Hrithik Roshan is a phenomenon. From a starry-eyed young boy making his debut right at the time when the Khan trident was dominating Bollywood, to becoming one of the frontrunners of the industry, his success story is one to admire. Not to forget his insanely good looks and his Greek god-like physique, it is safe to say that Hrithik Roshan is as complete as they come. But it is his acting that sets him apart.
From announcing himself with “Kaha Na Pyaar Hai”, to cementing himself among the elites with his stellar performances in “Guzarish”, “Dhoom 2”, “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” and most recently “Super 30”. However, there have been many movies that he has turned down as well, leading us to think what if he had actually done those movies?.
We take a look at some of the movies he has turned down in his star-stuffed career-
1. Swades
It is no secret that Shah Rukh Khan made “Swades” the immortal cult classic in Indian cinema with his marvellous portrayal of the protagonist with an overwhelming sense of patriotism, but things could have panned out very differently had Hrithik accepted the role. Hrithik was offered the film by Director Ashutosh Gowarikar, but he turned it down because he believed he wasn’t the right person to execute the vision of the director.
2. Rang De Basanti
Another cult classic that went on to make an indelible mark on fans across the country. Hrithik was offered the role of Karan Sanghani, the spoilt rich brat. In an Interview, director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra confirmed that the actor was indeed offered the role, but he couldn’t do it because of scheduling conflicts. Interestingly, even Shah Rukh Khan and Arjun Rampal were approached for the said role.
3. Bunty Aur Babli
Another movie made iconic by the Bachchan family. This was offered to Hrithik as well. But the actor had just come out of a Yash Raj project, “Mujhse Dosti Karoge” which flopped at the box office. So he turned down this role due to hesitancy and fears of delivering two flops in a row.
4. Shuddhi
This is a pretty interesting one. Though the movie was shelved, Karan Johar wanted Hrithik to lead his dream project. But it could not materialize because there was a disagreement between the actor and director over the monetary aspect. A report from midday claims that Hrithik wanted around 40% of the profit the film made as his fee, which didn’t sit down well with Johar. This meant that the film had to be shelved.
5. Dil Chahta Hai
The film began the trend for adventure, friendship, and buddy trips. Things could have been very different had Hrithik been cast for the role. Farhan Akhtar made no secret of the fact that he wanted Hrithik to be part of the film alongside Akshaye Khanna and Aamir Khan, but it couldn’t happen due to reasons unknown. Farhan also added that “films were made with a cast that was not on your wishlist”.
6. Main Hoon Na
Remember Rahul and Rohan in “Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham”?. two brothers, separated for decades and finally letting go of all emotions in that one tear-inducing scene on the park bench?. Hrithik and SRK showed so much chemistry as brothers that were all set to be united as brothers in “Main hoon Naa”, but Hrithik rejected the film because the character was too carefree and laidback, which wasn’t something that he wanted to do. The role was later given to Zayed Khan
7. Pink panther 2
Hrithik had a chance to go global a long time ago, with him being offered a part in the movie “Pink Panther 2” alongside fellow Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai, but while the actress accepted the role, Hrithik wasn’t able to come on board because of his busy schedule which prevented from giving too much time on the project.
All in all, it is pretty safe to say that even though there was increased curiosity about how the films would pan out if Hrithik were a part of them, it did not end up making a huge difference as the actor went on to have a pretty great career for himself. All’s well that ends well i guess.