Bollywood actor was born in a garage, delivered 70 flops before he gambled away everything he owned and turned his fortune around

Rakesh later changed his surname from Nagrath to Roshan so that producers and filmmakers could recognize him as Roshan’s son when he was struggling to find work as an aspiring actor. “As an actor I would introduce myself as Roshan’s son to get appointment from top producers,” he said.

However, tragedy struck early when Rakesh lost his father at the age of 17. After his father’s passing, he began working as an assistant director to support his family while still nurturing his dream of becoming a lead actor.

Failed as a lead hero, played side/supportive roles

In 1970, Rakesh Roshan made his acting debut with the film Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani, playing a supporting role. He continued to appear in smaller roles before landing his first film as a leading man with Seema (1971). However, the film turned out to be a commercial failure, though its songs became popular.

Most of Rakesh’s films as a lead actor failed to leave an impact, including titles like Aankhon Aankhon Mein, Aankh Micholi, and others. Eventually, he shifted back to supporting roles in big films like Khel Khel Mein, Khatta Meetha, and Khubsoorat. Reflecting on this period, he said, “Those films never took me ahead, other actors’ careers went ahead with them but not mine.”

Talking about doing 94 films as an actor, he said, “Out of the 94 films, 70 films I would have gotten because I would have called them asking them to take me in films. I couldn’t reach where I wanted to, I had to constantly seek work.”

In the same interview, Rakesh admitted that he even accepted villainous roles out of desperation. “There was a dark tunnel for me, I didn’t know where to go but I kept working as an assistant director or as an actor. I wanted to be in front of producers. I did side-roles, even villain roles because I wanted to be around. I didn’t have a choice.”

Rakesh Roshan launched Hrithik Roshan in 2000. (Pic: Express Archive)

Shifted into two-bedroom flat with parents, brother and his family of four

As work remained scarce, Rakesh struggled to sustain his growing family — his wife Pinkie, daughter Sunaina, and son Hrithik. In an old Filmfare interview, he recalled how, when he couldn’t afford rent, they had to move into a two-bedroom flat with his brother, his parents, and his own family of four.

Sharing how his wife stood by him during this tough phase, he said, “She comes from a rich family where she lived in a bungalow; I took her to a two-room apartment where I lived with my parents and brother. She understood my frustrations. She went through the tough period with patience and was never demanding.”

Hrithik too recalled those tough days when he appeared on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal. “Until the time my dad could earn enough money to buy another house. And then we shifted into another house which was barely just walls and floors. We slept on gaddas, these mats and slowly got the furniture in,” he shared.

Borrowed money from friends to pay bills

In the documentary series The Roshans, Rakesh revealed that during his struggling years, he often had to borrow money from friends to pay bills. He said, “Sometimes, it used to be like, ‘How am I going to pay the monthly bills?’ I would often approach a friend and ask them for a loan, saying, ‘Could you give me Rs 5000? I don’t have enough money to pay my bills.’ I was ready to put in the hard work, but for some reason, I wasn’t getting enough success.”

Tagged ‘jinxed’, heroines refused to work with him

The 1977 film Priyatama was supposed to be Rakesh’s big break. However, he was replaced at the last moment by his close friend Jeetendra, as distributors believed he was “jinxed.” Even the film’s lead actress Neetu Kapoor reportedly refused to work with him.

Recalling the incident, Rakesh shared in the documentary, “One day the producer called and said to me, ‘We want to cast someone else because the distributors and the film’s heroine both have refused to work with you saying that if you are in the movie then it will never sell. The heroine refuses to work with you.’ Then Basu da came to me and said, ‘Wait, there is another good role in the film for you, Guddu.’ Since it was Basu da, I couldn’t refuse. But I was deeply hurt by that. ‘Why did this happen?’ I went up to our terrace. And started yelling at God. I kept yelling and cursing him. ‘Why are you doing this to me? I am working so hard.’”

Was asked to step aside in photos with Rishi Kapoor and Jeetendra

Rakesh maintained close friendships with superstars Rishi Kapoor and Jeetendra despite their different levels of stardom. However, he recalled a humiliating experience while appearing on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal. He revealed how, at parties, he and his wife Pinkie would be asked to step aside from group photos with Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Jeetendra, and Shobha Kapoor. “I never used to feel bad about me, I would feel bad about her (Pinkie) but I can’t do anything about it,” he said.

Rakesh Roshan and Jeetendra. (Photo: Varinder Chawla/Instagram)

Mortgaged house and car for directorial debut Khudgarz

In 1987, Rakesh took a bold step by pivoting from acting to filmmaking — a gamble that finally paid off. For his directorial debut Khudgarz, he mortgaged his house, car, and everything he owned. The film turned out to be a blockbuster. Having seen so much failure, he had become fearless about taking risks, and this time, it worked in his favour.

His next film Khoon Bhari Maang (1988), starring Rekha, was another box office success and earned him his first Best Director nomination. From there, he continued his winning streak with films like Kishen Kanhaiya, Khel, and King Uncle.

The biggest milestone of his career came in 2000, when he launched his son Hrithik Roshan in Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai. The film became a massive hit and established Hrithik as a superstar overnight. The father-son duo then went on to create the hugely successful sci-fi and superhero series, starting with Koi… Mil Gaya (2003) and followed by the Krrish franchise (2006–2013), which became one of Bollywood’s most successful film series.