I felt sad and restless: Rakesh Roshan on his father’s neglected legacy

Mumbai: Actor-filmmaker Rakesh Roshan says docuseries The Roshans was fuelled by his desire to highlight the achievements of his father, late composer Roshan Lal Nagrath, after he noticed that these songs were missing from many music compilations.

"The Roshans, currently streaming on Netflix, celebrates the enduring legacy of composer Roshan, who worked with iconic singers like Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, and Talat Mahmood. The series also highlights the contributions of his family members -- his sons, Rakesh and Rajesh, and his grandson, Hrithik -- to the film industry. It was seven years ago when Rakesh found an old transistor, which had old songs of many renowned musicians."

"There were 5,000 to 10,000 songs, songs of all music directors and actors. I thought of listening to my father’s songs, but I couldn't find any of him. I was amazed that there were names of all the music directors but not of my father."

"I felt very sad that he had done such great work (but it was missing...). I was feeling restless and disturbed," the filmmaker told PTI in an interview.

Later, he met Shashi Ranjan, the director of the docuseries, at an event.

"He was singing my father’s old songs, and I was surprised that he knew songs of my father. I told him, ‘Why don’t you make a documentary on him?' But he suggested that we make a documentary series on all the other three Roshans – Rajesh, Hrithik and me. So, it becomes a wholesome package for the audience to learn about our contribution to the film industry," he said.

Unlike his musician father, who died in 1967, Rakesh started his journey in Indian cinema as an assistant director and later made his debut as an actor in the 1970 film 'Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani'.

“Back then, I didn’t know what was happening around me. We were kids and all I remember is we would just watch him (father) work. It was only after my father passed away and I began work as an assistant director, I realised my father is such a big name.

"Producers would respect me and offer me work because of him,” Rakesh Roshan, who starred in films like Khubsoorat, Khel Khel Mein, Khatha Meetha, said.

Despite his father’s influence, the actor-filmmaker faced hurdles in his acting career.

“I got films because of my father. Even though my work was appreciated in films, I couldn’t grow in my acting career,” he said, adding, this led him to explore production and direction.

“I brought in all the emotions I had within me in my films. I was like ‘I want to do something; I want to become something.' I conveyed all of that in my films.” Rakesh then embarked on a directing career, making hits such as Khoon Bhari Maang, Karan Arjun, Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, Koi... Mil Gaya, and Krrish series.

“I've analysed that a common man wants to succeed in life. I've got a similar feeling within me that an underdog should win,” the filmmaker added.

He hopes that after watching The Roshans, the younger generation will get the courage to not fear losing anything in life.

"One will attain victory at some point, provided if they work with honesty,” Rakesh added.

Ranjan, known for films such as Dobara and Dhoom Dadakka, said a documentary series about celebrities is nothing but a vital historical document.

“I look at it as a cinema student and cinema buff and think that it’s great that we are looking at the history of Indian cinema through the eyes of different personalities,” he said.

“For instance, one might have heard the songs by Roshan sahab but they must not be aware that it was he who did it (music). So, this is important documentation," he added.

Apart from the Roshan family, the four-part docu-series features industry stalwarts like Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Karan Johar, Shatrughan Sinha, Anupam Kher, Javed Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar, Abhishek Bachchan, Asha Bhosle, Suman Kalyanpuri, Sonu Nigam, Usha Mangeshkar, and Kumar Sanu, among others.

With over 100 hours of footage collected over two years, Ranjan said he faced the arduous task of sifting through interviews and ensuring it was all in sync with the story and the depth of the personality.

"We’ve had such beautiful things shared by all of them, that we could make four more episodes," he said.