January 2024 is all about the highly anticipated release of Fighter (out on January 25) for Hrithik Roshan. However, the month also marks 24 years since his first film, Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai came out. Arguably the most outstanding debut in Bollywood, Roshan became an overnight star as the movie became a blockbuster, and “Hrithik Mania” took over! Did you know that Hrithik almost didn’t make his acting debut with his father and filmmaker Rakesh Roshan’s cult film?
Not Hrithik Roshan; this superstar was almost considered for Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai
Shah Rukh Khan was on Rakesh Roshan’s mind before Hrithik Roshan made a case for himself and eventually debuted in Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai. The Vikram Vedha star himself recalled the incident in an interview with Galatta Plus. According to Indian Express, Hrithik recalled how his dad had a reputation for working with stars and was against launching his son in Bollywood.
When asked why Rakesh Roshan ultimately launched him with Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, Hrithik theorised that his father may have gotten pleasantly intrigued when the then newcomer “was doing screen tests, and was getting offers.”
As for how his dad changed direction when casting him for Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, instead of a superstar like Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan shared, “…that, and he was making a film at that time with Shah Rukh Khan or Aamir Khan which fell through. And he had another thought, and while he was working on the scripting of that film with all the writers — and I was a part of this process — some weeks into it, everyone started feeling that this film needs a new boy or new girl. You have seen big stars do these roles, and even I was a part of that, that noise. Even I was like, ‘Yes, papa, I don’t want to see Shah Rukh do this.’ And, when this got very repetitive, he said, ‘That’s not what I had in mind, I’m taking you in the film.’” The rest, as they say, is history!
