The year was 2000 the beginning of a new millennium, this after the world had overcome the threat to its computers due to the Y2K bug. This was the year of the newcomers and rightly so as Hrithik Roshan burst on the scene like a breath of fresh air along with the very beautiful and elegant Amisha Patel in Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai.
Produced and Directed by Rakesh Roshan, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai was a launch vehicle for his son after Shah Rukh had refused the role due to dates issue, what a debut it was and rest is history.
Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai was a lethal combo of a grand entry of Hrithik that too in a double role, alongwith a fantastic story and a seasoned supporting cast thus breaking all records in its stride. It was the second biggest grosser of the year behind the eponymous Mohabbatein, Yash Chopra’s re-launch vehicle of none other than the Big B. Such was the adulation for KNPH that it ended up bagging the highest number of awards to any movie, creating a new Guinness record by garnering a total of 92 awards in numerous award functions and categories.
Hrithik not only became an overnight sensation but also became the first and only actor to win both the Filmfare awards for the best debut as well as the best actor. The movie was a remake of 1986 Kannada movie Ratha Sapthami. This was the movie for which Rakesh Roshan too won the Filmfare award as a Producer and Director. Initially though, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai released on 14th January 2000 was went on floor in 1998 with Hrithik and Kareena as leads, but due to some differences between Babita (Kareena’s) mother and Roshan, she walked out of the movie and Ameesha was signed.
The marooned lovers routine was shot in Krabi, Thailand near Khao Phing Kan near the same place where Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2000 movie The Beach was also filmed. Hrithik’s character Raj’s portions are shot in New Zealand and his mother in the movie Asha Patel is actually Amisha Patel’s mother in real life. New Zealand tourism from India got a fillip after this movie so much so that the visa office strength had to be increased many folds. Hrithik took Salman’s help to train to tone his physique.
Apart from acting and the storyline of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai , what was really appreciated by the public and critics alike was it’s superb music and Hrithik’s dance moves and gyrating pelvis specially in “Ek Pal Ka Jeena” a glance of which we got in his subsequent movies too. Other songs like “Chand Sitare” and “Na tum jano Na hum” were also well received. It was also Lucky Ali’s first Hindi movie as a playback singer. One can say that Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai was a thorough entertainer what we call as ‘Paisa vasool’ in Mumbai slang.
– Revisited by PAWAN GUPTA
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