Hrithik Roshan
Self
Overview
This documentary series chronicles the trials and triumphs of Bollywood's iconic Roshan family — musician Roshan Lal Nagrath, Rajesh, Rakesh and Hrithik.
Seasons
- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 4 episodes
- First aired
- Jan 17, 2025
Cast
Reviews
6 min readThe Roshans: A Family in Three-Quarter Time
I’ve watched enough Bollywood documentaries to know the formula by heart: a legendary name, a montage of hits, a few talking heads gushing about genius, and then—if we’re lucky—a single awkward moment where someone admits the money wasn’t always good. The Roshans, Netflix’s four-part series on the family that gave Hindi cinema some of its most enduring melodies and Hrithik Roshan’s gravity-defying dance moves, follows this script almost to the letter. But what makes it worth sitting through isn’t the formula itself, but the way it bends just enough to let a few human notes slip through the cracks.
The series opens with a quiet revelation: Rakesh Roshan, the man behind Krrish and Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, discovered his father’s name—Roshan Lal Nagrath, the composer who wrote the haunting Aarti and the playful Balam Pichkari—had been left off a digital music catalog. That omission, more than any award or box-office record, seems to have been the spark for this project.
It’s a small detail, but it tells you everything about what The Roshans is really about: not fame, but legacy. Not success, but the fear of being forgotten.
That fear hums beneath every frame of the series, even when the surface is all celebration. The Roshans—patriarch Roshan, his sons Rakesh and Rajesh, and grandson Hrithik—are a dynasty built on reinvention. Roshan Lal started as a sitar player in the 1940s, composing for films that were as much about social change as they were about romance.
His sons took that musical foundation and split it in two: Rakesh became a director who understood spectacle (Koi… Mil Gaya’s alien invasion is pure, joyful pulp), while Rajesh stayed behind the scenes, crafting melodies that could make a generation weep (Karan Arjun’s Yeh Bandhan is still the go-to song for every Indian family reunion). And then there’s Hrithik, the golden boy who turned physical perfection into an art form, his body moving with a precision that feels almost inhuman—until you see the home videos of him as a child, stumbling through dance steps with the same earnestness as any other kid.
The series is at its best when it lingers on these contrasts. There’s a moment in the second episode where Hrithik, now in his late 40s, watches footage of himself as a teenager, rehearsing for Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai.
The camera holds on his face as he watches his younger self, and for a second, you see something flicker—nostalgia, sure, but also something like disbelief. It’s the look of a man realizing he’s no longer the boy in the frame, and that the boy in the frame never really existed the way the world remembers him. That’s the kind of quiet, human detail that makes The Roshans more than just a highlight reel.
Audience Opinions
"A rare, intimate look at Bollywood’s most iconic family that resonates more as a personal tribute than a definitive documentary."
Viewers appreciate the unprecedented access to the Roshan family, revealing personal and professional dynamics between Hrithik, Rakesh, and Rajesh. The emotional depth and behind-the-scenes moments are praised, though some feel the series leans too heavily on nostalgia and avoids deeper industry critiques. latestnetflix.com's read is that the documentary’s pacing and structure are noted as uneven, with a few segments feeling disjointed or overly sentimental.
What viewers praise
- Unprecedented family access Offers a unique and intimate glimpse into the lives of Bollywood’s most celebrated family, rarely seen before.
- Emotional depth Moments of vulnerability and personal reflection add significant weight to the narrative.
- Behind-the-scenes insights Reveals the creative process and collaborations that shaped the Roshans’ legendary career.
Common complaints
- Overly nostalgic Some viewers feel the series avoids critical perspectives, focusing too much on admiration and sentimentality.
- Uneven pacing A few segments drag or feel disconnected, disrupting the flow of the documentary.
- Lacks industry critique Misses an opportunity to explore broader Bollywood dynamics or controversies involving the family.
Recommended for
Bollywood documentary fans Hrithik Roshan admirers Family saga enthusiasts Behind-the-scenes explorers
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsThe Roshans: A Docu-Series That Promised Drama but Delivered Discretion
Netflix’s The Roshans (2025) was billed as the definitive inside look at one of Bollywood’s most influential families. Directed by Shashi Ranjan, the four-part series features Hrithik Roshan, his father Rakesh Roshan, and uncle Rajesh Roshan—three generations of filmmakers and stars who shaped Hindi cinema. latestnetflix.com's view is that but from the moment it premiered on January 17, 2025, critics and viewers alike questioned whether the series was too cautious to deliver the juicy revelations fans expected.
A Family Portrait—But How Honest?
The Roshan family’s legacy is undeniable. Rakesh Roshan, a veteran director and producer, helmed blockbusters like Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai (2000), which launched Hrithik’s career. Rajesh Roshan, the composer behind iconic soundtracks (Karan Arjun, Koi… Mil Gaya), added another layer of musical genius to the family’s influence. Yet, The Roshans has been criticized for playing it safe, avoiding the kind of unfiltered storytelling that makes family sagas compelling.
Reviews suggest the series struggles with self-censorship. The Hollywood Reporter India called it a case of "nonfiction behaving like fiction," implying that the narrative feels sanitized, as if the Roshans controlled the final cut 
. CNBC-TV18 was blunter, labeling the series "too myopic, afraid, sanitised to divulge anything of importance or intrigue" . If true, this would align with Bollywood’s long-standing tradition of families guarding their public image—especially when scandals or creative conflicts could emerge.
What’s Missing? The Unanswered Questions
For a docu-series about a family with decades in the industry, The Roshans leaves key gaps unfilled. Some of the most intriguing aspects of the Roshan legacy—like the infamous fallout between Rakesh Roshan and his brother Rajesh in the 1990s, or the behind-the-scenes tensions during Hrithik’s early career—are either glossed over or omitted entirely.
- The Rakesh-Rajesh Rift: Rumors of a professional and personal divide between the brothers have circulated for years, but the series doesn’t delve into it . Was this a creative decision, or did the family veto the topic?
- Hrithik’s Struggles: The actor’s meteoric rise was followed by intense media scrutiny, including rumors of industry backlash and personal battles. Yet, the series reportedly avoids deeper exploration of these challenges .
- The Roshan Filmography: While the family’s hits are celebrated, there’s little critical analysis of their flops or the pressures of maintaining a cinematic dynasty.
Without these layers, The Roshans risks feeling like a glossy PR exercise rather than a warts-and-all portrait.
Why the Hesitation?
The Roshan family’s tight-lipped approach isn’t unique in Bollywood, where image management is often prioritized over transparency. But in an era where audiences crave authenticity—see the success of The Romantics (2023), which explored Yash Chopra’s legacy with unfiltered interviews—The Roshans’ restraint feels outdated.
One possible explanation? The series was produced with the family’s cooperation, meaning they likely had editorial influence. If so, the lack of controversy isn’t surprising. As CNBCTV18 put it, the series "doesn’t divulge anything of importance" . For fans hoping for a Succession-style drama, this was a letdown.
The Verdict: A Missed Opportunity
The Roshans had the potential to be a landmark docu-series—an intimate, unfiltered look at a family that defined Bollywood for generations. Instead, it plays like a carefully curated highlight reel, leaving viewers with more questions than answers. If the goal was to celebrate the Roshans’ achievements without stirring the pot, it succeeded. But for those expecting revelations, the series is a reminder that in Bollywood, some stories are still told on the family’s terms.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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