‘The Roshans’ Review: This documentary series is a musical journey of heritage, struggle and superstardom

Story of ‘The Roshans’

This four-episode documentary series not only tells the story of the Roshan family’s legacy in Indian cinema, but also takes the audience on a heart-touching musical journey. Let’s start with the great musician Roshan Lal Nagrath. Then comes his/her sons Rajesh and Rakesh Roshan, and then ends on a bright note with superstar grandson Hrithik Roshan.

Watch the trailer of ‘The Roshans’ here

‘The Roshans’ Documentary Review

‘The Roshans’ is an emotional and interesting story of a family that has influenced Bollywood through creativity and art. The series begins with Roshan Lal Nagrath, who rises from a contractor in Gujranwala (now Pakistan) to become a celebrated music maestro in Lucknow. his/her art developed under the shadow of Ustad Alauddin Khan. Despite difficulties in personal life, he/she never lets his/her dedication towards music diminish. he/she adopts the surname ‘Roshan’ and lays the foundation of a family legacy.

Roshan’s contribution to the world of music is particularly seen in the 1950s and 60s. The series features unseen archive footage. Roshan, who is married to singer and collaborator Ira, has a love for music that reaches beyond Indian borders. he/she draws inspiration from American singers such as Connie Francis and Skeeter Davis. This docu-series tells how Roshan, like Laxmikant-Pyarelal, used hand gestures to explain his/her songs and tunes. How he/she composed ‘Laaga Chunari Mein Daag’, this series also talks about that journey.

After a musical opening and the foundation of the Roshan family legacy through Roshan Lal Nagrath, the story moves to the next generation with the journey of Roshan’s sons. Rajesh Roshan emerged as a famous music director, while Rakesh Roshan became famous in cinema as an actor and then as a visionary director. The series takes an in-depth look at Rakesh’s decision to become a filmmaker, who went on to create blockbusters like ‘Karan Arjun’, ‘Koi… Mil Gaya’ and ‘Krrish’ after facing several flops.

The series follows the third generation of the Roshan family, with superstar Hrithik Roshan at the centre. he/she became an overnight star with his/her debut film ‘Kaho Na… Pyaar Hai’. he/she got the title of ‘Greek God’ in Bollywood. The success of the less spoken Hrithik, his/her physical transformation and determination towards his/her career as well as his/her struggles are also shown.

What makes ‘The Roshans’ different is the heart-touching story and the rare footage shown along with it. It features glimpses of the popular radio show ‘Sangeet Ke Staron Ki Mehfil’, family photos and famous Bollywood songs from decades past. The series also does not shy away from talking about topics like Rakesh Roshan’s fatal shooting incident, Hrithik Roshan’s injuries and his/her struggle with insecurities. Obviously all this adds authenticity and emotional color to it.

This series has interviews of stalwarts like Asha Bhosle, Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor. There are many funny and heart touching stories. The Roshan family has carried forward their legacy through songs like ‘Saara Zamana’ and ‘Julie’, which Javed Akhtar, Vishal Dadlani and Sonu Nigam pay tribute to. Rajesh Roshan’s journey to success as a music director is also worth watching, whose path passes through ‘Kaala Patthar’, ‘Kaho Na… Pyaar Hai’ and ‘Koi Mil Gaya’.

While watching this documentary series, we see Shashi Ranjan, Bharti K. The hard work of Dubey and Sameer Salunke is visible. he/she has spent a lot of time in research and digging out rare unseen and untold pictures, songs and archive footage.

Overall, ‘The Roshans’ is a must watch for film and music lovers. It is not only a celebration of a family’s legacy, but also a story of art, passion and sticking to one’s values.