‘The Roshans’ docu-series review: An expected trip down memory lane

Netflix’s docu-series ‘The Roshans' is a comfortable look at the Roshan family’s unique three-fold vantage point into mainstream Hindi cinema

Successful Bollywood families carry a certain kind of myth that fuels an interest in their inner workings. There’s a healthy amount of connections and contacts that propel these careers, but a lot else must go right for generation after generation to find its feet in mainstream Hindi cinema. As Asha Bhosle remarks early in The Roshans, “It is not usual that an artist’s entire family turn out to be artists...but it happened with the Roshans.” Netflix’s latest docu-series tries to parse through decades of filmmaking that has defined the Roshan family, but ends up with a saccharine recollection of the good times.

Beginning the Roshans’ journey from Roshan Nagrath, the docu-series brings together a crew of people who worked with him or were inspired by him, to speak to the music director’s vast body of work. Asha Bhosle, Suman Kalyanpur, Sudha Malhotra, and Usha Mangeshkar recollect the lively practice sessions with Roshan Nagrath; Rakesh Roshan gives a more personal insight into the mind of an artist who collaborated with Sahir Ludhianavi and Mohammed Rafi in 1960 to give the title track for Madhubala-starrer Barsaat ki Raat. A short cameo by the iconic radio presenter, the late Ameen Sayani, solidifies the overreaching but quiet impact of Roshan Nagrath’s work.

Divided into four parts, the docu-series moves forward to explore the careers of Rajesh, Rakesh, and Hrithik Roshan in the remaining three episodes. The showrunners establish a reliable formula of banking upon recalled professional tales, family memories, and archival footage to flesh out the Roshan men. It’s safe but also effective, for the kind of homely feel they aim for. The camera switches from one famous industry veteran to the other as they speak about Rajesh Roshan following in his father’s footsteps to take up a successful career in music direction. Meanwhile, Rakesh takes up other jobs in the industry, trying his hand at acting, and producing, before finally finding success with directing. His rise also ends up coinciding with the debut of his son Hrithik, who completes 25 years in the Hindi film industry this year.

The Roshan family possesses a unique three-fold vantage point into mainstream Hindi cinema. With music direction, film direction, and acting, they have been exposed to the inner workings of the industry right from 1948 up until the present day. However, the insights in these four episodes don’t match the weight of the creative legacies of these artists. Rakesh and Hrithik Roshan are particularly more extensively interviewed for the show, and while they do reach into some vulnerable pockets, they mostly keep their guard up.

Since this series is produced by Rakesh Roshan himself, the narrative is more forgiving and smooth sailing for the family. It is also at times marked by the absence of discussion of Hrithik’s career trajectory with other directors. Therefore it does make one wonder what the product could have been, with a more objective eye looking at the family. However, for now, if you want to know about the Roshans, a four-episode comfortable trip down the memory lane does some of the trick.

The Roshans is available for streaming on Netflix