Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan at Mumbai Police Show Umang in 2011
Born	(1974-01-10) 10 January 1974 (age 38) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1980–1986 (child artist) 2000–present
Spouse	Suzanne Khan (2000 – present)
Children	2

Hrithik Roshan ([ˈrɪt̪ʰɪk ˈroːʃən]; born 10 January 1974)^[1] is an Indian film actor. Having appeared as a child actor in several films throughout the 1980s, Roshan made his film debut in a leading role in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai in 2000. His performance in the film earned him Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and Best Male Debut. He followed it with leading roles in Fiza and Mission Kashmir (both 2000) and a supporting part in the blockbuster Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), which was India's highest-grossing film in the overseas market up to then.^[2]

Following through with several unnoticed performances from 2002 to 2003, he starred in the blockbusters Koi... Mil Gaya (2003) and its sequel Krrish (2006), both of which won him numerous Best Actor awards.^[3] Roshan received his third Filmfare Award for Best Actor in 2006 for his performance in the action film Dhoom 2, his biggest commercial success to date, and his fourth for Jodhaa Akbar,^[4] for which he was also awarded at the Golden Minbar International Film Festival. These accomplishments have established him as one of the leading contemporary actors of Hindi cinema.^[5] He later received further acclaim for his work in Guzaarish (2010), Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) and Agneepath (2012).

Biography[link]

Early career, until 1999[link]

Roshan's first movie role was as a child artist when he was six years old in the 1980s 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 Rakesh Roshan 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).

Breakthrough, 2000–2002[link]

In 2000, Roshan made his film debut as the leading man in the film Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai opposite another debutante actress Amisha Patel. The film, which was directed by his father and saw him playing a double role, proved to be very successful at the box office and was declared a blockbuster,^[6] it also became the highest grossing film of 2000^[7] and winner of the Filmfare Best Movie Award. Roshan's performance was well-received, and the film made him an overnight star.^[8][9][10] He eventually received both the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award and the Filmfare Best Actor Award for the role. The film entered the Limca Book of Records in 2003 for the most number of awards won by a Bollywood film – 102 awards.^[11]

Later that year, Roshan starred in Khalid Mohammed's 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. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM 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!"^[12]

Roshan's last release of the year, Mission Kashmir, became the third highest grossing film of the year.^[7] 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.^[13]

Subhash Ghai's Yaadein was his first release in 2001. 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.^[14][15] 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.^[16]

Success, 2003–present[link]

In 2003, he made a comeback with the science-fiction film Koi... Mil Gaya, which saw him playing a mentally disabled young man.^[10] The film was the highest grosser of the year and won him many awards, including his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor and his first Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.^[17] 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."^[18] His performance was later included in the 2010 issue of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances" by Filmfare.^[19]

Hritik Roshan with his wax statue at Madame Tussauds

Farhan Akhtar's Lakshya was Roshan's only release in 2004; the film was critically acclaimed but did not do well at the box office.^[20] His performance was praised by critics.^[21] and again, was included in the 2010 issue of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances" by Filmfare.^[22]

Roshan took a two-year break from acting before resurfacing with the superhero film Krrish opposite Priyanka Chopra. A sequel to his 2003 film Koi... Mil Gaya, the film was a major box office success and became the second highest grosser of 2006.^[23] His performance as a superhero was praised, earning him many Best Actor awards at various award ceremonies, including Star Screen and the International Indian Film Academy.^[3] IndiaFM wrote, "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 makeup, gait and mannerisms as the aged father and you had to agree, he's one of the finest talents on the Indian screen today. Krrish is yet another ground-breaking film in his dazzling repertoire!"^[24]

His next film that year was Dhoom 2, a sequel to the 2004 Dhoom. Featured opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Roshan's performance in the movie not only earned him widespread critical acclaim,^[3][25] 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.^[23][26]

In 2008, Roshan featured in Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodhaa Akbar opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. He played the historical role of Akbar the Great. The movie did very good business, both in India and abroad.^[15][27] His performance in the movie was widely appreciated by critics,^[3] earning him his fourth Filmfare Best Actor Award as well as his first international award for Best Actor at the Golden Minbar International Film Festival in Kazan, Russia.^[4]

Roshan then appeared in Zoya Akhtar's Luck by Chance (2009), in which he made a guest appearance. The following year, he was seen in Anurag Basu's Kites along with Mexican actress Bárbara Mori and Kangna Ranaut. The film failed to do well at the box office after taking a huge start and was eventually declared a flop. He next acted in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish opposite Aishwarya Rai. Upon release, the film received overwhelmingly positive reviews and Roshan's portrayal of Ethan Mascarenhas, a quadriplegic patient earned him several Best Actor nominations at various award ceremonies.

In July 2011, he appeared in Zoya Akhtar's Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara alongside Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin. The film opened to positive reviews, and Roshan's portrayal was praised. According to Rajeev Masand, "Hrithik Roshan once again brings real depth to his character with a spectacular performance. He’s shy and restrained, then lets go with such fantastic intensity that you make the inward journey with his character".^[28] The film was declared as "super-hit" in both in India and Overseas.^[29] In the same year Roshan featured as a judge for the dance competition reality show, Just Dance along with Farah Khan and Vaibhavi Merchant.^[30][31] The show got the highest opening (a cumulative TRP of 4.7) for a reality show that year for which he was voted as the best TV host by a poll conducted by Ormax Media.^[32] In 2012, he then appeared in Agneepath in which he reprise the role of Vijay Deenanath Chauhan opposite Priyanka Chopra. The film has taken a historic opening and has broken all opening-day records.^[33]

Besides acting, Roshan made his debut as a singer in Kites, and has also sung in the films Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Guzaarish.^[34]

A life-size wax figure was installed at London's Madame Tussauds Wax Museum on 20 January 2011, making him the fifth Indian actor to have been replicated as a wax statue in the museum.^[35]

Personal life[link]

Hrithik, with his wife Suzanne

Roshan was born in Mumbai to a Hindu family of cinema personalities. His father, film director Rakesh Roshan, is the son of music director Roshan, while his mother, Pinky, is the daughter of producer and director J. Om Prakash. Hrithik has an elder sister, Sunaina. His uncle Rajesh Roshan is a famous music director. As a child, Roshan attended the Bombay Scottish School.^[36] He later attended Sydenham College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Commerce.^[37]

During an interview he revealed that his childhood was traumatized because of stammering, a defect that surfaced when he was around six years old and plagues him even today. "For oral tests at school, I used to bunk school, I used to fall sick, I used to break my hand, I used to get a sprain" the actor said. He however said that things improved for him gradually, after he started practicing speech therapies on a daily basis.^[38]

Roshan is married to Suzanne (Khan) Roshan, owner of Suzanne Roshan's House of Design and daughter of actor Sanjay Khan. Hrithik got married to Suzanne on 20 December 2000. The couple have two sons, Hrehaan, born in 2006 and Hridhaan born in 2008.^[39][40] Roshan has two thumbs on his right hand.^[41] Although it is usually hidden in his films, it was not hidden in Koi... Mil Gaya, and was even used as a minor plot point, as Jaadoo the alien was also designed to have two thumbs.^[42]

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

Bollywood portal

• List of Indian Actors

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hrithik Roshan

• Hrithik Roshan at the Internet Movie Database