Hrithik Roshan

Hrithik Roshan (; born 10 January 1974) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He has portrayed a variety of characters and is known for his dancing skills. One of the highest-paid actors in India, he has won many awards, including six Filmfare Awards, of which four were for Best Actor. Starting from 2012, he has appeared in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 several times based on his income and popularity.

Roshan has frequently collaborated with his father, Rakesh Roshan. He made brief appearances as a child actor in several films in the 1980s and later worked as an assistant director on four of his father's films. His first leading role was in the box-office success '' Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai'' (2000), for which he received several awards. Performances in the 2000 terrorism drama ''Fiza'' and the 2001 ensemble family drama '' Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' consolidated his reputation but were followed by several poorly received films.

The 2003 science fiction film '' Koi... Mil Gaya'', for which Roshan won two Filmfare Awards, was a turning point in his film career; he later starred as the titular superhero in its sequels: ''Krrish'' (2006) and ''Krrish 3'' (2013). He earned praise for his portrayal of a thief in '' Dhoom 2'' (2006), Mughal emperor Akbar in ''Jodhaa Akbar'' (2008) and a quadriplegic in '' Guzaarish'' (2010). He achieved further commercial success by playing the lead in the 2011 drama ''Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'', the 2012 revenge drama '' Agneepath'', the 2014 action thriller '' Bang Bang!'', the 2019 biopic '' Super 30'', and the 2019 action thriller ''War''; the lattermost ranks as his highest-grossing release.

Roshan has also performed on stage and debuted on television with the dance reality show '' Just Dance'' (2011). As a judge on the latter, he became the highest-paid film star on Indian television at that time. He is involved with a number of humanitarian causes, endorses several brands and products and has launched his own clothing line. Roshan was married for fourteen years to Sussanne Khan, with whom he has two children.

Early life and background

Roshan was born on 10 January 1974 in Bombay to a family prominent in Bollywood. He is of Punjabi and Bengali descent on his paternal side. Hrithik's paternal grandmother Ira Roshan was a Bengali. His father, film director Rakesh Roshan, is the son of music director Roshanlal Nagrath; his mother, Pinky, is the daughter of producer and director J. Om Prakash. His uncle, Rajesh, is a music composer. Roshan has an older sister, Sunaina, and was educated at the Bombay Scottish School. Roshan belongs to a Hindu family, though he considers himself more spiritual than religious.

Roshan felt isolated as a child; he was born with an extra thumb fused to the one on his right hand, which led some of his peers to avoid him. He has stammered since the age of six; this caused him problems at school, and he feigned injury and illness to avoid oral tests. He was helped by daily speech therapy.

Roshan's grandfather, Prakash first brought him on-screen at the age of six in the film '' Aasha'' (1980); he danced in a song enacted by Jeetendra, for which Prakash paid him 100. Roshan made uncredited appearances in various family film projects, including his father's production '' Aap Ke Deewane'' (1980). In Prakash's '' Aas Paas'' (1981), he appeared in the song "Shehar Main Charcha Hai". The actor's only speaking role during this period came when he was 12; he was seen as Govinda, the title character's adopted son, in Prakash's ''Bhagwaan Dada'' (1986). Roshan decided that he wanted to be a full-time actor, but his father insisted that he focus on his studies. In his early 20s, he was diagnosed with scoliosis that would not allow him to dance or perform stunts. Initially devastated, he eventually decided to become an actor anyway. Around a year after the diagnosis, he took a chance by jogging on a beach when he was caught in a downpour. There was no pain, and becoming more confident, he was able to increase his pace with no adverse effects. Roshan sees this day as "the turning point of islife."

Roshan attended Sydenham College, where he took part in dance and music festivals while studying, graduating in commerce. Roshan assisted his father on four films—'' Khudgarz'' (1987), ''King Uncle'' (1993), '' Karan Arjun'' (1995) and '' Koyla'' (1997)—while also sweeping the floor and making tea for the crew. After pack-up, Roshan would enact Shah Rukh Khan's scenes from ''Koyla'' and film himself to make a judgement about his performance as an actor. While he assisted his father, he studied acting under Kishore Namit Kapoor.

