Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai Re-Release: Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai catapulted actors Hrithik Roshan and Ameesha Patel to stardom in 2000, and 25 years later, the iconic film re-releases in theaters today. Ahead of the film’s re-release, Ameesha, who made her debut with the film, fondly reminisces about the memories she created on its sets.

With a warm smile, she recalls why Hrithik Roshan, her debut film’s lead actor, was never just a co-star, but a friend – a bond that was forged long before they faced the cameras together. “I can’t even count Hrithik as a co-star. We were two friends who made Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and then became superstars – I would put it like that,” she shares.

Having known Hrithik since childhood, Ameesha reminisces about the early days of their careers, when they would eagerly report to the sets of Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, surrounded by the visionary director Rakesh Roshan, and a team of talented creatives. “When we started working on Kaho Na…, he saved my name as heroine and till date it’s that only. But we are friends first. We started off with those insecurities. We started learning on set together. We started practicing out autographs together that if we became famous, we would have to give autographs…so let’s practice and show each other our autographs.
I have special equations with all my co-stars. such as Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Salman Khan and everyone who came post Hrithik. But he is a buddy. He is a true friend to me.”

Confidence In The Film

Ameesha Patel’s confidence in Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai’s potential was evident, even when success was far from guaranteed. “I knew that Rakesh Uncle, Hrithik, and everyone was making a great film,” she recalls, and adds, “The music was so good, Farah Khan did a phenomenal job with the choreography, and every single person working on the film was a testament to its potential blockbuster status. I always felt that there was no reason why this film wouldn’t work.”

Ameesha’s optimism extended beyond the film’s success, as she was convinced that Hrithik Roshan was destined for stardom. Having known him since childhood, Ameesha witnessed his transformation into a handsome actor. “He metamorphosed into this gorgeous man,” she remarks. “I would affectionately tease him and call him Pierce Brosnan. I told him that he would be a superstar, but he never believed me.”

“I never paid attention to myself, but I always told Hrithik not to get too serious. I told him, ‘I know for you this debut is make or break. You belong to the film world and you don’t know anything but filmmaking.’ But I always knew that irrespective of the film’s fate, Hrithik was here to stay,” she shares further.

When asked why she wasn’t concerned about her own fate in the industry, Ameesha explains, “I was very carefree…just like my character Sonia. I was that happy-go-lucky person. I was chill because I knew I would go back to my South Mumbai, economic, and business background and do something with that if acting didn’t work out. I had completed my education from Boston. I was never very serious about acting because otherwise, I would have done acting classes and portfolios etc.”

However, when Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai was released, it became a phenomenon, changing the lives of both Ameesha and Hrithik, who went on to carve a niche in the industry.

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