It’s a landmark year for the Roshans — Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (KNPH), the film that set the stage for Hrithik Roshan in Hindi cinema and went on to become a smashing hit, re-releases in theatres today, 25 years later, on the actor’s birthday. As the family celebrates Hrithik’s milestone in the industry, they are also proud to present a documentary titled The Roshans, which is coming up soon. Yes, the Roshans are on a roll, and in an interview with us, Rakesh Roshan says, “Even if Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai now achieves 1% of what it did back then, it’s a big achievement.”

When I joined films at 21, I always thought that I had made a mistake by starting out at that age. So, when it came to Hrithik, at the back of my mind, I believed it would be right for him to make his debut at 24-25. I launched him because he was a good actor, not because he is my son. I had seen him in Bhagwan Dada and also in other parts as a child artiste and I realised he had matured as an actor. I was a bit on the edge because some people told me, ‘Yeh dono characters (in KNPH) bhai nahi hai, toh log story kaise believe karenge’. I told them that I always make films where it’s hard to convince people, and my job as a filmmaker is to convince them.

I announced the release date (Jan 14) much earlier. Everyone advised me to change the date, but I thought if I did that, the fear would stay with me forever. It would also mean that I am not confident about my film. If some big filmmakers like Yash Chopra, Sooraj Barjatya and Subhash Ghai were coming with their movies, maybe I would consider not clashing with them. So yes, there were big actors’ releases, but I wasn’t competing with any big filmmaker. My film had two newcomers in the lead, Hrithik and Ameesha Patel, who were very confident, and I was sure about my product, so I went ahead with it, and it paid off.

I give credit for that to Lagaan. I watched it in South Africa at the premiere, and I was stunned by it. Then I thought, what should I make with Hrithik? I can’t do the same dance or romance. Everyone around me was strongly against the idea. They told me, ‘What are you doing? You made him such a big star, and now you want to ruin his career?’ While we were making Koi Mil Gaya, Hrithik’s other films that released during that time were not doing well, about eight of his films didn’t work and he was even given the tag, ‘One film wonder’. Hrithik and I both believed in the film, and I thought that we can’t keep making the same films, as we need to show the audience how an actor can transform himself and what he can do. I knew this movie would make people realise what kind of actor he is, and he went all out and proved himself.

In one word, it’s his honesty. He’s someone who never takes shortcuts. Even when I’m shooting with him, and I say that the shot is okay, he will say, ‘Let’s do one more take, baba. I will do it better this time.’ He gives his 110% to every shot, and that’s what makes him the actor he is.

Not just through Hrithik, I have lived my dream through all my actors. When I write a scene, I visualise how I would enact it if I was playing the role. So, I see myself in every actor I direct.

No, never, because as an actor, I went through a lot of trouble, and the fear has stayed with me. That phase gave me sleepless nights, of course, things changed when I became a producer and director. The good part is that I was always at it, I never left it – I did lead roles, character roles, villainous parts. I stayed back, but many actors didn’t. Hence, I am here today. I wasn’t educated, and this (movies) is all I ever knew since childhood.

One big learning in my life has been – If you don’t know how to appreciate others’ work, you can never climb the ladder. Never pull down somebody. Yahan kya hota hai…people try to pull you down and they think by doing that they will rise. But that’s not true, they will only fall. So, whenever I see a good film, I call the actor or director and tell them how much I liked what I saw.

I was extremely nervous before the release of KHPH. I wanted the film to do well for Hrithik. I called my friends to the editing room to show them the film, because you never know, if the film didn’t do well, he wouldn’t have other films. Luckily, before the film released, Hrithik was signed by Subhash Ghai, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Sooraj Barjatya and Karan Johar. Now that it is re-releasing, I am nervous again. This is an emotional moment for Hrithik and me. Even if the film achieves 1% of what it did back then, it’s a big achievement.

My friend Shashi Ranjan, who has a lot of knowledge of music and knows a lot about my father’s work, came up with the idea of making a documentary on him. I took it a step further and thought, why not make a documentary on three generations of Roshans (my father, legendary music director Roshan Lal Nagrath, my brother, music composer Rajesh Roshan and me, and then, my son Hrithik). We are alive, and I can talk more about myself than have others talk about me when I’m not there. The documentary is not about what people know about us from the outside, which is all colourful. It’s about our personal struggles and our journey, beyond how we make films, which is beautifully put out there. In our family, all these years, none of us have really pushed ourselves. My father didn’t, Rajesh and I didn’t, and neither did Hrithik. We, Roshans, have always let our work speak for us.