From lavish romantic gestures to spine-tingling dialogues, Bollywood has forever been synonymous with love. In fact, it has birthed a whole generation of stars who have perfected the art of wooing audiences leaving a mark for decades to come. In what can only be described as a love letter to the prolific film industry, Netflix has brought together three generations of megastars to honor the legacy of late legendary director Yash Chopra and his production house Yash Raj Films in the docu-series The Romantics. Chopra dedicated over five decades of his life to Indian cinema from 1959 until his death in 2012. He is widely thought of as the pioneer of romance in the industry and is the mastermind behind classics such as Chandni, Dil To Pagal Hai, Lamhe, Veer-Zaara and Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
In a trailer for the upcoming show, a reel of Bollywood giants are invited to speak to the global cultural impact of Chopra's films. Amongst the string of familiar faces includes the King of Romance Shah Rukh Khan, who worked with the director countless times on career-defining projects, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Kajol, Rani Mukerji, Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit to name just a few. The trailer opens with the stars each taking a seat and preparing for a wonder down memory lane before moving on to a poignant statement from industry great Karan Johar on how Chopra's films stood out from the outset. "I'd watch all of those beautiful movies but it was Yash Chopra's cinema that caught my eye," Johar says in the clip before the video transitions into a reel of striking visuals from Chopra's stunning back catalog of films.
Notably, the teaser also includes a powerful insight into the personal impact Chopra and his son Aditya, who has played a key role in making Yash Raj Films the empire it is today, had on them and their careers. Aditya is not only a critical aspect of his father's legacy by the director behind some of Bollywood's biggest hits to date including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. For many of the stars, Aditya was the catalyst in propelling their careers to fresh heights. For Mukerji this was showcased in how Aditya backed her vision to embody a modern Indian woman. "I wanted to be the actor who talks about the modern Indian woman and he believed in my talent," she explains in the video. Whereas, for Ranveer Singh, it was the director's decision to give him a step-up that has stuck with him. "He [Aditya] said, I decided after your first audition that I was going to launch you. I said 'how?' Nobody else saw it, only he saw it," Singh says.
Whilst heavily praised by the stars, Aditya has very much remained under the radar with his last interview tipped to be around 1995, the year of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge's release. In fact, he is so well hidden behind the scenes that Abhishek Bachchan describes him as "a rumor" adding that he "doesn't exist" in the teaser. The video then cuts to an empty chair alluding to where Aditya has been interviewed for the documentary. However, the moment is short-lived when the camera rapidly cuts away before audiences are given a glimpse of him. Given the context of the Netflix special is to honor both his and his father's role in putting Bollywood on the map, Aditya's expected appearance in the series is truly a historical moment.
The epic four-part series is set to feature perspectives from 35 of the biggest players in Hindi cinema who all weigh in on the effect of the Chopra's on Bollywood's universal reach. You can indulge in Bollywood nostalgia in The Romantics, which hits Netflix on February 14. Until then, you can watch the trailer below.