Smriti Mundhra, director of The Romantics, discusses conducting Rishi Kapoor's final interview: 'He was charming and learned...'

 

Smriti Mundhra's The Romantics will feature Rishi Kapoor's final interview, in which he will openly discuss his long-term relationship with Yash Chopra.

Smriti Mundhra, an Indian-American filmmaker, expressed her gratitude on Thursday for the opportunity to conduct an interview with the late Rishi Kapoor for her docuseries The Romantics on Netflix. The final interview with the iconic star will be shown in The Romantics. In it, he will talk openly about his deep relationship with the late filmmaker Yash Chopra and what made them one of India's most beloved directors and actors. The interview was fantastic. He (Rishi Kapoor) was ecstatic to discuss his journey and Yash Ji encounter. Smriti told ANI, "He also shared his perspective on his bond as a director-actor duo in Hindi cinema."

A tribute to Yash Chopra, known as the "Father of Romance" in India for his iconic romantic films like Silsila, Lamhe, Kabhi Kabhie, Veer-Zaara, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Chandni, and Jab Tak Hai Jaan, the four-part global docuseries "The Romantics" airs on Netflix.

“Rishi Kapoor was not only an iconic actor but also possessed a comprehensive understanding of the Hindi film industry. He was always charming, enlightened, and eager to talk about the day of our interview, which would be his last. She had previously stated, "I’ll forever be grateful for the insights, anecdotes, and perspective he shared. His death represents the loss of a significant piece of cinematic history."

On cult films like Kabhi Kabhie, Chandni, Jab Tak Hai Jaan (in which he starred alongside his wife Neetu Kapoor), Fanaa, Hum Tum, and others, Rishi Kapoor had worked closely with Yash Chopra and then Aditya Chopra.

Smriti conducted interviews with 35 prominent figures from the Hindi film industry, including superstars like Aamir Khan and Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan and Ranveer Singh, Rani Mukerji and Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, and Rani Mukerji and Hrithik Roshan.

In addition, she was successful in persuading Aditya Chopra to participate in his first-ever video interview, which must have been a daunting task. It also goes back to Aditya's childhood aspirations to become a filmmaker, his work assisting Yash Chopra on numerous films prior to his debut as a director with DDLJ, and his keen eye for filmmaking. In 1995, Aditya Chopra gave his last interview to a film magazine (print).

To pay tribute to Yash Chopra, known as the "father of romance," the docuseries will premiere on February 14. After a two-year battle with cancer, Rishi Kapoor passed away on April 30, 2020.