On January 14, 2000, a tall young man with sharp features appeared on the big screen for the first time. At that time neither he nor the audience knew that the boy, named ‘Hrithik Roshan’, would one day play a big role in the evolution of films in the early 2000s.

When Hrithik Roshan Appeared first as Rohit and then as Raj in Kaho Na Pyaar HaiThe audience was mesmerized. He brought a dose of minty freshness that the film industry was long waiting for.

Directed and produced by veteran actor-filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, the film was a huge launchpad for Hrithik. And it was done quite cleverly too. The script was planned in such a way that the audience was convinced that Hrithik had the ability to play dual roles with different character traits from the beginning.

Speaking to India Today Digital, Rakesh Roshan said, “When I made the film, I was not sure whether it would do well or whether Hrithik would become a superstar. No one can predict about the film. I had just made the film, and I was a director and producer working with an actor. This was not the son I was working with.

He further added, “Once the film was ready and about to be released, my paternal instincts kicked in. I used to pray to God, ‘Please draw.’ Let it go for the sake of the son because he has worked very hard‘ (Please help make the film successful, he has worked very hard for it). We don’t know why the film is successful and why it is not.”

Hrithik Roshan was believable as the innocent and naive Rohit, who bore no ill will towards anyone. In later scenes, he appeared as the muscular Raj, who danced as if he had been trained to do so all his life. He fucked like a professional. And boy, when he was in love, all the girls secretly wanted to put themselves in the shoes of then budding actress Ameesha Patel. And thus Hrithik Roshan became one of those few people who became a sensation with his very first film.

At that time, his female fans would paste cut-outs of his photographs in their scrapbooks. Their male fans head straight to the gym…or perhaps, dance classes, all to emulate their now-favorite new superstar.

Rakesh Roshan told us that when the film released, the audience reactions were “incredibly crazy”.

He said, “How this happened and why it happened, I don’t think anyone can analyze it.” I still feel that when an actor becomes a big star or a superstar, there must be some magnet inside him to draw the audience. And what his magnet was, we don’t know. Perhaps it was his eyes that attracted the audience or the way he carried himself.

The filmmaker further added, “You won’t believe that there were some fans who came and told me, ‘Mera chhota beta jab tak kaho naa pyar hai nahi dekh leta, khana nahi khata. How will a 2 year old child know who Hrithik Roshan is? He has a kind of charm that draws the audience in.”

But Hrithik could hardly taste the success of ‘Kaho Na Pyaar Hai’. On one hand, fans couldn’t get enough of him. On the other hand, his father was admitted to the hospital after he was shot by unknown assailants. Reportedly, Hrithik had even thought of leaving films.

“When the film released, Hrithik had to handle all the attention himself because, unfortunately, I was shot by the mafia within a week and I was in the hospital. He was dealing with two major situations simultaneously – his first film was such a big hit that everyone was praising him, and his father got seriously injured and hospitalised. This was an incredibly challenging time for us. However, by the grace of God, I recovered and our journey since then has been remarkable,” Rakesh Roshan told us.

Although Hrithik Roshan may have enjoyed a strong position, his career has not always been stellar. He tasted hits, flops and controversies in equal measure.

“I really think that you all have helped me, through our interactions over these 25 years, have helped me become a human being and an actor. Through all the questions and answers, you made me feel uncomfortable—I grew up with that. Sometimes you made me feel responsible, sometimes you made me feel accountable. Guys, not good for a shy guy!” Hrithik expressed in a recent post.

But, at the same time, he also took some wise decisions. Take Mission Kashmir, Krrish, Bang Bang and Dhoom 2 for example. Today his fans admire him not only as an actor but also as a source of inspirationThanks to her fitness routine, motivational talks and captivating travel diary.

Years passed like seconds, and here we are celebrating 25 years of actor Hrithik Roshan with the release of ‘Kaho Na Pyaar Hai’. A film that never gets old; Only we grew up with it.