Rajesh Roshan has been composing for Hindi movies for over 50 years. Actor-filmmaker Mehmood gave an 18-year-old Roshan his break as a comp...
Rajesh Roshan has been composing for Hindi movies for over 50 years. Actor-filmmaker Mehmood gave an 18-year-old Roshan his break as a composer in his 1974 classic Kunwara Baap. Two years later, Roshan won his first Filmfare Award as a composer for Julie, beating RD Burman’s soundtracks for Sholay and Khel Khel Mein.
In 2020, Rajesh Roshan has his director brother Rakesh Roshan’s Krrish 4 in the pipeline, along with the Vivek Oberoi-produced Iti, his first project outside his family banner in more than 15 years.
The secret to the 65-year-old composer’s success and longevity? His ability to constantly reinvent himself, especially after he formed a formidable partnership with Rakesh Roshan, he told Scroll.in.
“When Rakesh became a director, we got new confidence in ourselves, and we decided that we will pick singers based on the quality of the tune and not chase trends,” Rajesh Roshan said. “So we used Nitin Mukesh and then a newcomer Sadhana Sargam for Khudgarz. Then Lucky Ali in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. Even today, I try to make new kinds of music. With Covid-19, it’s difficult to get musicians and singers together in a room, so now I’m working from home. Here too, I am adapting.”
Roshan’s knack of studying fellow composers across generations and being inspired by their styles was among the topics...