Film career

2000–2002: Debut, success and setback

Roshan was originally scheduled to make his screen debut as a lead actor opposite Preity Zinta in the cancelled film Shekhar Kapur's ''Tara Rum Pum Pum''. Instead, he starred in his father's romantic drama '' Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai'' (2000) opposite another debutante, Ameesha Patel. Roshan played dual roles: Rohit, an aspiring singer brutally killed after witnessing a murder, and Raj, an NRI who falls in love with Patel's character. To prepare, he trained with the actor Salman Khan to bulk up physically, worked to improve his diction and took lessons in acting, singing, dancing, fencing and riding. With global revenues of , ''Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai'' became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of 2000. His performance was acclaimed by critics; Suggu Kanchana on Rediff.com wrote, " oshanis good. The ease and style with which he dances, emotes, fights, makes one forget this is his debut film ... He seems to be the most promising among the recent lot of star sons we have been subjected to." For the role, Roshan received Best Male Debut and Best Actor Awards at the annual Filmfare Awards, IIFA Awards, and Zee Cine Awards. He became the first actor to win both Filmfare Best Debut and Best Actor awards the same year. The film established Roshan as a prominent actor in Bollywood. The actor found life hard after his overnight success, particularly the demands on his time.

In his second release, Khalid Mohammed's crime drama ''Fiza'', Roshan played Amaan, an innocent Muslim boy who becomes a terrorist after the 1992–93 Bombay riots. Roshan appeared in the film to expand his horizons as an actor. Co-starring Karisma Kapoor and Jaya Bachchan, ''Fiza'' was moderately successful at the box office, and Roshan's performance earned him a second nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare ceremony. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama praised him as the production's prime asset, commending his "body language, his diction, his expressions, ndhis overall persona." Roshan next appeared in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's action drama ''Mission Kashmir'' (2000) alongside Sanjay Dutt, Preity Zinta, and Jackie Shroff. Set in the valley of Kashmir during the Indo-Pakistani conflicts, the film addressed the topics of terrorism and crime, and was a financial success. Roshan was drawn to his complex role of a young man traumatised by the discovery that his adoptive father had been responsible for the death of his entire birth family. In Adarsh's opinion, Roshan "brightens up the screen with his magnetic presence. His body language, coupled with his expressions, is sure to win him plaudits."

In 2001, Roshan appeared in two films, the first of which was Subhash Ghai's '' Yaadein'', a romantic drama which paired him with Kareena Kapoor and reunited him with Shroff. Although highly anticipated, ''Yaadein'' was reviled by critics; in ''The Hindu'', Ziya Us Salam criticised the director for relying on Roshan's commercial appeal. Roshan next had a supporting role in Karan Johar's ensemble melodrama '' Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Kareena Kapoor. He was cast as Rohan Raichand—the younger son of Bachchan's character who plots to reunite him with his adopted son (played by Khan)—after Johar had watched a rough cut of ''Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai''. ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' finished as India's highest-grossing film of the year, and among the most successful Bollywood films in the overseas market, earning worldwide. Writing for Rediff.com, Anjum N described Roshan as "the surprise scene-stealer", praising him for holding his own against the established actors. Roshan received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.

In 2002 Vikram Bhatt's romance ''Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage'' reunited him with Ameesha Patel but failed at the box office, as did Arjun Sablok's romance ''Na Tum Jaano Na Hum'' (2002), in which he co-starred with Saif Ali Khan and Esha Deol. The latter film was named after a song of the same name from his debut film Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. Roshan's final role that year was in a Yash Raj Films production, the high-profile ''Mujhse Dosti Karoge!'' co-starring Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor. The romantic comedy was heavily promoted before its release and made money internationally, though not in India. In another commercial failure, Sooraj R. Barjatya's ''Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon'', Roshan was cast alongside Kareena Kapoor for the fourth time, and Abhishek Bachchan. The press labelled Roshan a "one-trick pony" and suggested that the failure of these films would end his career.

