Hrithik Roshan is one of the biggest stars in Bollywood known for his charm, impressive acting skills, and compelling screen presence. His journey began with the massive success of his debut film, Kaho Naa Pyar Hai. In a recent interview, Sonali Kulkarni, who worked with the actor before his debut, recalled him introducing himself as ‘Rakesh Roshan’s son and a struggler’ on set to her. However, when they were filming, his debut film’s release made him an overnight star.

Hrithik Roshan is the son of actor-filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, whose 2000 film Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai marked his son’s debut. In a candid conversation with Siddharth Kannan for his YouTube channel, Sonali Kulkarni recalled working with the Dhoom 2 actor before his debut.

Sonali and Hrithik co-starred in the 2000 film Mission Kashmir. In the movie, Sonali played Hrithik’s foster mother, despite only being 25 years old at the time. When asked if she was uncomfortable with the role, Sonali responded that she didn’t mind because she was playing a character. However, she did express concern about the height difference between herself and Sanjay Dutt, whom she played the wife of, and she was initially unaware about playing a mother to Hrithik Roshan.

When Hrithik came on board for the film, his debut film was yet to hit the box office. So, Kulkarni recalled her first meeting with him and said the actor had introduced himself as a struggler. 

She shared, “I met Hrithik on my audition day. He said, ‘Hi, I am Hrithik Roshan, son of Rakesh Roshan. I am a struggler.’ He had just started working on his debut film, Kaho Naa Pyar Hai. I said, ‘Hi, I am Sonali Kulkarni, daughter of BG Kulkarni. I am also a struggler’.”

As the film’s shooting proceeded, his first film, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, made him an overnight star. Still, when they met, it was a positive interaction, and they often motivated each other.

Since his debut, Hrithik has worked in many successful films like War, Bang Bang, Dhoom 2, Jodhaa Akbar, Krrish 3, and more. He will next be seen in the action entertainer War 2, co-starring Jr NTR.