Many a times while watching the four-episode docu-series on the Roshan family I was reminded of the film on Yash Chopra where we heard interviewee after interviewee praising the doyen to the skies.
Not that Yash Chopra didn’t deserve the praise. But surely he had his blemishes. Even God does. Not Yash Chopra. Not the Roshans. They are portrayed as a picture-perfect Parivaar where the biggest disputes are probably over which flavour of icecream is to be served for dessert.
The chosen flavour in this documentary is, of course vanilla. All smooth sweet and safe. My favourite of the fulsome foursome is Episode 1 on Rakesh and Rajesh Roshan’s father the great composer Roshan Nagrath who deserves a docu-series of his own.
I remember Lataji telling me more than once that Roshan Senior never got his due. This one does just a quarter of justice to the great composer. There are some rare pictures of the patriarch, including fellow-composer C Ramachandra weeping inconsolably on Roshan Nagrath’s death. It is good to see Asha Bhosle, the oldest living singer to have worked with the legendary composer speaking on him, though it must be reiterated that Roshan’s best work was with Lataji and Mukesh.
The second episode is devoted to Roshan’s son Rajesh Roshan. Is it fair to give Roshan Junior the same space as the senior? Rajesh is no doubt talented but no patch on his father.
The third episode on actor-filmmaker Rakesh Roshan is interesting for showing the actor’s early days of struggle and zero support from the industry in spite of his illustrious father.
Finally, Hrithik Roshan who not only speaks in the other three episodes (as over-rehearsed as his performances) but also celebrates his own greatness in an entire episode.
Nowhere except in India do we have celebrities who are their own fan.
