#PamelaChopra passed away earlier this week. She had written the Indian musical romantic film #KabhieKabhie in 1976. She was married to iconic film maker #YashChopra,to whom she got married in 1970. In many ways, it was the presence of Pam in Yash’s life that inspired him to craft an inspiring lens to view the Indian woman, all the way till his death in 2012. The story of the production house that he helmed, #YashRajFilms is almost the story of Hindi cinema’s production factory for evergreen romantic films.
#SmritiMundhra (#Asuitablegirl, #IndianMatchmaking)’s four part documentary series #TheRomantics, streaming on #Netflix is the story of our movies and the legacy of #YashChopra. It is the story of a school of film-making that explored love, relationships, infidelity, couple dynamics and unrequited love in the context of the ever-changing social milieu in the country. This is the legacy that inspired Yash’s son, #AdityaChopra to make the somewhat ambiguous sounding #DilwaleDulhaniaLeJayenge in 1995. A movie that changed the face of romance forever and propelled #ShahRukhKhan to become the superstar of romance. What DDLJ stood out for was also the philosophy that the boy would get the girl in the end, but only with the consent of her parents. India had just opened up its economy and the society was confused with the explosive adoption of western values. DDLJ was almost the perfect go-to-template for the youngsters to look at the epitome of romance and also for the parents to showcase Indian values to their children!
Episode 1 covers the humble beginnings of Yash in Jalandhar as a salaried employee and the start of his career with elder brother #BRChopra. I think you get an insight into the man’s mind from his first films themselves. #Dhoolkaphool (1959) tells the story of the Hindu-Muslim divide in post-partition India and #Dharmaputra (1961) talks about the pitfalls of Hindu fundamentalism in the backdrop of the trauma of partition. #Waqt in 1965, #Deewar in 1975 and then the string of romantic blockbusters - #KabhieKabhie, #Silsila, #Lahme and #Chandni are a string of seminal films that made us smitten for life. #YRF went on to give us modern day hits in the form of #Mohabattein, #ChakDe and #BandBajaaBaraat.
What works well for the series is the superlative star power that includes names like #AmitabhBachchan, #RishiKapoor, #NeetuSingh, #AbhishekBachchan, #HrithikRoshan, #KaranJohar, #UdayChopra, #ShahRukhKhan, #AamirKhan, #SalmanKhan, #Kajol, #Madhuri, #RaniMukherjee, #RanbirKapoor, #KatrinaKaif, #AyushmanKhurana and #RanveerSingh who add heft and a strong dose of pure nostalgia. There are also some amusing stories that are pure delight. #YashChopra talks about the time when he was traveling by bus in Switzerland and the local guide shows him the Chopra Lake, without realizing who the lake is named after!
Another interesting aspect is the reference to the time Hindi cinema turned to the South film industry for inspiration. #KaranJohar talks about the trend at that time “We started deriving from the cinema made in the South, and we became a bit of a wannabe movement at the time” he says ruefully, You cannot help but think about whether things have come a full circle since that period.
Episode 2 pulls off a coup. The super elusive #AdityaChopra is in front of the camera ! Aditya assisted Yash on the sets of #Lamhe. It is quite fascinating to see how Yash stuck on to this take on what is like a creepy male fantasy plot and refused to budge to worldly wisdom. Two years later Chopra made Darr, an unusual love story of a stalker. The collaboration with a young hyper-energetic SRK is what led to many of the future successes.``Your eyes have something that cant be wasted on action” is the advice that Aditya gave the young TV actor as he launched him on his way to the czar of romance. Adi later told him “In this country, a superstar will only be that person who is every mother’s son. Every sister’s brother and every college girl’s fantasy.” Aditya grew up with Hrithik, Abhishek, Karan and Uday and his thinking was molded by closely observing his father as well as a meticulous documentation of the elements that would spell success at the box office. One of the highlights of the episode is surely a detailed look at the making of DDLJ!
Episode 3 focuses on the New Guard. The failure of #Befikre is a huge disappointment. Adi’s sharp ability to read the pulse of Indian society is a fascinating watch. He says “I think Indian cinema represents Indians, andIndians are people who constantly aspire to be more than who they are”. The YRF philosophy is thus more about aspiration than reality.
Mundhra compares Aditya to George Lucas who combines production and direction with equal finesse. In 2004, Aditya launched #Dhoom, a mass entertainer focused on the action spectacle. “I wanted to make a film in which I combine Manmohan Desai and Michael Bay”.
#TheRomantics is a heady trip of nostalgia for the die-hard Hindi movie fan. It is fascinating to watch how Yash and Aditya combine their ability to marry consumer insights with creative excellence. It is equally delightful to just sit back and watch Sridevi in her white chiffon sarees and RishiKapoor in those chic sweaters that made him look like the forever school kid !
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