Roshan (music director)

Roshan Lal Nagrath (14 July 1917 – 16 November 1967), known mononymously as Roshan, was an Indian esraj player and music director.

Roshan's compositions were marked by a melodic sensibility, subtle yet expressive orchestration, and a depth of feeling that distinguished him from many of his contemporaries, having mastered Hindustani classical music, particularly in the ghazal and qawwali traditions. In the qawwali genre specifically, with titles such as "Na Toh Karvan Ki Talash Hai" (Barsat ki Raat, 1960), he was particularly influential, and is said to be the only populariser of this genre of religious music between its founder Amir Khusro in the 13th century and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan of Pakistan a few decades later.

In 2025, Netflix released a four-part documentary series titled The Roshans. The series traces the artistic lineage from composer Roshan Lal Nagrath to his sons Rakesh Roshan and Rajesh Roshan, and to actor Hrithik Roshan, reflecting on how the family’s creative output helped shape mainstream Bollywood music and cinema.