The Roshans review: Documentary on Hrithik Roshan's family overshadowed by overindulgence

2.5/5

The Roshans story:

The captivating documentary series The Roshans brings to life the legendary history of one of India's most famous film families, the Roshans, who have made an unforgettable impact on Indian cinema. Tales of resilience, triumph, and sorrow unfold in this personal exploration of the extraordinary lives of the Roshan family. From Roshan Lal Nagrath, who composed classics that will last a lifetime, to his sons, Rajesh and Rakesh, who broke out of their father's shadow to establish their own success, and finally, to his grandson, Hrithik, who captivates audiences around the world, this is the story of a resilient family legacy.

The Roshans review:

Documentaries are a challenging format, as they target a specific audience based on the event or person they depict. When Netflix released The Romantics in 2023, a documentary about Yash Chopra's legacy, it captured the attention of many, as it marked the first time Aditya Chopra had appeared on camera in his nearly three decades in the film industry. The artists, who spoke effortlessly about the empire of Yash Raj Films, also showed enthusiasm for the documentary.

ALSO READ: Rakesh Roshan cast Ameesha Patel 3 days before Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai shoot commenced, more revelations in The Roshans? 

Another documentary that stood out was last year's release, Angry Young Men, based on the legendary screenwriters duo Salim-Javed (Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar). We rediscovered the significance of screenwriters, often overlooked in today's world, in that documentary. It featured both family members and artists from the film industry, particularly Amitabh Bachchan, who owes his success to them.

Now, Netflix has dropped the latest documentary series, The Roshans. What do we know about this illustrious family? They have been here for three generations, but the younger one redefined the film industry 25 years ago. Is there an interest in knowing what Hrithik Roshan's family history looked like? Let's find out...

The Roshans documentary opens with Hrithik discovering a cassette containing the voice recording of his grandfather Roshan Lal Nagrath, a man he never met. The actor then shares an intriguing story about how his grandfather's first name became a surname for his father, uncle, and himself. This completes the documentary by honoring the legacy of Roshan Lal Nagrath.

Each of the four episodes honours one of the four successful members of the Roshan family: Roshan Lal Nagrath, Rajesh Roshan, Rakesh Roshan, and finally Hrithik Roshan.

At one point in time, Shah Rukh Khan's presence among other artists allowed them to fully capitalize on his popularity. Interestingly, SRK has received more screen time than Hrithik himself, and if this was a deliberate decision, we can understand why.

The Roshans documentary begins by delving deeply into the lesser-known Roshan, the senior-most member, on how he became one of the pioneers of the music in Bollywood. The words of his children and legends like Asha Bhosle, who spoke about performing playback singing for him, provide us with insight. When most millennials limit their knowledge to SD Burman, RD Burman, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and others, learning about Nagrath's still-popular compositions provides an intriguing beginning. Thus, it begins with a fresh perspective on the Roshan family's establishment in the film industry since 1949.

The story then shifts to another musician, Rajesh Roshan, who inherited his talent from his father. You wouldn't know that Rajesh Roshan is the composer of the wonderful songs in Hindi cinema unless you actively researched him. The episode sheds light on Rajesh's decision to refrain from marketing and promoting his work, even when films he composed for didn't perform well.

In these episodes, the dramatisation of events so dramatically disrupts the narrative that even a verbal description would have sufficed. However, the creators went to some extent to depict the events as they might have occurred in real life, adding an unnecessary daily soap opera touch.

Meanwhile, as we transition into the third episode, we gain insight into the gradual growth of the Roshan clan and the persistent challenge of sustainability. In the Rakesh Roshan episode, we gain insight into the transformation of a failed actor into a successful filmmaker.

Given that he consistently faced failure even when his efforts were not in vain, the story is undoubtedly inspirational. However, the lack of enthusiasm among the other artists, despite their numerous collaborations, left the anecdotes feeling superficial.

Another significant issue I had with the documentary was the reference to their absent personal lives, which seemed to exist solely for their own sake. Indeed, we should allow our work to speak for itself. Despite this, the family's female members were only able to express their admiration for them, offering nothing more.

By the time we reach the Rakesh Roshan-based episode, there's a sudden urge to make it align well with Hrithik Roshan's ascent. The borderline narcissism gets hugely visible—not in a bad way, so to speak. However, the "I, me, and myself" attitude without much further attribution leads even to the rest of the artists.

Without a doubt, Hrithik Roshan's movie debut was unparalleled. I firmly hold this belief, and even after 25 years, it hasn't altered in the slightest. However, Hrithik has experienced an incomparable level of failure. Hrithik rarely addresses these moments, instead focusing directly on the accident that occurred on the sets of Krrish (2006). It comes across as a brief narration with minimal impact, giving the impression of being overly preachy.

The Roshans documentary effectively reminds viewers of their uniqueness, which has contributed to their success as a film family. However, the documentary fails to achieve this, resulting in an overly forced four-episode narrative.

The Roshans verdict:

The Roshans plays a symphony of success and strife but occasionally hits a sour note. While it strikes the right chord in spotlighting Roshan Lal Nagrath’s musical genius and Hrithik's meteoric rise, the narrative often veers into self-congratulatory crescendos. 

ALSO READ: 7 Rakesh Roshan-directed films to watch on OTT before The Roshans releases