The Roshans Review: Insightful, nostalgia-laden biography on Bollywood's multi-talented family

The Roshans Review

The Roshans Review: If I could take a shot every time I heard the phrase "it is in the blood", I'd be pretty drunk by the end of four episodes of The Roshans. It reminded me of Amazon Prime Video's Salim-Javed documentary where tone-deaf Bollywood bigwigs repeatedly looked into the camera asking — “Can you imagine if a writer today asked for one crore more than Salman Khan” — while being completely oblivious to the systemic problems that plague screenwriting and writing in general.

The Roshans: It Is In The Blood

So when rich celebs in their over-the-top outfits look into the camera and say “It is in the blood”, it is hard to take them seriously. it is easier for those who either already come from generational wealth to pursue arts as opposed to the working class who work jobs to fill their stomachs.

The problem here isn't as much with Roshans but the Bollywood bigwigs who take a rather self-congratulatory tone while giving their pieces-to-camera. If one were to keep aside some of these criticisms, The Roshans is just the insightful, refreshing docu-series on Bollywood's multi-talented family that we need.

The Roshans: Greek God Who Knows How To Groove

Besides Priyanka Chopra and Preity Zinta, we see many of Hrithik’s co-actors make an appearance in the fourth part titled “We Found Him…” Ameesha Patel, Hrithik's co-star from the iconic film Kaho Na…Pyaar Hai (2000) says “Hrithik used to tell me about his insecurities. I never took them seriously”.

At one point, Tiger Shroff says he imbibed Hrithik’s dancing skills. Madhuri Dixit describes his dance routines as “poetry in motion”. Perhaps the most interesting trivia comes from Zoya Akhtar who shares that Hrithik, beyond his ‘Greek God’ image, is quite emotional. “There is a vulnerability to him”, the director says.

The Roshans: Going Against The Tide

Another interesting observation comes from Abhishek Bachchan, who says “You [Hrithik] are not playing to your perceived strengths. You're doing the complete opposite. Going against the grain”. From Hrithik's Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara co-stars to Shah Rukh Khan, from Vicky Kaushal to Asha Bhosle, the who's who of the film world make an appearance.

Arguably my favourite moment from the documentary is when Pinki Roshan (Hrithik's mother) gets candid about the creative differences between Rakesh and Hrithik on the sets of Kaho Na…Pyaar Hai. While Hrithik wanted to do things his way, his father was more of an imposing figure who wanted creative control.

The Roshans: Reimagining Masculinity 

In what can be called one of the best moments of the docu-series, Hrithik shares how his father’s way of showing affection to him stems out of the way he was treated as a kid. “I don't think he was granted the kind of compassion from the world… the only way he learnt was by being hard on himself. It is often misunderstood”. It is just the commentary on generational trauma and parenting we need today.

The highlight though, is Farah Khan saying that she wants people at her mayyat to do Hrithik's hook step from Ek Pal Ka Jeena. What amazed this critic was just how unafraid Hrithik is to share his vulnerable side.

The Roshans: Underworld Shootout

Even as a young boy, Hrithik was shy, reserved as opposed to being loud and boisterous. Hrithik's inner world is full of emotions and creativity which, to most, might seem uncharacteristic of his hyper-masculine Greek God persona. From being born with a curved spine and two thumbs to lacking vanity and being immersed in his inner world, Hrithik knew he wasn't ‘normal’ growing up.

Shortly after the success of Kaho Na…Pyaar Hai, Rakesh Roshan was shot by unknown assailants. A significant event which allegedly had links to the underworld nexus, shook the industry. In a guy-wrenching moment, Roshan opens up about how Rakesh would have nightmares where he would wake up screaming, fearing he was shot at.

The Roshans: Koi…Mil Gaya

In 2003, Rakesh Roshan made history again with his ET-coded sci-fi film Koi…Mil Gaya. “Nisha was anything but the heroine of the film”, says Preity Zinta, while sharing her appreciation for the song “Idhar Chala Main Udhar Chala”. The song, Zinta feels, wasn't sexualized and celebrated friendship. Hrithik admits he argues with choreographers on the execution of dance steps.

We get a BTS peak into the making of Krrish (2006) as PeeCee champions our ‘Desi homegrown’ superhero. Rakesh Roshan opens up about his battle with tongue cancer. Netflix's The Roshans is just a refreshing, insightful biography that the multi-talented Bollywood family deserves. At four parts, each of them being approximately 60 minutes long, The Roshans makes for a perfect weekend watch.

Star rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

The Roshans is now streaming on Netflix.