2003–2008: Revival and awards success

Roshan's career began to revive with a starring role in '' Koi... Mil Gaya'' (2003). The film, directed and produced by his father, centers on his character Rohit Mehra, a developmentally disabled young man, who comes in contact with an extraterrestrial being—a role that required him to lose nearly . Roshan recalls the experience of starring in the film fondly: "I could live my childhood gain I could eat as many chocolates as I wanted. I became a baby and everybody was so caring towards me." In the book ''Film Sequels'', Carolyn Jess-Cooke drew similarities between the character and Forrest Gump, portrayed by Tom Hanks in the titular film, but this idea was dismissed by Roshan. Film critics were polarised on their view of the film—some of them negatively compared its storyline to the 1982 Hollywood release ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''—but were unanimous in their praise for Roshan. In a 2010 retrospective of the Top 80 Iconic Performances of Bollywood, ''Filmfare'' noted "how flesh and blood Hrithik's act is. Simply because he believes he is the part. Watch him laugh, cry or bond with his remote controlled alien friend and note his nuanced turn." A Rediff.com critic agreed that Roshan was "the turbojet that propels the film to the realm of the extraordinary." ''Koi... Mil Gaya'' was one of the most popular Bollywood films of the year, earning worldwide and Roshan won both Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and Best Actor (Critics).

The following year, Roshan collaborated with Amitabh Bachchan and Preity Zinta on Farhan Akhtar's '' Lakshya'' (2004), a fictionalised coming-of-age story set against events from the 1999 Kargil War. He also featured in the item number " Main Aisa Kyun Hoon" (choreographed by Prabhu Deva) which proved popular with audiences. Roshan found it "one of the most challenging films" of his career at the time and said it made him respect soldiers. Although trade journalists expected the film to do well commercially, it failed to attract a wide audience. Over the years, it has attained a cult status in India. For the film, Roshan earned Best Actor nominations at the Filmfare and Zee Cine ceremony. Manish Gajjar of the BBC praised Roshan's versatility and his transformation from a carefree youth to a determined and courageous soldier. Reviewing the film in 2016, Tatsam Mukherjee of ''India Today'' described his performance as career-best, highlighting his scene before the climax.

Roshan was not seen on screen again until 2006, with three new releases, including a cameo at the end of the year in the romance '' I See You''. He co-starred with Naseeruddin Shah and Priyanka Chopra in his father's superhero production ''Krrish''. A follow-up to his family's production ''Koi... Mil Gaya'', it saw him play dual roles—the title superhero and his character from the original film. Before production, Roshan travelled to China to train with Tony Ching for the cable work that would be needed to make his character fly. Among the several injuries he sustained during production, Roshan tore the hamstring in his right leg and broke his thumb and toe. ''Krrish'' became the third-highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2006 with a worldwide revenue of . It garnered him Best Actor awards at the 2007 Screen and the International Indian Film Academy Awards. Ronnie Scheib of ''Variety'' considered Roshan a prime asset of the film, noting that he "pulls off the pic's wilder absurdities with considerable panache."

For his role as an enigmatic master thief in '' Dhoom 2'' (2006)—an action sequel co-starring Aishwarya Rai, Bipasha Basu and Abhishek Bachchan—Roshan won his third Filmfare Award for Best Actor. The film critic Rajeev Masand called him "the heart, the soul, and the spirit of the film", and praised his stunts, concluding that he "holds the film together and even manages to take your attention away from its many flaws". Bored by playing the "good guy", Roshan was excited to play an anti-hero who lacks heroic attributes, for the first time. At the request of the film's producer Aditya Chopra, Roshan lost for the role; he also learnt skateboarding, snow boarding, rollerblading and sand surfing. With earnings of , ''Dhoom 2'' became the highest grossing Indian film at that time, a distinction that was held for two years. In the 2007 melodrama ''Om Shanti Om'', he made a cameo alongside several Bollywood stars.

In 2008, Roshan was cast in Ashutosh Gowariker's ''Jodhaa Akbar'', a partly fictionalised account of a marriage of convenience between the Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar (played by Roshan) and the Rajput princess Jodha Bai (played by Rai). Gowariker believed Roshan possessed the regal bearing and physique required to play the role of a king. For the role, Roshan learned sword-fighting and horse-riding, and also took Urdu