Smriti Mundhra: 'People are rejecting the divisiveness of movements like #BoycottBollywood'

The much-talked about Netflix docu-series The Romantics, which is a tribute to the legacy of Yash Chopra & YRF and their cultural impact on India and Indians for the past 50 years, released on Feb 14 to unanimous acclaim and love globally. The national over-pouring of love for Yash Chopra and YRF was evident as The Romantics became the Number 1 trending title on Netflix within 48 hours of its drop, a rare feat for a documentary. The Romantics is also in the Top 10 trending shows in 9 countries, including Bahrain, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Mauritius, Pakistan, Qatar, Sri Lanka & UAE! The Romantics has been directed by Oscar & Emmy-nominated film-maker Smriti Mundhra, who returns to Netflix after the phenomenal success of Indian Matchmaking and the Never Have I Ever franchise. She feels with the historic success of Pathaan, Bollywood has bounced back and silenced those propagating the idea that Hindi film industry and its stars have been boycotted by people. She feels the air around Bollywood is finally celebratory again as is evident with the success of The Romantics which is again a homage to the Hindi film industry through the lens of Yash Chopra and YRF’s impact on Indian pop culture. “After a dark period defined by bad faith attacks and global uncertainty around the theatrical business, it is amazing to see audiences embracing Bollywood again. It proves that our love for the movies never went away, and people are rejecting the cynicism and divisiveness of movements like #BoycottBollywood,” feels Smriti. Smriti is referring to the two-year bashing of Bollywood by nameless, faceless people on the internet who shamed the industry at every step without any proven or concrete logic or reason. Smriti says, “In this regard, the response to The Romantics has been overwhelming. I’m so glad the series was able to remind people of the ways cinema has been able to connect and unite us. As Indians, cinema is in our DNA, and the collective act of watching movies in a theater is one of our most cherished rituals.” She adds, “As the series shows, the industry has been through low points before and eventually audiences find their way back to theaters, and to each other. It just takes the right film, and the right stars, to do draw them in.” From Aamir Khan to Salman Khan, from Shah Rukh Khan to Ranbir Kapoor, from Amitabh Bachchan to Ranveer Singh, from Rani Mukerji to Hrithik Roshan, from Katrina Kaif to Anushka Sharma, the mega-stars and icons of Hindi cinema have come together and spoken about Hindi cinema and YRF’s cultural impact for over 50 years. Netflix, in this four-part docu-series, will also feature 35 leading personalities from the film industry, who have closely worked with YRF through its 50 year glorious existence. YRF is currently at an all-time high as their latest release Pathaan. It is now the number one Hindi film worldwide and has become the biggest all-time blockbuster in the history of Hindi cinema with worldwide gross collection currently at 1026 crore! Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.