‘SRK Was Never Considered For Kaho Na… Pyaar Hai’

‘I
never
gave
any
indication
that
Hrithik
would
do
a
film
for
the
underworld.’

With
nine
Filmfare
awards,

Kaho
Na…
Pyaar
Hai
became
the
second-largest
Filmfare
winner
after

Dilwale
Dulhaniya
Le
Jayenge
which
had
won
10.

Director

Rakesh
Roshan
had
felt
vindicated
at
the
time.
While
his
earlier
films
won
awards,
he
had
won
none
in
the
capacity
of
a
director.

“When
a
film
is
awarded,
it
definitely
gives
one
a
huge
high,”
he
tells

Subhash
K
Jha.

“Sometimes,
a
film
does
exceptionally
well
at
the
box
office
but
doesn’t
win
awards.
Then
again,
there
are
award-winning
films
which
aren’t
successful
at
the
box
office.

Kaho
Na…
Pyaar
Hai
did
both.

“It
became
a
hit
and
got
awards.
But
to
be
honest,
I
didn’t
expect
so
many
awards.
I
think
for
three
members
of
the
same
family
(including
Rakeshji,
his
Composer
brother
Rajesh
Roshan
and
son
Hrithik)
to
win
awards
for
the
same
film
is
unprecedented.”

“This
was
a
double
role
with
a
difference,”
Rakesh
Roshan
says
about
the
film.

“The
two
Hrithiks
were
never
together.
When
one
dies,
the
other
appears.
So
in
a
way,
the
two
characters
formed
a
complete
whole.
In
most
films
featuring
double
roles,
one
is
good
and
the
other
is
bad.
In
this
case,
both
the
Hrithiks
were
decent
human
beings
with
different
attitudes
to
life.

“We
planned
the
film
in
the
way
it
was
presented
with
Ameesha
Patel
gradually
coming
to
love
the
person
her
dead
boyfriend
resembled.
although
she
insists
she
can
never
forget
her
first
love.
It’s
the
crisis
in
the
girl’s
life
that
brings
her
close
to
her
dead
love’s
lookalike.”

The
filmmaker
remembers
the
moment
he
decided
to
cast
his
son
in

Kaho
Na…
Pyaar
Hai.

“On
the
morning
when
I
decided
on
this
story,
Hrithik
was
sitting
next
to
me.
Since
the
story
required
a
new
face,
we
decided
right
then
that
Hrithik
would
do
it.
“Contrary
to
rumours,
Shah
Rukh
Khan
was
never
considered
for

Kaho
Na…
Pyaar
Hai.
He
was
in
the
running
for
another
film
that
I
was
planning
to
make
at
that
time.
If
I
had
made
that
film,
Hrithik
would
have
made
his
debut
a
couple
of
years
down
the
line.
It
was
fate,
I
guess.”

Soon
after

Kaho
Na…
Pyaar
Hai
was
declared
a
blockbuster,
Rakesh
Roshan
was
shot
at
by
the
underworld,
which
claimed
he
had
promised
that
Hrithik
would
do
a
film
for
them.

“I
never
gave
any
indication
that
Hrithik
would
do
a
film
for
them.
I
kept
putting
them
off
saying
Hrithik
had
no
dates,
which
was
the
truth.

“They
asked
me
to
take
dates
away
from
other
producers
and
give
it
to
them.
I
refused
to
do
this.
Once
I
had
committed
my
son’s
dates
elsewhere,
I
refused
to
give
in
to
arm-twisting
tactics.
With
the
kind
of
tension
and
fear
that
some
of
us
had
to
bear,
we
couldn’t
do
anything
creative,
let
alone
make
a
film.”

Kaho
Na…
Pyaar
Hai
released
on
January
14,
and
today,
it
marks
Hrithik
Roshan’s
25th
work
anniversary.

The
actor
looks
back
at
the
film
that
made
him
an
overnight
star,
and
posts
some
notes
he
had
made
as
a
debutant.

‘My
notes
from
27
years
ago.
Prepping
as
an
ACTOR
for
my
first
movie

Kaho
Na
Pyaar
Hai.
I
remember
how
nervous
I
was.
Still
am
when
starting
a
movie.
I’d
be
embarrassed
sharing
these,
but
after
25
years
of
being
in
the
industry
I
guess
I
can
handle
it,’
Hrithik
writes.

‘Then
to
now,
what’s
changed?
I
see
these
pages
and
realise
—
absolutely
nothing.
Good
thing?
Bad
thing?
It’s
just
how
it
is.
Only
process
remains.
So
much
to
be
thankful
for.
So
much
to
be
grateful
for.
So
much
left
to
do.

‘It’s
the
25th
anniversary
of

Kaho
Na
Pyaar
Hai.
And
the
ONLY
thing
I
want
to
celebrate
are
these
scribbles
in
my
rough
book.
Only
thing
I
am
relieved
about
is
the
proof
of
resilience.

‘The
first
page
says
“one
day”
at
the
bottom.
No
such
day
happened,
it
never
came.
Or
maybe
it
did
but
I
missed
it
cause
I
was
in
prep.’