Aditya Chopra is being swamped by requests for interviews on social media after Oscar- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Smriti Mundhra pulled it off for her Netflix docuseries The Romantics. Touted as a tribute to Yash Chopra and his legacy, The Romantics is also a lot about filmmaker-producer Aditya Chopra’s vision for Yash Raj Films and how he shaped filmmaking in Bollywood. The four-part docuseries, which trended at No. 1 on Netflix India within 48 hours of its drop, features 35 personalities from the Indian film industry. The Telegraph Online caught up with The Romantics director Smriti Mundhra, who’s brimming with joy on the success of the venture.

The Telegraph Online: How did you manage to do the unthinkable – convincing Aditya Chopra to agree to talk?

Smriti Mundhra: It was very evident it wouldn’t be a complete story on Yash Chopra or Yash Raj Films without Aditya Chopra’s point of view. We told him that we would be talking in a definitive docuseries on his family, his father and on his legacy. So if he ever goes on to speak, this should be the time. I think he agreed to it.

Was that all or a bit of nudging was needed as well?

Smriti Mundhra: A lot of nudging was needed! (Laughs) Actually, we thought we would just film an interview for his own archive without asking permission. When it was done, I started the process to convince him to allow me to use it.

On social media platforms, people are pitching to Aditya Chopra for more on-camera interviews. What do you want to tell them?

Smriti Mundhra: (Laughs out loud) I wish them luck!

After watching Aditya Chopra in The Romantics, people are gung-ho about how relaxed, chill, eloquent and articulate he is…

Smriti Mundhra: (Cuts in) People are recognising how much of a visionary he is. And that a lot of the success of Yash Raj Films, which we loved, was not an accident but had an insight and foresight involved, which came from Aditya. I am glad people can see it.

You had set out to do a documentary on Yash Chopra, but it actually celebrates how Aditya Chopra took that ethos and took it to another level. Did the focus of the documentary change after Aditya Chopra’s interview?

Smriti Mundhra: Definitely! The insights that Aditya offered, the clearer and more specific it became. You know how much he took on that torch from his father, how he crafted his own vision for the future of Yash Raj Films that became a huge part of the story. It’s not an abstract story about a filmmaker following in the footsteps of his father. It’s about a filmmaker shaping what filmmaking is for the new generation.

The risk-taker Aditya Chopra becomes a bit vulnerable by the end of the docuseries. What do you think of his journey?

Smriti Mundhra: Aditya Chopra is incredible. Being a filmmaker myself, he appreciates and respects me so much. He has taken so many risks in his career and the results of those risks have been so monumental, and it has ripple effects on all of us. Also, to understand that with great rewards, there come low points or failure later. It means that a rough patch is a valuable lesson.

In what ways do you think the father-son duo — Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra — are alike and yet different?

Smriti Mundhra: What’s common is that they are obsessed with movies and passionate about making films but the way they go about is different. Yash Chopra loved to be on the sets and loved the collaboration aspect of filmmaking. His most happy place was on the sets. Aditya is the same but he is equally passionate about producing and building Yash Raj Films as a studio. He is not extroverted and gregarious. He always wanted to stay away and focus on building the studio. Yash Chopra was focused on directing, operated from his heart, and loved the experience of collaborating. Aditya Chopra leads from the head where he thinks a lot and plans for the future of the studio.

Late filmmaker Yash Chopra with his elder son Aditya (extreme left) and younger son Uday Twitter

The narrative of The Romantics is practically shaped by Yash Chopra’s two sons, Aditya and Uday, and Shah Rukh Khan, who was almost like his son. Did it just evolve or was that a conscious call on your part?

Smriti Mundhra: It’s both. In a documentary, everything evolves from the initial idea. It became pretty clear early on that anyone who knows Yash Chopra finds him to be a paternal figure. He did it on a thematic level to all the talents and filmmakers he has cultivated. The direct impact can be seen on his sons Aditya and Uday. Shah Rukh Khan considered him to be a father figure. The consistent thing that came out is that he treated everyone like family.

The huge archival footage that you got from Yash Raj Films, how did you decide what to use and what to pass?

Smriti Mundhra: That was probably the toughest challenge in making this series because there was an abundance of material. Between our interviews and behind-the-scenes archive, we had to make choices. We had to choose stories that would have the beat to tell the story not of individual films but of Yash Chopra’s career, the evolution of the studio, and the history of the country. It was something we were wanting to explore. It was a challenge! It has a lot of aspects I would have explored in a longer series. It’s just the start where people would go back and read about their favourite films.

Which portion did the audience loved most? Is it the making of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Aditya Chopra’s vision for Shah Rukh Khan?

Smriti Mundhra: Yes, of course. There’s always excitement about Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Shah Rukh Khan — the two most beloved things in Hindi films. But it’s also fresh as people are watching the show, which is pretty evident that people are excited.

We were keen to know how Aditya Chopra kept himself motivated during the trying phase between War and Pathaan in the docuseries…

Smriti Mundhra: At that point, we were deep into the editing process. We shot in 2020. We finished before that phase, but obviously it has happy endings.

After Yash Raj Films, who do you want to make a docuseries on?

Smriti Mundhra:(Smiles) Hmm… the history and the impact of Indian cinema, including Hindi and other regions, is so vast and interesting that there is no end to curiosity. At the moment, I want to absorb the impact (caused by The Romantics). Definitely, there would be something I would like to go back to in the future.

And how’s Indian Matchmaking Season 3 shaping up?

Smriti Mundhra: I have been working on The Romantics for the past three years and within it, I have been making Indian Matchmaking. The third season will be out this year on Netflix. Next up, I will take a bit of a break to recharge for my next.