pakistani people texting me back on smoking, [04:57] backgrounds in a way, but the country's politics often, [05:00] maybe counts. Of time where art and politics have gotten unfortunately [05:07] intertwined, you know, in a way That means more towards censorship, [05:12] then speaking truth to power, but it wasn't always that way and [05:16] it died. I believe that it won't always be that way. [05:19] Movies are meant to unite the meant to be a catharsis, [05:22] you know, where we process our feelings, [05:25] and our trauma and and you know, [05:26] project our hopes and our aspirations and our dreams. [05:29] And, you know, India was founded, you know, [05:32] as a conclusive Nation. [05:35] There was a time where the film's reflected that and that time [05:39] will come again and I think we're starting to see two Cubs coming [05:41] in already. Did you get a sense from from your interview [05:44] interview? He's in the romantics about, you know, [05:46] what industry is right now, and why it might be suffering [05:51] and in 2022 as a particularly hot day for the industry. [05:53] It's been a tough few years and you know, [05:57] there's been a lot of other factors at play but with the recent [06:00] success of pattan and you know some other films in The Silo [06:03] people are reminded that they just love going to the movies [06:06] and they love seeing other favorite stars on a big screen [06:08] and movies. I don't think you can keep people away from the cinemas [06:12] for too long. [06:13] So I think the film industry will bounce back, [06:15] I'm not worried and if you had to pick while I'm going to your [06:17] head. What is the the one in Hindi language, [06:20] Bollywood film but have the most lasting impact on you. [06:23] I would have to say Chinese, it's the archetype, [06:26] you know, it's the blueprints, you know, [06:28] for everything that I know about Bollywood in Hindi Cinema [06:31] and you know, the tropes, the Majesty of it and the magic of, [06:35] it's all contained in that film. [06:37] Thank you so much for your times with you has been so interesting. [06:41] I'm just on a personal level so it's so fun for me as well. [06:45] So much for fixing my childhood in this way. [06:47] Thank you so much. [06:48] Thanks for watching in the discussion. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6255756/bollywood-the-romantics-netflix/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6255756/bollywood-the-romantics-netflix/"},"headline":"Netflix’s The Romantics Aims to Give Bollywood the Homage It Deserves","datePublished":"2023-02-15T17:55:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T07:13:11.981Z","description":"Smriti Mundhra's four-part documentary series 'The Romantics' traces the life and legacy of Yash Chopra—the father of Bollywood romance.","url":"https://time.com/6255756/bollywood-the-romantics-netflix/","keywords":["Television","India","Asia","feature","identity","culturepod"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt167104bbd3d08683/698a3a600116821b67982bf6/DDLJ_07.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Armani Syed","jobTitle":"Syed was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau.","url":"https://time.com/author/armani-syed/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt167104bbd3d08683/698a3a600116821b67982bf6/DDLJ_07.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Netflix's The Romantics","caption":"Netflix's The Romantics","creditText":"Courtesy of Netflix","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/television/","name":"Television"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6255756/bollywood-the-romantics-netflix/","name":"Netflix’s The Romantics Aims to Give Bollywood the Homage It Deserves"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Q&A with Smriti Mundhra, Director of \"The Romantics\"","description":"Smriti Mundhra talks about \"The Romantics,\" her latest Netflix docu-series about the evolution of romance in Hindi cinema.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/zFkBWHkU/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2023-02-14T18:31:42.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/zFkBWHkU.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/6255756/bollywood-the-romantics-netflix/","duration":"PT7M1S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/6255756/bollywood-the-romantics-netflix/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```