Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai

Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic action thriller film written, directed and produced by Rakesh Roshan. It marks the debut of his son Hrithik Roshan and fellow actress Ameesha Patel. Upon its release on 14 January 2000, the film along with Hrithik Roshan's debut act and the soundtrack album became an instant sensational blockbuster success. It earned over inr 800000000 worldwide, becoming the second highest-grossing film of 2000 worldwide and the highest net domestically grossing movie in India of the Year.

Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai received positive reviews from critics, with praise directed towards Hrithik Roshan's performance and music, but criticized its "clichéd" plot. Hrithik Roshan became an overnight superstar, where his debut was termed "Hrithik Mania" by the media and he has been known as the "Millennial Superstar". The film went on to be inducted into the Guinness World Records (2002) for being a feature film with the most awards won a total of 92 awards received in numerous ceremonies and categories.

The film would be added to the Limca Book of Records for the greatest number of awards won by a Hindi film. As director and producer, Rakesh Roshan collected his first ever Filmfare Award, while his son became the only actor ever to win both the Filmfare Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Award for Best Debut for the same film. The film's core concept was inspired by the 1986 Kannada film Ratha Sapthami.

Following the success of Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, the father-son duo have gone on to collaborate in many more films, including Koi... Mil Gaya, Krrish, Kites, Krrish 3 and Kaabil.

Plot
Rohit and his younger brother Amit are orphans who live with their aunt Lily and uncle Anthony. Rohit is an aspiring singer and works at an automobile showroom to make ends meet. Through his job, he meets Sonia, daughter of rich businessman Saxena, who is friends with his boss, Malik. They encounter each other several more times and develop feelings for each other. On a cruise ship, Sonia gets jealous of the female attention Rohit attracts. They drunkenly argue, fall into a lifeboat, and pass out. The boat floats to a deserted island. The two fall in love while stranded there together.

They are rescued by Saxena, but their relationship is rejected, as he does not want his daughter marrying below her financial status. As a result, Rohit loses his job, but he challenges Saxena that he will be successful in order to win Sonia's heart. Rohit's friends help him cut a music record to establish himself so he can be worthy of Sonia. On the eve of his first concert, he goes to pick up Amit from school and inadvertently witnesses the murder of the police commissioner by Malik and two corrupt policemen after the commissioner confronts them about their illegal drug dealings. Malik then calls Saxena, the true leader of this drug cartel, who orders Rohit's death as he is now a witness. The policemen knock him off the bridge into the sea. Rohit, not knowing how to swim, drowns; his body remains on the seafloor and is unable to be recovered.

Sonia is devastated and falls into depression. Saxena sends her to stay with her cousin's family in New Zealand for a change of scenery. There, Sonia is stunned when she encounters a look-alike of Rohit named Raj and initially thinks that Rohit was somehow saved, especially when she sees he is a good singer as well. However, she is disheartened to learn that he is a New Zealand native and has never visited India. Raj falls in love with Sonia, but she avoids him, as it hurts her to see someone else with Rohit's face.

Raj accompanies Sonia on her return flight to India but accepts her rejection. They bid goodbye at the airport when suddenly, someone shoots Raj in the arm. He and Sonia flee and realize that someone mistook Raj for Rohit, meaning his death may not have been an accident. They return to India together and visit Rohit's family and friends, discovering that Amit had become mute since his death. Amit finally speaks upon seeing Raj, and reveals that he witnessed Rohit being chased by his murderers and that his death was ordered by someone Malik called "Sirjee."

Raj, Sonia, and Rohit's friends revive Rohit's concert, announcing that he has returned as a way to draw out his murderers. Raj performs but the plan backfires, as the policemen instead kidnap Sonia. Raj rescues her and kills the policemen, avenging Rohit's death. Saxena kills Malik before Malik can reveal his involvement. However, when Raj calls 'Sirjee's' number on Malik's phone, Saxena's phone rings, revealing him to be the leader. Saxena apologizes to Sonia and Raj while being arrested. Raj decides to take Amit back with him to New Zealand. Sonia confesses her feelings for him, saying she doesn't want to lose her love again, and goes back with him as well. In the end, Raj and Sonia get engaged.

