Hrithik Roshan became the subcontinent’s heartthrob when he made his debute at the age of 26 in ‘Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai’. The film, directed, written and produced by Hrithik’s father Rakesh Roshan, went on to become a box office hit.
But in an interview, the ‘Dhoom’ actor revealed that he was incredibly nervous about his first appearance on film, doing everything he could to look good on screen including meditating, singing and acting classes, and even seeking Salman Khan’s advice on body building.
“I knew the physicality was very important, especially for this film where I was doing a double role, Rohit in the first part and Raj in the second half. I thought it would be nice if I could, even physically show the difference between the two characters. So, I was training myself for a year but I was not seeing the kind of results I wanted to see.”
Roshan recalled speaking to the ‘Dabangg’ star, despite not knowing him at all:
“I did everything that I could, including calling the biggest star Salman Khan, who did not know me at all. I just asked myself who is the best in the business, it is Salman and I said, ‘I have to try this. I have to try asking him what you do,” he confessed.
Roshan also revealed his initial dislike of the script, finding it to be centered too much around the female perspective, and recalled complaining to his father about it. “On the script level, I thought it was a girl film and kept complaining to dad, ‘You know papa, I have got nothing to do. All I am doing is laughing or looking good, or dancing. How do I show people that I can do things,” re-called Hrithik.
The ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ actor confessed that after telling his complaint about the film to his dad, he remembered Rakesh shutting him down, by reminding him that he has no role in deciding the plot but is only acting in the film:
“He said, ‘I am making a movie, you want to act in it, do. But don’t tell me how to make the movie. I am not making the movie to launch you, I am making it because I have an idea, you are acting in it since you suit the part. You are a newcomer who just happens to be my son.’”
