The Roshans: Hrithik and Rakesh Roshan to create documentary tracing the family's seven-decade run in the movie business

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Their passion for cinema has spanned generations. While the late Roshan set foot in the movie industry as a music composer, his younger son Rajesh Roshan followed in his footsteps and elder son Rakesh Roshan took their love for films further with acting and direction. Hrithik Roshan, the third-generation star, took his place in front of the camera, becoming one of Bollywood's biggest actors. The family's legacy then is a story worth telling. Which is why actor-director Shashi Ranjan is helming a documentary, titled The Roshans, on their seven-decade run in the movie business.

Rajesh Roshan

The documentary will begin in 1948, when Roshan - an accomplished esraj player - came to then-Bombay from Delhi and served as an assistant to composer Khwaja Khurshid Anwar on Singaar (1949). Slowly, he rose to fame as he created evergreen melodies like Zindagi bhar nahin bhulegi, Laaga chunari mein daag, and Jo waada kiya woh nibhana padega. A source from the creative team reveals, "Few know that Roshanji's wife Ira was a singer and composer. Such little-known anecdotes about the family will be unveiled in the documentary as it traces the journey of each Roshan. And who better to talk about it than Rakesh, Rajesh and Hrithik? They have all contributed in different forms to the film industry."

Success has been their steady friend. Rajesh inherited his father's musical sensibilities, going on to become a noted composer over the decades. Similarly, Rakesh became one of the leading filmmakers, helming blockbusters in Karan Arjun (1995), Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (2000), Koi Mil Gaya (2003) and the Krrish franchise. However, the family has seen its fair share of difficulties - from Hrithik's brain surgery in 2013, to the senior filmmaker's battle with throat cancer in late 2018. The documentary is expected to shed light on these episodes, showing how the family emerged triumphant from the darkest of days.

Roshan

We hear The Roshans will be designed along the lines of The Romantics, featuring interviews of their friends, colleagues and family. "Over 40 interviews have been recorded till now. After all interviews are done, the team will begin post-production." When mid-day reached out to Rakesh, who is producing the docu with his brother and son, the veteran filmmaker stated, "All I can say is that we are doing a documentary on the Roshans from the year 1948, which begins with my father's journey, goes through mine and my brother Rajesh's, and carries on with Hrithik."