Honored for his contribution to mainstream cinema in a career spanning almost five decades at the International Film Festival of India, Rakesh Roshan has not only acted in movies but also directed and produced them. He started his acting career in 1970 with a supporting role in Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani, following which he was seen in movies such as Madhosh, Jhoota Kahi Ka, Akele Hum Akele Tum, and Koi… Mil Gaya to name a few. Although he was not the most successful actor, he received immense praise for his directorial ventures such as Khoon Bhari Maang, King Uncle, Karan Arjun, and Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai among many others.
Early life
Rakesh Roshan was born to Ira Roshan and Roshan, a music composer, on the 6th of September, 1949. While his father composed music for mainstream Bollywood cinema, his mother was the composer for T-Series’ bhajan album Krishna Kanhaiya Ram Ramaiya. He studied at the Sainik School in Satara, Maharashtra. Rakesh has a younger brother Rajesh Roshan, who, like his father, is a music director.
Personal life
Rakesh married the daughter of well-known filmmaker J. Om Prakash. Given his father’s reputation, many directors and industry personalities often visited them. Pinky accompanied her father for such meetings, which is when Rakesh and her became good friends. While hunting for an ideal partner for Pinky, Om Prakash thought of Rakesh to be the perfect match for her, after which the two got married. Together, the couple has a son, Hrithik Roshan, who is a Bollywood movie star, and a daughter, Sunaina, who, like her father, is a producer.
Movie career
As an actor
The 1970 drama Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani, popular for the song Sama Hai Suhana Suhana sung by Kishore Kumar, marked Rakesh’s entry as an actor into the film industry. His performance got him to feature in movies like Paraya Dhan, Khoobsurat, Khatta Meetha, Devata, Khandaan, but was particularly appreciated for playing the lead opposite Jaya Prada in Kaamchor (1982) in the role of Suraj, a slacker who marries a rich girl only to claim a share in his father-in-law’s wealth. The movie was a hit, while songs of the film, composed by Rakesh’s brother Rajesh Roshan, were liked by audiences and added to the success of the film. Interestingly, established playback singer Sonu Nigam played Rakesh’s nephew in the movie.
Even though Rakesh majorly played supporting roles, his performances were appreciated by audiences, which quickly gained him popularity. After portraying the role of an accounts clerk to Rajesh Khanna’s character in the blockbuster hit Dhanwaan (1981), he was seen in the 1982 film Shriman Shrimati, directed by Vijay Reddy. The latter, which was a remake of the Telugu film Tayaramma Bangarayya, turned out to be an average hit. In the following year, Rakesh was cast in the multi-starrer film Shubh Kaamna that featured Rati Agnihotri, Utpal Dutt, Asrani, Satyendra Kapoor, and Om Prakash, and it turned out to be a huge success at the box office. Then came Aakhir Kyon?, the story of a girl who dumps her husband after finding out about his affair with her cousin, but later finds solace with a writer.
Subsequently, Rakesh appeared in moderately successful films, before the blockbuster hit Khoon Bhari Maang in 1988, which starred Rekha in the lead role and Rakesh Roshan in the role of her husband. The movie received positive reviews with appreciation for Rekha and Kabir Bedi’s performances that made it a huge success. Rakesh was later seen mainly in cameo appearances in films like Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, the Hrithik- Preity Zinta starrer Koi... Mil Gaya, and the 2007 blockbuster hit Om Shanti Om as himself.
As a director
After acting in several films, Rakesh established himself as a good actor but could not achieve stardom as an actor. His struggle to survive as a lead actor instigated him to try his hands at filmmaking. He turned into a director with the 1987 film Khudgarz, the story of two friends played by Shatrughan Sinha and Jeetendra, that turned out to be a blockbuster, achieving him huge success in his very first directorial venture. His second directorial venture Khoon Bhari Maang in 1988 received positive critical acclaim and huge commercial success. Critics applauded Rakesh for Khoon Bhari Maang as he proved that a movie can achieve success with the heroine as a protagonist.
Rakesh then directed Kala Bazaar and King Uncle, but the Shah Rukh Khan-Salman Khan starrer Karan Arjun, the second highest grossing Indian film of 1995, made it to his list of blockbuster hits. There seemed to be no stopping the director as he released yet another huge commercial hit Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai in 2000. It marked the debut of his son Hrithik Roshan, who was seen in a dual role, along with debutante Ameesha Patel. It was not only one of the most popular and highest-grossing films of the year, but was added to the Limca Book of Records for the greatest number of awards won by a Bollywood film. It also won Rakesh his first Filmfare Award as a producer and director.
After a gap of three years, Rakesh released the Bollywood science fiction Koi... Mil Gaya, again starring Hrithik in the lead alongside Preity Zinta. This movie, with a unique concept of a mentally challenged youth who befriends an alien, gained popularity mainly because of the alien character Jadoo. It won the Best Film on Social Issues Award at National Film Awards, along with Filmfare, Apsara, and Zee Cine Award for Best Film and Best Director. His next venture was Krrish in 2006, a sequel to Koi... Mil Gaya, and the second film in the Krrish series. This again had Hrithik play the male lead and Priyanka Chopra in the female lead, along with Naseeruddin Shah and Rekha in other important roles. This film received mixed reviews from critics in India, and had a good box office performance. Rakesh also released a third film in the Krrish series, Krrish 3 in 2013, which once again starred Hrithik and Priyanka Chopra, while Vivek Oberoi and Kangana Ranaut were also part of the main cast. The movie gained positive to mixed reviews and was a success at the box office.
As a producer
Rakesh Roshan ventured into production with Aap Ke Deewane but it turned out to be a box office flop. He then produced Kaamchor, which was a huge success, mainly appreciated for its music. Jaag Utha Insan and Khudgarz, followed by Khoon Bhari Maang that received critical praises, and the 1995 high grossing film Karan Arjun, were all produced by Rakesh. His next was the 1997 film Koyla, which was a commercial hit. He has also produced movies which starred his son Hrithik like Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, Koi... Mil Gaya, Krrish, and Krrish 3, the success of which established him as a producer too. His 2017 production includes Kaabil, directed by Sanjay Gupta, starring Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautam.