Hrithik Roshan was Born on January 10, 1974 in Mumbai, India, to Pinky and actor/director Rakesh Roshan. He is the nephew of well-known music director Rajesh Roshan. Music director Roshan is Hrithik’s paternal grandfather, and veteran producer and director J. Om Prakash his maternal grandfather.
Roshan made his debut as a leading man in the 2000 film Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai opposite another debutante actress Amisha Patel. The film was directed by his father and proved to be very successful at the box office, becoming the highest grossing film of 2000 and winner of the Filmfare Best Movie Award. Roshan’s performance earned him the Filmfare Best Debut Award and the Filmfare Best Actor Award. The film Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai entered the Limca Book of Records in 2003 for the most number of Awards won by a Bollywood Film - 102 awards.
Later that same year, Roshan starred in Khalid Mohammed’s critically acclaimed Fiza. Although the film did poorly at the box office, his performance was praised, earning him another nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare ceremony. Critic Taran Adarsh noted, “The mainstay of the film is undoubtedly Hrithik Roshan. His body language, his diction, his expressions, his overall persona deserves great praise. With this film, Hrithik proves that there is more to him than just being a fashionable rage, a Mills & Boon lover-boy and a sex symbol. His talent comes to the fore in several scenes, especially those with Karisma. All said and done, the show belongs to Hrithik, who saves FIZA to a major extent. A brilliant performance undoubtedly!”
Hrithik’s last release of the year, the moderately successful Mission Kashmir, became the third highest grossing film of the year. His performance was once again aclaimed with one critic saying, “Hrithik once again cuts a splendid performance as a youngster sucked in the vortex of terrorism. He is portrayed as anti-government in the early part of the film– a bold role to play for even a seasoned actor, leave alone a budding superstar.” All these achievements promoted him as one of the biggest stars in the industry.
Subhash Ghai’s Yaadein was Hrithik’s first release in 2001, which failed to do well. This was followed by Karan Johar’s melodramatic Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, which did extremely well at the box office, becoming the second-highest grossing film of 2001 and one of the biggest hit overseas. Roshan’s performance was well received and his performance earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at various award ceremonies. A critic said about his performance, “Hrithik Roshan looks dashing and handles the delicate moments with admirable ease, proving yet again that he is not merely a excellent dancer and a great looker, but a superb performer as well. The confrontation with Amitabh in the concluding reels is ample proof to substantiate this statement.”
Roshan had an unsuccessful year in 2002 when all three of his releases - Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum and Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage - failed to make an impact the box office and were declared flops.
In 2003, he made a comeback with the science-fiction film Koi… Mil Gaya, which was the highest grosser of the year and also won many Filmfare Awards, including another Filmfare Best Actor Award and his first Filmfare Best Actor (Critics) Award. Taran Adarsh wrote, “Hrithik Roshan dominates the show and packs in a power-packed performance. The role of a mentally challenged person is no cakewalk, but the actor takes to it like a fish takes to water. He manages to pull off the zero to hero routine exceptionally well. As an actor, he scales dizzier heights with this splendid performance.”
Hrithik’s single and only release in 2004 was Farhan Akhtar’s Lakshya. Although it didn’t do well at the box office critics called it his most impressive performance so far, with one critic saying, “LAKSHYA belongs to Hrithik Roshan undoubtedly. A performance like this comes once in a while and can compete with the best from across the Atlantic. The ease with which Hrithik slips into the character is amazing and the outcome is spellbinding. If he is lovable as the aimless youngster, he is admirable as the officer.”
Roshan took a two-year break from acting before resurfacing with the superhero film Krrish, a sequel to his 2003 hit Koi Mil Gaya which released in June 2006. The film was a major box office success and one of the highest grossers of 2006. His performance as a superhero was praised, earning him many Best Actor awards at various award ceremonies. Critic Taran Adarsh noted about his performance, “To state that Hrithik is the soul of KRRISH would be an understatement. If the actor walked away with all noteworthy awards in KOI… MIL GAYA, it’s going to be an encore with KRRISH. You cannot imagine any other actor enacting the role of a gifted child with aplomb. If his mask and robe look is splendid, watch his make up, gait and mannerisms as the aged father and you’d agree, he’s one of the finest talents on the Indian screen today. KRRISH is yet another ground-breaking film in his dazzling repertoire!”
His most recent release was Dhoom 2, a sequel to the 2004 hit Dhoom, in which he played a villain for the first time. A critic wrote, “Hrithik’s casting as the antagonist can be accurately called a masterstroke. He’s the actual star of DHOOM 2, the real scene stealer. In fact, you can’t imagine any other actor enacting the cool robber with such precision. If there’s anyone who’s bound to benefit the maximum from DHOOM 2, it’s Hrithik. No two opinions on that!” His performance earned him his third Filmfare Best Actor Award and the film went on to become the highest grossing film of 2006, as well as one of the most successful films of Bollywood.