Why did Salman Khan not appear in The Roshans? Rakesh Roshan REVEALS real reason

Rakesh Roshan recently spoke about Salman Khan’s absence from The Roshans. He also talked about his experience of working with him and Shah Rukh Khan in Karan Arjun.

By Krishma Sharma

Updated on Jan 30, 2025 | 03:04 PM IST | 21.5K

Pic Courtesy: Rakesh Roshan and Salman Khan Instagram

The Netflix documentary series The Roshans was released earlier this month. It celebrates the legacy of the Roshan family, which was established by Rakesh Roshan’s father, Roshan. While the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Vicky Kaushal, and others made an appearance, the Karan Arjun director revealed the reason behind Salman Khan’s absence from the show.

While speaking with Bollywood Hungama, Rakesh Roshan was asked about Salman Khan’s absence from the series. In response, the veteran filmmaker revealed, “I did call him up 4-5 times, but I guess he was stuck in some issues. Hence, I didn’t force him [to appear in the documentary].”

Rakesh Roshan has directed the iconic cult classic Karan Arjun, led by Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.

During the conversation, Roshan also talked about his experience working with both superstars. When asked if he ever got angry with them when they used to be mischievous, Roshan stated that it wasn’t as though they were uncooperative.

The director shared that the duo used to play pranks on the set, which became excessive when other actors joined in. He mentioned that when it was time for a take, nobody would be in sync. Nonetheless, he noted that they were young and just having fun.

“They would tell me, ‘We’ll do it that way,’ while I would insist, ‘But I want it this way,’” he said, further adding that their intention was to make him angry. “But the best part is that I never got angry. Every morning, I used to pray to God, ‘Today, I should not lose my cool.’ And until the very end of the shoot, I never lost my temper,” he shared with a smile.

In the series, Shah Rukh Khan admitted to harassing Rakesh Roshan as both he and Salman were "naughty" and "troublemakers." He recalled the director’s wife, Pinkie Roshan, scolding them for their antics. “Between Salman and me, main thoda shareef tha [I was a little innocent]. At least on the face of it! I replied, ‘I didn’t do anything. It’s all his doing.’ So, we were two young kids, troubling a father figure,” he said.

The Roshans is a four-episode documentary that has been streaming on Netflix since January 17, 2025.