Payel Halder, March 1, 2023
Ted Sarandos, the co-CEO of Netflix, recently visited India and spoke about the importance of the docu-series, The Romantics, in providing insight into the culture and history of the country and its cinema. He expressed his desire for all Netflix employees to watch the series to learn more about Indian cinema and culture. The Romantics focuses on the history of Yash Raj Films and includes interviews with top Bollywood stars, such as Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, as well as exclusive interviews with the studio’s head, Aditya Chopra.
Speaking at a panel at the Global Business Summit, Ted said, “I want to make [The Romantics] mandatory viewing in the company where I want every one of our employees, all 10,000 people to watch all episodes of this documentary to learn about this incredible, rich history of cinema in India.” He also praised the storytelling and cultural insights provided by the series, stating that he learned more about India in four hours than he had in the last 20 years.
Director Smriti Mundhra, who helmed The Romantics, shared her excitement about the impact the series was having on movie fans around the world, including Ted Sarandos. She took to Twitter to express her pride in her team and the series.
During his visit to India, Ted also discussed Netflix’s future plans for the country, including increasing their investment in local content. He revealed that viewer engagement had grown by 30% and revenue by 25%, and that Netflix had two offices in Mumbai and Delhi to support their efforts to create more local content.
The Romantics provides a unique look into the history of Indian cinema and its impact on the country’s culture. With its success and praise from top executives like Ted Sarandos, it is sure to inspire more exploration and appreciation of Indian cinema.
