Roshan (1917–1967), born Roshan Lal Nagrath, was an Indian music director who composed for Hindi cinema between the late 1940s and the mid-1960s. He is remembered for his refined use of Hindustani classical idioms, particularly in qawwalis, ghazals and bhajans, and is regarded as one of the leading composers of the golden age of Hindi film music. His scores for films such as Barsaat Ki Raat (1960), Taj Mahal (1963), Chitralekha (1964) and Dil Hi To Hai (1963) remain widely heard.
| Full name | Roshan Lal Nagrath |
|---|---|
| Known as | Roshan |
| Born | 14 July 1917, Gujranwala, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan) |
| Died | 16 November 1967, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Profession | Music director, composer |
| Active | c. 1949–1967 |
| Training | Marris College of Music, Lucknow (later Bhatkhande Music Institute) |
| Instrument | Esraj (sarangi family) |
| Spouse | Ira Roshan (Ira Moitra) |
| Children | Rakesh Roshan, Rajesh Roshan |
| Notable grandson | Hrithik Roshan |
Roshan was born in Gujranwala in undivided Punjab in 1917. He developed an early interest in music and trained at the Marris College of Music in Lucknow, an institution founded by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, where he studied under Pandit S. N. Ratanjankar among others. He specialised in the esraj, a bowed string instrument, and worked at All India Radio (AIR), Delhi, as a staff musician before moving to Bombay to seek a career in films.
Roshan made his debut as a film composer with Kidar Sharma's Neki Aur Badi (1949), which did not succeed commercially. His break came with Baawre Nain (1950), again directed by Kidar Sharma, whose songs—most notably "Khayalon Mein Kisi Ke" and "Teri Duniya Mein Dil Lagta Nahin"—established him as a composer of merit.
Through the 1950s Roshan composed for films including Hum Log (1951), Anhonee (1952), Naubahar (1952), Chandni Chowk (1954), Heer (1956) and Ajee Bas Shukriya (1958). He worked extensively with lyricists such as Sahir Ludhianvi, Indeevar and Kaifi Azmi, and built a distinctive style anchored in raga-based melody and chorus-led arrangements.
The 1960s marked the peak of Roshan's career. Barsaat Ki Raat (1960), directed by P. L. Santoshi, featured the qawwali "Na To Caravan Ki Talash Hai" and the title song "Zindagi Bhar Nahin Bhulegi", and is often cited as a high point of the qawwali in Hindi cinema. Aarti (1962) included "Aapne Yaad Dilaya"; Taj Mahal (1963), with Sahir Ludhianvi's lyrics, won Roshan the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director and produced "Jo Wada Kiya Woh Nibhana Padega" and "Paaon Choo Lene Do". Dil Hi To Hai (1963) gave the celebrated qawwali "Nigahen Milane Ko Jee Chahta Hai", and Chitralekha (1964), set to lyrics by Sahir, included "Sansar Se Bhage Phirte Ho" and "Man Re Tu Kahe Na Dheer Dhare". Other notable scores include Bedaag (1965), Mamta (1966), Devar (1966) and Anokhi Raat (released posthumously in 1968).
Roshan's compositions are marked by:
| Year | Film |
|---|---|
| 1949 | Neki Aur Badi |
| 1950 | Baawre Nain |
| 1951 | Hum Log |
| 1952 | Anhonee; Naubahar |
| 1954 | Chandni Chowk |
| 1958 | Ajee Bas Shukriya |
| 1960 | Barsaat Ki Raat |
| 1962 | Aarti |
| 1963 | Taj Mahal; Dil Hi To Hai |
| 1964 | Chitralekha |
| 1965 | Bedaag |
| 1966 | Mamta; Devar |
| 1968 | Anokhi Raat (posthumous) |
Roshan married Ira Moitra, a Bengali singer who had also worked at All India Radio. The couple had two sons, both of whom became prominent figures in Hindi cinema: Rakesh Roshan, an actor, producer and director, and Rajesh Roshan, a music director who has scored for many of his brother's productions. Roshan's grandson, Hrithik Roshan, son of Rakesh, is a leading Hindi film actor.
Roshan suffered from a long-standing heart condition and died of a heart attack in Bombay on 16 November 1967, aged 50. Several of his completed scores, including Anokhi Raat, were released after his death.
Roshan occupies a distinctive position in the history of Hindi film music. While contemporaries such as Naushad, S. D. Burman, Shankar–Jaikishan and Madan Mohan dominated the box office, Roshan's reputation rests on the consistent musical quality of his work and his ability to integrate classical forms—qawwali, thumri, ghazal and bhajan—into mainstream cinema without diluting them. His songs continue to be performed and reinterpreted, and the Roshan family has remained a significant presence in Hindi cinema across three generations.