'The Romantics', directed by Smriti Mudhra and produced by YRF Entertainment is a fascinating documentary series on Netflix that explores the romantic genre of Indian cinema. It begins with Yash Chopra's first full-length feature from the early 1970s and ends with Jab Tak Hai Jaan, his final film. However, what makes this series a must-watch (and we do not say this lightly) is the appearance of Aditya Chopra, one of the finest filmmakers of Bollywood today and the eldest son of Yash Chopra who appeared for an extensive interview on camera for the very first time. 

Despite being born into and brought up in the film industry, Aditya Chopra has somehow managed to keep himself so private that even paparazzi photographs of him are rare. 

When actor Abhishek Bachchan once told journalists, "Aditya Chopra is a rumour. He's not real, he is just the alter ego of Uday Chopra," it might as well have passed on as the truth for a lesser-known personality. Even this time, it was not until Chopra walked in very casually and sat down on the vacant chair that viewers finally believed that this was happening for real. 

From that small boy who never missed a Friday show in the nearest cinema theatre to directing some of the most iconic and successful Bollywood films of all time, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Mohabbatein, Chopra spoke about his experience in filmmaking, like giving the audience a sneak peek into his creative process and his approach to the romantic genre. And although many, including myself, may have initially thought of 'The Romantics' as just another star-studded gossip show, ten minutes into Aditya's interview and we were all proven wrong.  

Not only was this the very first time that people got to assign a face to that brilliant mind and a voice to those thoughts that created some of the most legendary moments of romance we have ever witnessed, this man's storytelling abilities made us gasp countless times throughout his interview. 

One such moment was when he mentioned how, to immerse himself in the Hindi cinema feel, Chopra threw out his lifetime collection of English music. Looking at the clip where a fraction of his collection was shown, this was definitely not an easy sacrifice. 

"For me, a film was not just about making money or entertaining people. It's about telling a story that can touch people's hearts and make a difference in their lives," said the director, "That's why I take every aspect of filmmaking very seriously, from the script to the music to the performances."

Aditya Chopra spoke just as casually about his failures as he did about success. The key, said Chopra, is never to let the positives or the negatives affect you too much. This might also be one of the reasons why we did not see this director claim his fame on camera all these years. 

Even apart from Chopra's exceptional interview, 'The Romantics' has truly come as a pleasant surprise on Valentine's Day this year. They said it was a 'documentary series with Bollywood vibe' and pretty much nailed it. With an impressive line-up of actors, directors, and film industry insiders being candid and relatable to a great extent, this series hits all the right notes for a movie lover and is more like a walk down the Bollywood lane. It is joyful, humorous, and yes, quite heartfelt.