Hrithik Roshan reflected on the moment that his father, Rakesh Roshan, ‘offered’ him the lead role in his debut film Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, despite having told him that he has no interest in launching him. Hrithik said that his father was prepping a film with a big name star at that point, and that he, Hrithik, had dissuaded his father from pursuing this course.
In an interview with Galatta Plus, Hrithik reflected on how his father Rakesh Roshan cast him in Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, and said that his father had a reputation for working with stars, which is what was the mould that he was expected to fit into as well.
He said, “My father told me time and time again, ‘I’m not going to make a film for you, you’re on your own’. So, I was doing screen tests, I did a couple of them, I was looking for work. For my photo session, I had no money. I had promised Daboo Ratnani that I will pay him once I start to earn. All of this was going on, and suddenly, I got this offer. And all I knew was that I had to satisfy my director.
Hrithik Roshan credited his upbringing and innocence as being the reason why the audience accepted him, and made him an overnight sensation. He went from being just a regular guy to a star, ‘in a matter of hours’, he said.
