The Roshans, a docu-series directed by Shashi Ranjan and produced by Rakesh Roshan, is the story of one of the most well-known families in Bollywood. The 4-episode series starts with the story of renowned music director Roshan Lal Nagrath. It moves forward with the stories of his sons, director and actor Rakesh Roshan, and music director Rajesh Roshan, and then expectedly moves focus to actor Hrithik Roshan.

The story of the senior Roshans

The docu-series follows a format similar to YRF’s The Romantics. Actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Priyanka Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, and others talk about their experiences working with different members of the Roshan family. Some of the biggest directors like Karan Johar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali also feature in the docu-series.

The Roshans starts well with the aid of timeless tunes from the 50s and 60s. The incredible story of Roshan Lal Nagrath is illustrated well with snippets from Asha Bhonsle and writers like Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani. If you like old-school Hindi film music, the first two episodes are a delight for the ears. You will hear iconic tunes that everyone hums but doesn’t know where they came from or who created them.

Then begins the story of Rakesh Roshan’s struggle in the industry, first as an actor and then as a producer. Before he found his calling as a director, Rakesh Roshan starred in many hit films but was not favoured as a leading actor. As he recalls in the series, there was a time when actors like Neetu Singh refused to work with him as the lead because he could not guarantee commercial success. While his brother Rajesh Roshan found success early in his music career, Rakesh Roshan went through more trials and tribulations.

When Shah Rukh Khan left Karan Arjun

The Roshans takes us behind the scenes of some memorable blockbusters like Karan Arjun, Khoon Bhari Maang, Koi…Mil Gaya, Koyla, and others. Shah Rukh Khan gives interesting insights into his experience working with Rakesh Roshan in Karan Arjun and Koyla. One of the most fascinating stories about Karan Arjun, as told by Shah Rukh Khan, was that he never wanted to do the film and never really understood his role. The original cast of Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn left the film initially, and Rakesh Roshan offered Karan Arjun to Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. When SRK heard that Aamir Khan had accepted the role that was originally his, he went back to Rakesh Roshan to ask to be back in the film.

The series offers several such stories that could fascinate a Bollywood fan. Shah Rukh Khan also speaks about his experience on the sets of Koyla where he actually lit himself on fire for a stunt.

Stories of survival and underdogs: The Roshans

As Hrithik Roshan points out, Rakesh Roshan’s stories often reflected his own journey in the film industry. Whether it was Karan Arjun, Khoon Bhari Maang, or Koi…Mil Gaya, all of these films featured an underdog who not only survived but thrived in adversity.

This theme is carried through the series to Hrithik Roshan’s official debut, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. While speaking of the making of KNPH, the series shows the financial and emotional struggles the family faced at the time.

Lots of nostalgia but an overdose of emotion

By the time the last episode comes around, the emotionality of the series feels too heavy and overdone. Hrithik Roshan’s military references in relation to his family are unnecessary and break the flow of a compelling story.

This docu-series is a nice one-time watch over the weekend. The nostalgia in the music will appeal to every generation and make for a light, happy viewing with the family.

The Roshans is streaming now on Netflix.

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