The docuseries Angry Young Men chronicles the rise of the legendary screenwriters Salim-Javed, how they wrote multiple blockbusters like Sholay, Deewaar, Don, Zanjeer, and Yaadon Ki Baaraat among others, and their eventual break-up. The show marks the directorial debut of National Award-winning editor Namrata Rao. In a freewheeling conversation with DNA, Namrata shared how she became a part of Angry Young Men and who convinced Salim-Javed to document their journey in the Hindi film industry.
Namrata shared that it was Javed Akhtar's daughter and filmmaker Zoya Akhtar 's idea to make a series on the screenwriters. "Zoya had this idea for a long time and we used to discuss it. I did three projects with her - Lust Stories, Ghost Stories, and Made In Heaven - as an editor.
During the pandemic around December 2020, she asked me if I would like to direct it", she said. Namrata added that she had just finished the docuseries House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths as an editor, and was very happy to grab this opportunity. "I love Bollywood films, I love that time 70s-80s, and I am full filmy in that sense", she asserted.
When asked how Salim Khan and Javed Akhta r were open to the idea of a documentary on them, Namrata answered, "By the time I came on board, they had already been convinced by Zoya. They had some reservations earlier, but I think all the kids together convinced them that it would be very important to archive their work and introduce it to a younger generation. They both .