The best of Rakesh Roshan
4. Kaho Na... Pyaar Hai (2000)
This is best remembered as the film that unleashed the Hrithik hysteria. Rakesh Roshan had designed this film as a launch pad for son Hrithik, and what a take-off it was! The movie was released in January 2000, and before long its hero was the new golden boy, The new age of communications was just dawning, and the intensely focussed spotlight that was thrown on Hrithik in TV, newspapers, magazines and the Internet was unprecedented. The film became almost secondary but Rakesh couldn't stop beaming.
For Kaho Na..., Rakesh daringly chose an unconventional story in which the hero dies mid-way through the film -- without any reincarnation angle -- and pulled off a coup. In thefirst half, he savvily presented the poor hero falling for a rich girl (Ameesha Patel) and then catered to every teen fantasy by stranding them on an idyllic island. When Patel's villainous father and his gang feed Hrithik to the fishes and despatch him to the ocean bed, his doppelganger pops up to decimate the gang and woo the heroine.
Rakesh orchestrated stunningly beautiful New Zealand visuals, Rajesh Roshan's soulful music and kept the narrative tempo at a fine trot; but most sensibly, he kept Hrithik's smile as the centrepiece of the film.
Rakesh went home with a cartload of awards that year, including the Filmfare trophy for Best Director.