Smriti Mundhra Reveals Why Dining With The Kapoors Connects So Deeply - Exclusive

The documentary special, Dining with the Kapoors, is now streaming on Netflix. Created by Armaan Jain, the hour-long special assembles some of the Kapoor clan for a celebratory meal to remember. Filmmaker

Smriti Mundhra, who has worked on projects such as A Suitable Girl and Indian Matchmaking, spoke about the appeal of the new documentary and why the Kapoor family is so relatable. The director of Dining with the Kapoors also shared the challenges they faced in finding archival stuff to include in the special.

Smriti Mundhra on Dining with the Kapoors and its relatability

In an interview with Zoom, Smriti revealed that she had several opportunities to direct documentaries about Indian cinema after the release of Netflix's The Romantics in 2023. The filmmaker shared, "But this was the first one that had come around that really felt different. Armaan's vision was really to make [the special] about this one tradition that was so important to the Kapoor family across so many generations, which is gathering for a meal. And that, to me, felt really different—to be able to tell the story of a family's legacy and impact through their traditions and through the food that brings them together. That different perspective really appealed to me, and the fact that I think there's so much to relate to in this—when you see the Kapoor family, you feel like you're seeing your own family, the way they fight with each other, they tease each other, they love each other, all of that."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpdgEgpcbDE

She went on to add, "I felt that was really beautiful. And what they were going through in this particular time in their family's history—in the last few years, there's been so many losses in the family; so many members have passed away. And then also physical losses with the burning of the RK Studio and then losing the family home—these are again things that many people can relate to. I felt this too as my grandparents... I lost my father, and I have children now, and I think about how I convey my family's legacy to the next generations who won't really be able to meet them. I think all of those things make it feel so relevant to anybody; it just so happens that this particular family is one of the most famous families in the world." ALSO READ: Dining With The Kapoors Review: Ranbir, Kareena And Karisma Serve Up A Playful Celebration Of Family, Films And Food

On the difficult history of archiving film history in India

Smriti also addressed the 2017 fire at RK Studios, which destroyed much of the memorabilia from Raj Kapoor's time. She explained, "The tragedy of this is that Raj Kapoor had done that so meticulously, saving all of the costumes and the props and the photos and everything. And then in one fell swoop, all of it burned. Armaan and the family lost everything. But that's what makes this film feel so poignant to me is that even having lost all or so much of the physical artifacts, right, having lost the studio, the bungalow, all of the props, all of the photographs, and all of that material, you still find a way to keep the memory alive, and it's through the food; no one can take that away."You have the recipes, and you have somebody who's willing to continue that tradition of gathering and of making these dishes and all of that; then you always have control and have that legacy in the palm of your hand. I think that's what I love about this film. But of course, every day, it was so tragic that I was like, 'Aren't there more photographs, and where are all of these materials?' and Armaan says we had everything, but it was all lost in the fire." Dining with the Kapoors features actors Ranbir Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, and the rest of the extended Kapoor family. In the special, surviving siblings Randhir Kapoor and Rima Jain visit their family home, Deonar Cottage, one last time before it is sold.