Not Sholay or Dangal — This Is Hindi Cinema's Most-Awarded Film
Whenever the conversation turns to Bollywood's biggest or most record-shattering films, names like 'Sholay', 'Zanjeer', 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun' and 'Dangal' are the first to come up. Yet the crown for winning the most awards in Hindi cinema belongs to none of them. That feat was pulled off by a musical romantic-thriller released in the year 2000, which single-handedly collected a total of 92 awards. What makes it even more remarkable is that more than two decades on, no other film has come anywhere close to that figure.
A Father-Son Duo That Wrote History
Father-and-son pairings have always held sway in Bollywood. From Raj Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor to Dharmendra, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, the list is a long one. But the duo that got their names etched into the history books in gold was that of director Rakesh Roshan and his son Hrithik Roshan. The film was 'Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai'. It was through this very film that Rakesh Roshan introduced his son to the big screen. The moment it released, the film whipped up such a storm at the box office that a new chapter of history was written overnight. The same film also marked the screen debut of Ameesha Patel as the leading lady.
A Name in the Guinness Book
The reward for this extraordinary success arrived in 2002, when the film was entered into the 'Guinness Book of World Records' for winning the most awards — 92 — in a single calendar year. It is an achievement no Bollywood film has managed to approach to this day. Hrithik Roshan, who debuted with the film, became the country's biggest superstar in one stroke. His appeal among young women ran so high that on Valentine's Day he reportedly received marriage proposals running into the thousands.
The Story of Rohit and Sonia
The film is built around the love story of Rohit and Sonia. Rohit is an ordinary but gifted young man. The two begin to fall for each other, but then Rohit is suddenly killed. It is from here that the story takes a major turn — Sonia comes across Raj, a man whose face is a mirror image of Rohit's. From that moment, a fresh journey packed with suspense, romance and action begins.
Box Office and the Magic of Its Music
Made on a budget of just ₹10 crore, the film earned more than four times its cost. It raked in over ₹44 crore at the box office and created an uproar. Its songs played a huge part in that success. 'Ek Pal Ka Jeena', 'Na Tum Jaano Na Hum' and the title track remain favourites even today. This powerful soundtrack multiplied the film's popularity, and it was on the strength of this stellar run that it earned the tag of an 'all-time blockbuster'.
Kareena Was the First Choice for the Lead
Few people know that Kareena Kapoor was initially picked to play the heroine. The preparations for the shoot were complete and the set was ready. But just three days before the cameras were to roll, some differences cropped up between Rakesh Roshan and Kareena's mother, Babita. Things soured to the point where Kareena decided to walk away from the film. That left Rakesh Roshan facing the big challenge of finding a new actress. Acting quickly, he signed Ameesha Patel and launched her as the lead.
Domination at Filmfare
The film also held sway at the major award ceremonies. Hrithik Roshan won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor, while Rakesh Roshan was honoured with Best Film. Composer Rajesh Roshan took home the Best Music Director award, and Lucky Ali was chosen as Best Playback Singer. On top of that, Ravi Kapoor and Honey Irani won the award for Best Screenplay.
Mortgaging His House to Realise the Vision
To give 'Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai' its grand scale, Rakesh Roshan took an enormous gamble. In an interview, he revealed that his vision for the film was very big. He wanted to shoot at locations audiences had never seen before, such as Krabi Island and New Zealand. As the budget kept climbing, things reached a point where he even mortgaged his own house. He also shared an anecdote — for one song, he booked a ship in Singapore, only to later discover that the ship was actually in Greece. He then travelled to Greece, paid the full rental for the ship, and completed the shoot by taking a 150-member team across Singapore and Thailand.
