Karan Johar pens a heartfelt note after watching ‘The Romantics’

Filmmaker Karan Johar penned a heartfelt note after binge-watching Netflix’s new docuseries, ‘The Romantics’. The four-part series traces the origins and influence that filmmaker Yash Chopra and his studio, ‘Yash Raj Films (YRF)’ have had on Indian cinema. Directed by Smriti Mundhra, it also features an in-depth conversation with filmmaker Aditya Chopra, his first on-camera appearance in more than two decades.

Johar took to ‘Instagram’ and penned a note, reflecting on the legacy of Yash Chopra and the current state of the Hindi film industry.

“Binged watched ‘The Romantics’ on ‘Netflix’ by Smriti Mundhra for my alma mater, YRF. I realised the purity, innocence and conviction we all collectively had are so lost today for most of us. Yash Chopra is not just a legend of romance, a connoisseur of chiffon, music and beauty and a maestro of musicals; he was also a pillar of belief and conviction. Is there any conviction left today?”

He added, “We are burdened by media commentary, box office opening analytics and research engines (all probably relevant to the technology and times), but where did good old-fashioned conviction vanish? The rom-doc reminds us of the past that seemed so organic and heartfelt; it makes me want to go back to that zone of filmmaking.”

Johar has always been ‘deeply inspired’ by the stories of ‘Yash Raj Films’ and ‘The Romantics’ which made him aware of his ‘strengths and failings’. He also thanked Smriti Mundhra for putting together the documentary.