The Roshans
Introduction
It was sometime in the year 2000 wherein I (a proper 90s kid) was sitting with bated breath waiting for the lights to turn off in a cinema hall. My school friends had already hyped me enough for what was to eventually transpire in the next three hours of my life. But I surely wasn’t ready for THE Phenomena, just about expecting to be a fun time at the cinemas. I was accompanied by my parents who would take me to the theatres every now and then, but what was so different about that day? But what eventually transpired not only made me a fanboy of a certain Mr Hrithik Roshan, but it also made me a part of history even as his debut vehicle Kaho Na Pyaar Hai eventually ran for about a year, making him the last of the superstars. The hook-step of its title song or even Ek Pal Ka Jeena was an acceptable rage in my books (yes, I did imitate his dance style….hell, I still do….unsuccessfully), but I will never be able to forget that ONE scene that takes place just after the interval with Hrithik Roshan (playing Raj in the second hour), re-entering the fray on a sports motorcycle. It was a simplistic scene alright, but I still remember being in awe of the man whom I would go on to adore for years. In a way, it was a meta-reference to his entry scene in War (2019), way before War even existed. And it wasn’t just me, there were several guys who felt the same, a moment that is christened on celluloid in gold! Yes, somewhere we aspired to be that guy who would floor women at the drop of a hat, atleast I did very early in my life😀 (and unsure if that sentiment has aged well as I sit to type this review).Â
The documentary scene in modern times has only been an extension of a PR activity that would invariably highlight the individuals in good light while tactfully curating the content in order to make it appear as an alternate reality. We did see the same with woefully forgettable documentary of Nayanthara and Yo Yo Honey Singh, wherein it didn’t offer to tell anything that we did not know already (the former was a creatively curated marriage video that had be infuriated for all the wrong reasons). So clearly, I have come to terms with this reality with regard to the documentaries that has forced me to change my gaze towards them – all they need to do now is offer entertainment by taking you on a quick nostalgic trip down memory lane while packing in the right ingredients to eventually make for a good watch. The Romantics (2023) and Angry Young Men (2024) were great examples of the same, carefully curating the content alright but offering either enough insights or alternately taking you on a trip while ensuring a good time. And I was hoping the new Netflix documentary The Roshans to fall more in that zone, even as I ventured into the show with bated breath, just to relive my experience of discovering Hrithik Roshan two and a half decades ago, while unearthing a few details about Roshan seniors who have ruled the industry for over 6 decades in different capacities.
The Good
First things first, The Roshans can best be termed as a celebration of the Roshans family wherein each Roshan does get a celebratory episode particularly restricted to him, a point that good and not so good (will get to the latter in my next segment). The good is that although the content is heavily curated, it still allows you enough space to join the bandwagon of a celebratory mood that the show has to offer. This, while also providing some charming insights into the work that was put in by each of the four individuals to reap the success that has found them individually, and the family.
I for one wasn’t aware of the works of Roshan Lal Nagrath (the eldest, the pioneer of the family in the industry and Hrithik Roshan’s grandfather), even though I may have heard a few of his songs. If I did enter for Hrithik Roshan whose journey was covered in the fourth episode, but eventually fell in love with the era and the musical setup of the first episode featuring Roshan Lal Nagrath, then The Roshans is already a winner for me. The mood of music and talk felt like a trance in many ways that had me completely sucked into the show, while learning about his complex compositions that were expertly recalled by the likes of Asha Bhonsle, Sonu Nigam, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Javed Akhtar. In a sharp contrast, the episode on his youngest son Rajesh Roshan is a little muted and wonderfully laced with his personality (in a snippet, we are told that he is the quieter one). The same alternately can be judged from the length of the episode too which remains the shortest of the four. But it still does enough to familiarize the viewers with his work – at several instances, I was like, oh Rajesh Roshan has composed this song too? (I knew the song but wasn’t as familiar with his name being associated with it). And the his range as a composer was nicely highlighted through his songs, be it the ones of the film Julie (1975) or Kites (2010) – both seemingly distinguished soundtracks.
Some of the most honest moments of the documentary were reserved for the episode involving Rakesh Roshan, who started his career as the leading man, only to pivot to a filmmaker. And the important thing to note here is the ‘pivot’ – a decision that wasn’t easy while highlighting his vulnerabilities as an actor and the chances that he got. In a way, his pivot remains his final choice as admitted by him, something that did transform his life, leading to an inspiring comeback. His journey was in many ways opposite to his superstar son Hrithik Roshan who tasted instant success with his first venture. And their bittersweet chronicles epitomizing the father-son bond (along with fillers from Mumma Roshan who is often sandwiched like all mummas are over the world), was one of the highlights for me in the final two episodes. This, while the journey of reliving the Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, Koi Mil Gayaa and Krishh days were enough to take me back on a nostalgic trip down memory lane!
The Not So Good
I think one of the rare moments in the documentary came in the form of Rajesh Roshan’s wife Kanchan who termed her husband then behavior as a measured form of criticism saying that he is a creative mind. This deft portion did give me an insight into a content that was heavily curated and not meant to go into an unchartered territory. The only forms of negativity remained the passing away of Roshan senior to the eldest son being out of work, and at a later point nearly shot fatally. It remained surface level enough to entertain but never quite venturing into an area of negativity (remember the unabashed Netflix documentary on Mr McMahon?). I also felt that the show felt marginally episodic given its structure of every episode being dedicated towards the celebration of a Roshan. The overlapping elements linking the narrative was definitely a miss here. Another technical form of the documentary, of characters staring right into the camera with glassy eyes, narrating their moments of vulnerability didn’t exactly sit right for me. It did feel staged as opposed to an emotion naturally being created during an interaction. But luckily, the pros outweigh the cons here!
My Final Take
A few days ago, I stumbled on the social media post of Hrithik Roshan that featured hand-written notes by him during/before the making of Kaho Na Pyaar Hai (yes, he completed a silver jubilee in the industry this year). The details were both heartfelt and pleasantly astonishing, given the amount of detailing that went into his work. So in the hindsight, it hardly is surprising that he tasted instant success, particularly because he had to also work on his shortcomings in terms of his physicality. He was ready, and most newbies need to model themselves on him – ‘interning’ in front of the camera is suicide on celluloid! Secondly, one thing that you learn from Rakesh Roshan is resilence and having the courage to acknowledge and pivot at the right time. Even on the personal front, you did see Hrithik talking about discipline that helped his father fight his battle with cancer. The important words are discipline and pivot – assess your situation without shying away from your issues, and take the plunge! Both Rajesh Roshan and Roshan Lal Nagrath are examples on how to stay relevant in an industry which can forget you in minutes – so the point is to make every opportunity count and treat it like a ‘do-or-die’, every single time. Make no mistake, this sanitized documentary is just pointed towards the celebration of The Roshans, and I do acknowledge that it is an extended form of PR too – but there are life lessons to latch onto, while using this documentary as a case study in building your legacy in the big bad world of films! Make every day count, and carp diem – seize your moment!
Conclusion
The Roshans is a comforting celebratory docudrama that packs in enough moment of nostalgia while being heartfelt with its form of entertainment. Available on Netflix.