The year was 2000, and at the brink of a new millennium, a new star was born—Hrithik Roshan.
With his hazel eyes and boyish charm, this 27-year-old had created a buzz right from his first shot. And it was only going to get bigger and better with the slew of trends that were going to begin with this romantic saga.
Right from costumes, to music, the picturesque locations, and the dazzling chemistry between Ameesha Patel and Hrithik Roshan.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Rakesh Roshan grew nostalgic as he spoke about the first scene he had shot for the film.
‘Wanted a boy next door charm’
He says, “Hrithik gets up from the bed and removes the blanket, and that was his introduction. Any other filmmaker when he is launching a newcomer would have made him jump from the 30th floor, or on horse riding or a bike. But I simply introduced him to make the audience feel that he is the boy next door.”
It was a classic plot for a romantic film of the 2000s, a lower middle-class automobile executive called Rohit (Hrithik Roshan), falls in love with Sonia, hailing from an affluent background. As fate may have it, they fall hopelessly in love.
With Rohit’s love for music, the boy brings the missing pieces of love, warmth, and the joy of little things, into her life.
All hell breaks loose when Rohit faces an untimely death, leaving Sonia’s heart shattered into smithereens.
She’s then sent to New Zealand to stay with her cousin, to get over her heartbreak.
But as destiny may have it again, she meets Raj Chopra (Hrithik Roshan, in a double role), a friend of Sonia’s cousin, and also a spitting image of now dead boyfriend, Rohit.
The standout feature of Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai, was a fundamental story of love and loss. But amped up with stunning locations, and a foot-tapping musical, that to date, is considered an irreplaceable chartbuster.
Be it the romantic beaches of Thailand, or the lush landscapes of New Zealand, unknowingly, Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai had a major pop culture effect on how Bollywood inspires wanderlust.
Bringing New Zealand to India
New Zealand Tourism, particularly, became a household name after the release of Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai. After interval, a major chunk of the film was extensively shot in the beautiful location.
The popular romantic song Naa Tum Jano Na Hum was shot in Christchurch.
The gorgeous lakes, snow-capped peaks, and meandering valleys, significantly impacted the visual splendour of the film.
In the trivia section on IMDB, a user shared how New Zealand became a go-to destination for tourists, after the mega success of the film. The number of permits and visas for Indian students also saw an exponential rise.
Rakesh Roshan reacted to the location playing such a key role in the film.
He says, “Yes, I loved New Zealand as a location to shoot. I went in February or March, and we were to shoot for the first 50 days there. When I was landing there, from the flight I could see all brown patches only and no greens, but when I had done a recce prior, it was all green.”
He further adds, “That’s when I realised I had come at the wrong season for the shoot, then and there from the airport, I called up the production team as they were to leave later in the night, and I cancelled the entire shoot. Tickets of 150 people and their lodging, we had to reschedule it for 3-4 months later.”
Timeless music
The conversation then veered to the cracker music album. Head to any club with a 2000s Bollywood theme, and the catchy tunes of Ek Pal Ka Jeena, Pyaar Ki Kashti Mein, and the Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai title track, still makes the crowd go wild.
Rajesh Roshan, Hrithik Roshan’s uncle, was the music composer of the film.
“We worked very hard on the music. We brought in a lot of new voices like Lucky Ali for Raj (Hrithik Roshan’s doppelganger), and Udit Narayan for Rohit (Hrithik Roshan),” says Rakesh Roshan.
Kaho Na Pyaar Hai Title Track ❤️?
The film’s soundtrack album sold about 8.5 to 10 million units becoming one of its decades best selling Bollywood soundtrack of all time.#HrithikRoshan? #KahoNaaPyaarHai https://t.co/9Frcc9ScFg pic.twitter.com/rHgAPFjGJB
— FIGHTER (@45RohiRat18Fan) April 21, 2024
Rakesh Roshan adds, “Songs were made according to the story and the youngsters. Both Hrithik and Ameesha were young, and the songs were made for their generation. We didn’t know the songs would be that big a rage; we just worked as regular filmmakers selecting songs that worked best for us, and working on the picturisation.”
“But I ensured that I filmed the songs extremely well. I gave due attention to the songs because I loved the album. I said the songs were good and I wanted to give them my best, by shooting it on a ship, islands that no one had been to, and New Zealand which was an unexplored area back then. So the world would see these locations which were unexposed then.”
And the efforts indeed bore fruit.
From Hrithik Roshan grooving to the magical tunes on a cruise, to the hook step going viral from the title track. Raj and Sonia’s newfound love, bloomed on the pristine beaches of Krabi, Thailand, against the backdrop of unforgettable songs.
25 Years of Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan had a meet and greet session with the media, as the film was re-released in theatres, on January 10, 2025. It marked 25 years of Hrithik Roshan, and it was time to celebrate our very own ‘Greek God’, because what a ride it has been.
Hrithik told the media, “25 years! I remember 25 years ago, when Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai was released, I was so shy and so anxious that I didn’t do a single interview. I didn’t step out of my house to do anything. I just skipped the entire promotional event. 25 years have passed and unfortunately, that side of me has not changed. I’m still as shy.”
A 9 AM show on Day 1
What was the atmosphere in 2000 on release day?
He says, “Calls first came from distributors only because they were not expecting the film to do the numbers it did. They had kept a 9 AM show when I had told them not to. I had told them to keep regular shows, but because there was a demand for the film due to the promos and songs working with the audience, Hrithik’s dancing skills, so they kept a 9 AM show.”
He adds, “And right from 9 AM, the film started to become a rage, and every distributor was calling me. Those times, the media reacted a little later, but in the first 2-3 days, calls were from my distributors about the film not dropping and garnering 100% collection across cinemas. And after a week, I was shot, so I was in the hospital.”
To those unaware, Rakesh Roshan was shot in broad daylight after the release of the film. It happened outside his office, in Mumbai.
The 75-year-old filmmaker in later interviews, that the attack was led by the underworld, which had a massive presence back in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
He said that the underworld wanted to make a film with Hrithik, that would be financed by them. On refusal, they resorted to attacking him, despite the director never giving them any indication that Hrithik would be interested.
It has been a tough journey, but one that’s worth it.
‘Hrithik has learnt it all by himself’
Every debutant is a nervous wreck on the eve of their film’s release.
We asked Rakesh Roshan if he ever prepped Hrithik before he embarked on his film journey.
The director responds, “I have never given Hrithik any advice; he has learnt it all by himself. He has been assisting me for 4 years, and I feel he has learnt and imbibed everything from there. I know Hrithik very well, and Hrithik knows me very well. I know his plus and minus points, and vice versa, so we make a good combination of plus and minus.”
Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai was a rage then, and a celebration now, all in fond remembrance of innocent times and storytelling.
25 years later, the only response to Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai is still chiming in with—Kaha Naa Pyaar Hai.
