Rakesh Roshan is an Indian film actor, producer, and director associated with Hindi cinema. He began his career as a leading man in the 1970s and 1980s before transitioning to a more successful innings as a producer and director, founding the production house Filmkraft Productions. He is widely recognised for directing and producing the Krrish superhero franchise starring his son, the actor Hrithik Roshan.
| Full name | Rakesh Roshan Lal Nagrath |
|---|---|
| Profession | Film director, producer, actor |
| Industry | Hindi cinema (Bollywood) |
| Production house | Filmkraft Productions |
| Father | Roshan (music director) |
| Brother | Rajesh Roshan (music director) |
| Spouse | Pinkie Roshan |
| Children | Hrithik Roshan, Sunaina Roshan |
| Notable franchise | Krrish series |
Rakesh Roshan was born into a family rooted in Hindi film music. His father, Roshan Lal Nagrath, known professionally as Roshan, was a noted music director of the 1950s and 1960s, composing for films such as Barsaat Ki Raat and Taj Mahal. His younger brother, Rajesh Roshan, is also a music director who has scored several of Rakesh's productions. Rakesh is married to Pinkie Roshan, daughter of the film producer J. Om Prakash.
Rakesh Roshan entered the Hindi film industry as an actor in the early 1970s. He played leading and supporting roles through the 1970s and 1980s in films such as Aankhon Aankhon Mein, Khel Khel Mein, Khubsoorat, Khatta Meetha, Aap Ke Deewane, Kaamchor, and Bhagwaan Dada. While he was a familiar face in mainstream cinema, he did not achieve top-tier stardom as a hero, which prompted his shift towards production.
Rakesh Roshan founded Filmkraft Productions and began producing films in the 1980s. He made his directorial debut with Khudgarz (1987). Through the late 1980s and 1990s, he directed and produced a series of commercially successful films, often featuring music by his brother Rajesh Roshan.
Notable films directed by him include Khudgarz (1987), Khoon Bhari Maang (1988), Kishen Kanhaiya (1990), King Uncle (1993), Karan Arjun (1995), Koyla (1997), and Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), the last of which launched his son Hrithik Roshan as a leading actor.
He subsequently directed and produced Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), a science-fiction family drama, and developed it into a superhero franchise with Krrish (2006) and Krrish 3 (2013). The series is regarded as one of the earliest sustained attempts at the superhero genre in mainstream Hindi cinema.
Rakesh Roshan has received Filmfare Awards across categories during his career, including recognition for direction for Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. His films have frequently been nominated at major Hindi film award ceremonies in technical, music, and direction categories.
Rakesh Roshan is regarded as a successful filmmaker who built a distinctive, family-oriented mainstream filmography over more than three decades. He is credited with mainstreaming the home-grown superhero film in Hindi cinema through the Krrish series and with launching one of the leading stars of the 2000s, Hrithik Roshan. His work as both producer and director under Filmkraft Productions represents a significant filmmaker-led production model in Bollywood.