The best of Rakesh Roshan
2. Khatta Meetha (1977)
In this enchanting Basu Chatterji comedy, Rakesh Roshan cornered the main romantic angle.
The movie had Rakesh playing a typically '70s everyman hero (he wore spectacles in the film). He played the delightful Pearl Padamsee's elder son, Firoz, who is stunned when his ageing mother marries a Parsi widower, Ashok Kumar. Backed by his own siblings, Rakesh is soon at war with Kumar's menagerie of four sons. This common man falls for a rich girl (Bindiya Goswami), even if on their dates he has to assure her that he has the money for an ice cream.
Bindiya's disapproving father harasses Pearl and Ashok, and unwittingly draws the extended family together. Rakesh may not have looked like a Parsi but his palpable earnestness was just right for this heart-warming, slice-of-life drama.
Khatta Meetha was also Rakesh's first collaboration with his music composer brother Rajesh Roshan. And it hit the jackpot. Popular songs like Thoda hai thode ki zaroorat hai (especially the Sun sun sun hawa chali interlude), Frenny o Frenny (a sentimental song for a sister at her marriage); and Tumse mila tha pyar, kuchh achhe naseeb they were picturised on Rakesh, and they helped his career immensely.