Bollywood Superstar, Maharaja

Hrithik Roshan (Hindi: ऋतिक रोशन, pronunciation: /rɪt̪ɪk roːʃən/ / born 10 January 1974) is an award-winning Bollywood actor.

Roshan, who began his career as a child actor in a few films in the 1980s, made his film debut as a leading actor with the blockbuster Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), which earned him two awards for Best Actor and Best Male Debut at the Filmfare ceremony, as well as numerous other awards. During his career, he was praised for his performances in films like Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), Krrish (2006) and Dhoom 2 (2006), being his biggest commercial successes so far, and winning him many Best Actor awards each. His commercial success and critically appraised performances have established Roshan as one of the prominent actors of India.[1]


[edit] Early life, until 1999
Roshan's first movie role was as a child artist when he was six years old in the 1980 movie Aasha, where he appeared in a dance sequence as an extra. Roshan went on to play minor roles in Aap Ke Deewane (1980) and Bhagwan Dada (1986) both of which starred his father in the leading role. He then became an assistant director assisting in the production of his father's films Karan Arjun (1995) and Koyla (1997). Hrithik Roshan is one of the top paying actors in Bollywood today.


[edit] Breakthrough, 2000 - 2002
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[2] and winner of the Filmfare Best Movie Award. Roshan's performance earned him the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award and the Filmfare Best Actor Award. The film entered the Limca Book of Records in 2003 for the most number of awards won by a Bollywood film - 102 awards.[3]

Later that 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!"[4]

Hrithik's last release of the year, the moderately successful Mission Kashmir, became the third highest grossing film of the year.[5] His performance was once again acclaimed with one critic praising him, "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.[6]

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 the biggest hit overseas.[7][8] Roshan's performance was well received and his performance earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at various award ceremonies.

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.[9]


[edit] Success, 2003 - present
In 2003, he made a comeback with the science-fiction film Koi Mil Gaya, which was the highest grosser of the year[10] and won him many awards, including his second Filmfare Best Actor Award and his first Filmfare Best Actor (Critics) Award. Critic Taran Adarsh noted, "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."[11]

Farhan Akhtar's Lakshya was Roshan's only release in 2004; the film did not do well at the box office.[12] However, his performance was praised by critics.[13]

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.[14] 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!"[15]

His next release that year, Dhoom 2, a sequel to the 2004 hit Dhoom, saw him play a villain for the first time. Roshan's performance in the movie not only earned him widespread critical acclaim,[16] but also his third Filmfare Best Actor Award. The film went on to become the highest grossing film of 2006, as well as one of the most successful films of Bollywood.[14][17]

Roshan's latest movie, Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodhaa Akbar opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, released on February 15, 2008. He played the historical role of Akbar the Great. His performance in the movie was widely appreciated by critics. The movie did very good business, both in India and abroad."[18]


[edit] Personal life
Hrithik Roshan was born 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 his paternal grandfather, and veteran producer and director J. Om Prakash is his maternal grandfather. Roshan has a supernumerary thumb on his right hand.[19]

Roshan is married to Sussanne Khan, daughter of Sanjay Khan. The couple had their first child, a baby boy, named Hrehaan Roshan on March 28, 2006 at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, India.[20] Roshan's wife later gave birth to another baby boy on May 1, 2008.[21]


[edit] Controversy
In 2001, a rumour alleging Roshan made disparaging remarks about Nepal and its people caused outrage in the country. Several newspapers carried the report, leading to student protests, in which four people died.[22] The unrest the protests caused forced the government to cancel a flight from Kathmandu to India.[23] Later the Indian embassy and the actor himself clarified that he had made no such remarks.[24]

In 2006, at the London press conference for his film Krrish, Roshan said that he knew it was time to leave Shanghai and Hong Kong after six weeks of stunt training and go home when his eyes started "turning into little slits like the Chinese".[25]


[edit] Awards
Main article: List of Hrithik Roshan's awards and nominations

[edit] Filmography
Year Film Role Other notes
1980 Aasha Child artist
Aap Ke Deewane Child artist
1986 Bhagwan Dada Govinda (Child artist)
2000 Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai Rohit/Raj Chopra Double-Winner, Filmfare Best Actor Award &
Filmfare Best Male Debut Award
Fiza Amaan Ikramullah Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Mission Kashmir Altaf Khan
2001 Yaadein Ronit Malhotra
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham Rohan Raichand Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
2002 Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage Rohit
Na Tum Jaano Na Hum Rahul Sharma
Mujhse Dosti Karoge! Raj Malhotra
2003 Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon Prem Kishen Mathur
Koi... Mil Gaya Rohit Mehra Double-Winner, Filmfare Best Actor Award &
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance
2004 Lakshya Karan Shergill Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
2006 Krrish Krishna Mehra aka Krrish/
Rohit Mehra Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Dubbed in Tamil and Telugu with the same title
Dhoom 2 Aryan/Mr. A Winner, Filmfare Best Actor Award
Dubbed in Tamil and Telugu with the same title
I See You Special appearance in song Subah Subah
2007 Om Shanti Om Himself Special appearance
2008 Jodhaa Akbar Jalaluddin Mohammad
Akbar
Krazzy 4 Special appearance (Item number)
Luck by Chance Special appearance
2009 Kites Starts shooting in Summer 2008