When you read the synopsis of The Roshans, it’s hard not to associate it with the concept of nepotism. The four-part documentary series chronicles the trials and triumphs of Bollywood’s iconic Roshan family across three generations — music director and musician Roshan Lal Nagrath, music director Rajesh, film director Rakesh and actor Hrithik. Surely, it doesn’t get more ‘nepo baby’ than that?
But perhaps we’re wrong, with Rakesh Roshan insisting there’s plenty of talent to go around. While the family boasts an impressive bloodline of Hindi cinema success, the Roshan philosophy is to champion diverse talent from all walks of life, regardless of whether they’re born into showbiz or not.
“Actually, I feel like there is nothing like nepotism,” Roshan tells Draw Your Box during a Zoom interview.
He tells us this after we mention that Priyanka Chopra – one of the many Indian celebrities featured in the Netflix documentary – makes a related point on-screen. Highlighting that the Roshan family makes “their table longer”, she seemingly backs his argument that the Roshans don’t subscribe to nepotism.
“They pull in people like me, who didn’t grow up in the industry, and create opportunities,” Chopra says in the documentary. “So that it’s not just them who are benefitting from what they’ve been able to create. I really admire that table doesn’t stay small.”
With his son Hrithik carrying on the Roshan legacy as one of the most successful Bollywood heroes of this generation, Rakesh Roshan doesn’t avoid talking about his son’s start in the industry. Hrithik worked as Rakesh’s assistant for several years before he landed his big acting break in the 2000 film, Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai (directed by Rakesh).
“We will always cast people who suit the role,” Rakesh Roshan tells Draw Your Box. “And I knew Hrithik very well, and he worked very hard for it. [In] the last four years, he was my assistant. Then when he joined school, as you see his acting videos… and I knew that he has everything in it. So I launched him,” he explains.
“Had he not had all these things, I would have never launched him. So we launch actors and actresses on their capability.”
Throughout the four episodes of the documentary, audiences witness some of the untold and unseen stories that have shaped the four men’s personal and professional lives. We so often see a more stoic, professional demeanour in Rakesh, a behind-the-scenes man in Rajesh who shies away from the spotlight, and a six-pack dancing phenomenon in Hrithik. As for the late Roshan Lal Nagrath, his musical legacy is appreciated by older audiences but perhaps not as recognisable to younger generations. This documentary changes that.
Therefore showing viewers the aftermath of Rakesh Roshan being shot was pivotal in revealing a different side to these men. The Krrish director was shot in broad daylight in Mumbai in 2000 following the release of Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai. As mentioned above, it’s the film that launched Hrithik’s career and was directed by Rakesh. In the documentary, we hear from Hrithik, Rajesh, and Rakesh, but also from Rakesh’s wife, Pinkie. She eloquently details the complexity of reconciling the fright and trauma, with the relief of Rakesh surviving. It’s still something that the family grapples with today.
As we’ve seen with other actors in recent weeks, Bollywood stars aren’t immune from dangerous situations. They are just as human, and when Rakesh was sharing his life experiences with director Shashi Ranjan during the making of The Roshans, he reflected on it as just any other human, not as a high-profile director.
“That was a part of my journey, so I had to show it,” Rakesh tells Draw Your Box. “When I was interviewed by Shashi, I forgot myself that I’m Rakesh Roshan. And I said all of those… my struggles and my story as a son, as a husband, as a father, as a brother.”
Director Ranjan reiterates that including this incident in the documentary was about highlighting the emotional impact it had on the family.
“This incident is not a design to sensationalise the episode. It was part of his journey – a very, very big moment in his life. More than the shooting, it is the emotional trauma of the family,” Ranjan tells Draw Your Box.
Ranjan mentions the juxtaposition in the Roshans’ lives at this point in time. “Look at the dichotomy of the timing that son becomes a superstar, and father gets shot. What can be more dramatic than this incident? I see it that way,” he says.
“The dichotomy of the situation was very, very intense… And I think the mother put it so well – Pinkie Ji put it so damn well – that it is so difficult to decipher the emotion at that time.”
With four episodes with an average 45-minute duration, the Roshans have given a fresh glimpse into their lives like never before. Nepotism, near-death experiences, celebrity guests and delving into new genres – no topic is off-limits. But above all else, Ranjan is quick to remind us that this production wouldn’t have been possible without exploring the origin story – Roshan Lal Nagrath’s musical legacy.
“I saw the logic in what he [Rakesh] was saying, that it completes the arc that what father started, now the sons and the rest of the family is carrying on. That’s how this whole idea of a documentary was born.”
The Roshans is now available to stream on Netflix.
Top image source: Supplied/Netflix
Leave a Reply