Highlights
The Roshans starts with Actor Hrithik Roshan listening to an old Hindi song “Isko bhi apnata chal” on an old tape recorder. The song is composed by Hrithik’s grandfather Roshan Saab (Roshan Lal Nagrath) who also sang the song for the 1965 film Nai Umar Ki Nai Fasal. Hrithik shares how he is listening to the rare song for the first time as he found it during the making of this series by Roshan Creations Production. The viewers are taken to the old photos of three generations of the Roshan family. Directed by Shashi Ranjan, The Roshans’ episode 1 focuses on the struggles and setbacks of musician Roshan Lal Nagrath who transformed Indian cinema with his beautiful songs and unique partnerships.
Tributes to Roshan Saab from Industry Legends
Viewers are introduced to playback singers like Asha Bhosle, Suman Kalyanpur, Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, actor Madhuri Dixit, music director Anu Malik, actor Shah Rukh Khan along with a voice note of late Lata Mangeshkar who had shared during a radio program of how the music maestro Roshan Saab wasn’t keen about fast songs but tried to express happiness and peace in his melodies.
Lyricist Javed Akhtar mentioned how Roshan turned even difficult songs into popular tunes by giving an example of the song Dil Jo Na Keh Saka. Playback singer Shailendra Singh continued how the way he composed the songs was amazing. Filmmaker and music composer Sanjay Leela Bhansali appreciated Roshan’s ability to integrate soul into Indian classical music. Actor Anil Kapoor praised Roshan’s music which is relevant even today while music composer Vishal Dadlani said his music was timeless.
The episode then highlights how Roshan’s son Rajesh Roshan has continued his musical legacy. Actor Abhishek Bachchan expresses how he recollects the iconic songs of Roshan Saab as he grew up listening to them. Filmmakers like Siddharth Anand, and Karan Johar appreciate Rakesh Roshan’s vision of filmmaking. Young actors like Vicky Kaushal, and Tiger Shroff, among others, appreciate Hrithik’s acting and dancing abilities and conclude that Hrithik is magical. And we have a list of key people who share their views and experiences about the three generations of Roshans. Well, this is just the introduction part of The Roshans, a Netflix documentary series.
Chapter 1: Rahen Na Rahen Hum
And we are taken to The Roshans Chapter 1: Rahen Na Rahen Hum and we get a glimpse from the last recorded video of Ameen Sayani, the broadcaster and family friend of the Roshan family. Then the viewers are taken to Gujranwala in Punjab where the music director Roshan was born in 1917 and from that scene is where the actual episode 1 starts. Roshan Saab moved with his musician wife Ira in 1948 to Bombay (now Mumbai) and as they say, the rest is history. Watch the 50-minute episode to know how Roshan transitioned from his family business of contractors to a profession in music and changed the lives of his future generations.
Viewers get to see how Roshan worked with different people in the music field of Bollywood. Right from actors to filmmakers to playback singers, everyone shared how they honestly felt when they heard a song or worked on a song by Roshan. “Who will listen to a 15-minute qawwali song?” asked Ira, Roshan’s wife, as shown from archive footage. To which Roshan had told her that there would come a time when people would search for these qawwali songs and get inspired by them. The episode ends with Rakesh and Rajesh sharing how they were grief-struck in their teenage when their dad died at the young age of 50 due to a sudden heart attack. The episode ends with Rakesh Roshan sharing with tears in his eyes that on the night of his father’s death, the 18-year-old boy inside him decided to become an 18-year-old man overnight and that serves as the premise of further episodes.
If you love music, you will truly connect with the finer details of Roshan Saab’s work, as shared by experts in the first episode. But if the technical side isn’t your thing, don’t worry. A beautiful collection of Roshan’s soul-stirring songs plays every few minutes with short clips to keep you engaged and captivated.
Verdict
The heartfelt interviews, rare archival footage, and contributions from key individuals in the industry add a genuine and authentic touch to the series. Episode 1 of The Roshans is a must-watch for anyone curious about the continuing success of the Roshan family. Roshan Lal Nagrath’s decision to leave behind the contractor business and pursue a life-changing career in music not only shaped his legacy but also laid the foundation for the Roshan family’s remarkable impact on Indian cinema. His journey is both life-inspiring and unforgettable and thus, I go with 4 out of 5 stars.
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