Rakesh Roshan recalls risking son Hrithik Roshan’s career with Koi… Mil Gaya, was nervous after a series of flops earned him ‘one-film wonder’ label

Asked if he was worried about risking his son’s career, Rakesh recalled in an interview with Bollywood Hungama, “Yes, that thought did occur, but when I took the very first shot of the film with Hrithik, my confidence grew 100%. I said, ‘We will hit it this time’. Unfortunately, after Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai and before Koi… Mil Gaya, all his films didn’t do well. His last film also, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, it released two months before my film, that also didn’t do well. And I thought, ‘Koi… Mil Gaya shayad koi dekhne ko na aaye (What if nobody comes to watch my film).”

Recalling his nervousness about the film’s release and box office prospects, he said, “I told all my distributors, ‘See, this is not a usual commercial film, so you will not have a usual morning 9 am show.’ For Karan Arjun, Koyla and Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, we had 6 am shows in the morning. They used to open the film, and wake me up to tell me that it was houseful. I took it in writing from them that they wouldn’t have early morning shows. I said, ‘Don’t release it, kyunki 9 baje kahin buri khabar na phel jaaye‘. The distributors said, ‘Agar aap itne nervous hain toh humara kya hoga (If you’re so nervous, what will happen to us)’?”

Without telling him, and going back on their word, the distributors released Koi… Mil Gaya at 6 am, and called Rakesh to inform him that the film was in fact a hit. “Houseful hai, ab kya writing-witing ki baat kar rahe ho (It’s a hit, how does it matter what we promised),” they told him. The filmmaker also recalled another story about hosting a screening for distributors ahead of the film’s release. “I was waiting outside, prepared mentally that five or six of them would walk out. The first person who came outside was the Punjab distributor. He just came and embraced me, and said, ‘What a film you have made’. I thought to myself, ‘If Punjab loves it, everyone will love it’.”

Also starring Rekha, Preity Zinta, Prem Chopra and Johnny Lever, Koi… Mil Gaya spawned a franchise. It was followed by the superhero film Krrish, which was followed by Krrish 3. A fourth installment has been announced. The film will be re-released in 30 cities on August 4.