Yahoo Lifestyle Rakesh Roshan Strips Away Bollywood Glitter in Netflix’s Candid Family Series; ‘Krrish 4’ Announcement ‘Very Soon’
What started as a fight to restore his father’s musical legacy has evolved into an unexpectedly raw chronicle of one of Bollywood’s most enduring film dynasties in “The Roshans,” a four-part Netflix documentary series that reveals the struggles and triumphs of three generations.
The project emerged from an unexpected source – a popular digital music player that omitted patriarch Roshan’s name and compositions from its catalog. “One day I wanted to hear my father’s songs, and I could not find Roshan. There was no Roshan in that, with almost all his contemporary musicians, everybody’s name was there but my father’s name was not,” veteran filmmaker Rakesh Roshan recalls of the incident that occurred nearly a decade ago. Despite reaching out to the company, the oversight remains uncorrected. “That made me think, what can I do for my father?”
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This catalyst led to an ambitious project that would ultimately span 300 hours of raw footage, condensed into four hours of surprisingly intimate storytelling. The documentary, directed by Shashi Ranjan, goes beyond typical industry retrospectives to reveal the personal struggles and triumphs of the family that has shaped Indian cinema for over 77 years.
For Rakesh Roshan, who has helmed blockbusters including the “Krrish” franchise, the documentary proved more challenging than traditional filmmaking. “I thought it would be a very easy cakewalk, but I saw that it was more difficult than making a film,” he explains. “In film, we have a script, but here there was no script. There was just taking interviews, and inherently, there were emotions which heaped in hearing our side of the stories.”
The production team, led by Ranjan and editor Geeta Singh, faced numerous logistical hurdles, particularly in securing rights. “Buying the music rights and buying this right and buying that right – which right belongs to whom, somebody says this belongs to me, somebody says this belongs to us,” Roshan describes. “We had to put up notices in daily papers everywhere asking who’s the rightful holder.”
What emerged was a remarkably honest portrait of the family, achieved through a unique approach to interviews. Each family member – including Rakesh, his brother composer Rajesh Roshan, and superstar son Hrithik – was interviewed separately, without knowledge of what others had shared. “None of the family members gave an interview together. It was separate days, separate weeks,” Rakesh reveals.
This methodology yielded unexpectedly raw moments. “In a moment, I forgot that I was Rakesh Roshan,” the filmmaker admits. “I simply put across my struggles and what I went through to achieve whatever little I could. It was not an act because when I was saying it, I was feeling it at that time.”
Composer Rajesh Roshan, who celebrates 51 years in the industry, echoes this sentiment of authenticity. “As a person, I am simple and straightforward, so it became very easy for me to be candid,” he says. “What I said were the facts of my life, the intention of the documentary was to share our real life, so everything spoken was straight from the heart.”
The documentary traces the family’s influence from patriarch Roshan’s musical innovations through Rakesh’s evolution from actor to successful filmmaker, Rajesh’s enduring musical career, and Hrithik’s 25-year journey from debut sensation to current superstar. Industry luminaries including Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali provide additional perspective on the family’s impact.
For Rakesh Roshan, seeing the completed series was revealing. “When I saw all the four episodes together, I was taken aback. I never knew that we have contributed so much to the industry,” he reflects. “I never knew we have been in the industry for last 77 years. Our contribution – Rajesh’s contribution, my contribution, Hrithik’s contribution – was overwhelming.”
Looking ahead, Roshan offers both wisdom to current filmmakers and exciting news for fans. While noting that today’s directors “are making brilliant films,” he suggests they sometimes lack the broader vision required for mass appeal. “Their visualization is not vast. They are trying to be true to life, but films are not that. Films are entertainment,” he advises. “When I make a film, I want it to be seen from the smallest town in India through LA or to Australia – all audiences should be there to see that film.”
And for those awaiting the next installment in the “Krrish” franchise, Roshan teases good news: “Very soon we’ll be announcing it. We’re still working on it, and very soon you will hear it.”
Rajesh Roshan sees the documentary as more than just a family story. “The documentary showcases the evolution of the Hindi film industry through the journey of artists like us,” he notes. “I believe it was important for the documentary to be released now as a lot of hit melodies from the 40’s and 50’s should be placed in an archive for the future generation to be in touch and get familiar with.”
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