Cast

 * Hrithik Roshan as Rohit Kumar and Raj Chopra in double role
 * Ameesha Patel as Sonia Saxena
 * Anupam Kher as Mr. Saxena; Sonia's father
 * Dalip Tahil as Shakti Malik: Atul's father, Mr. Saxena's friend
 * Mohnish Behl as Inspector Dilip Kadam: a corrupt officer in Mr. Saxena's payroll
 * Ashish Vidyarthi as Inspector Satish Shinde: a corrupt officer in Mr. Saxena's payroll
 * Satish Shah as Anthony Rodriques: Rohit and Amit's landlord; Lily's husband
 * Farida Jalal as Lily Rodriques/Aunty: Rohit and Amit's landlady; Anthony's wife
 * Rajesh Tandon as Atul Malik: Shakti's son and Sonia's best friend
 * Asha Patel as Neha Chopra: Raj's mother
 * Tannaz Irani as Neeta Saxena: Sonia's cousin and Raj's best friend
 * Vrajesh Hirjee as Tony Bahl: Rohit's best friend
 * Abhishek Sharma as Amit: Rohit's younger brother
 * Johnny Lever as Inspector Parab Sharma
 * Ram Mohan as Police Commissioner Verma
 * Payal Malhotra as Shobha Malvade
 * Dimple Inamdar as Dancer
 * Jasveer Kaur as Dancer

Production
The film was launched in 1998 with Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor in lead roles. However, the latter walked out a few days after the launch, following a "misunderstanding" between the director Rakesh Roshan and Kareena's mother Babita. Rakesh, who had known Ameesha Patel's family for a long time, cast her in the role within 3 days.

The ship scenes were filmed aboard the Star Flyer. The island scenes were filmed in Krabi, Thailand, in the area near Khao Phing Kan (popularly known as James Bond Island).

Critical reception
''Kaho Naa.. Pyaar Hai'' received highly positive reviews from critics upon release, with particular praise directed towards Hrithik's performance and the film's soundtrack. However, most critics also criticized the film's "clichéd" storyline.

Planet Bollywood's Alok Kumar said "I'm telling you all to go see KNPH, a movie with which I had low expectations. The film ended up being very entertaining." Ajay Chaturvedi of Apunkachoice.com said "The film suffers from a bad script." But he praised the performance and dancing of Hrithik saying, "The highlight ... is Hrithik Roshan who has good screen presence, He has acted quite well considering that this is his debut film and he is a brilliant dancer." He praised the music saying "it is a big plus with "Na Tum Jaano Na Hum" and "Ek Pal Ka Jeena" being the pick of the lot."

The reviewer for Filmfare rated it 3.5 out of 5, and wrote, "Rakesh Roshan has come up with a winner. A racy script, excellent product values and taut editing result in a storyline that keeps the audience hooked throughout. The music is also good, especially the title song and numbers such as "Ek Pal Ka Jeena" and "Chand Sitaare". Hrithik is very good in the action and dance sequences, and proves his acting calibre in his very first film. Patel too performs well."

Sabiha Kalolwala of The Indian Express wrote, "Rakesh Roshan has been smart enough to make a film which encompasses all the facets of acting — drama, action, romance, thrill, comedy and tragedy, all of them enacted pretty well by Hrithik Roshan." Of the soundtrack, he wrote, "There is not even one song which is not enjoyable." Anupama Chopra, reviewing the film for India Today wrote, "... Rakesh has taken the routine love-story, added a thriller twist and narrated it with style. KNPH isn't about path-breaking craft, it's about blockbuster presentation. Rakesh's sweat and money are apparent in every frame." She concluded writing, "What doesn't work is the tired villain track. Kher, one of Bollywood's finest, hams from frame 1. Perhaps the idea of playing disgruntled papa yet again was too tedious. His post-climax repenting is almost comical. The rest of the gang isn't much better. The plot is as stale as the performances." Kanchana Suggu of Rediff.com called the film a "great entertainer" and wrote, "One must say Rakesh Roshan knew what he was doing when he cast Hrithik as the lead. The boy is good. The ease and style with which he dances, emotes, fights, makes one forget this is his debut film. He's had to essay two different characters, and he's done justice to both." Also commending the performances of other actors, she wrote praises of other departments in that the "music is good, the songs are catchy, the cinematography is appealing, the direction is unobtrusive and the story is actually 'different'."

The interval twist of the movie - where the hero supposedly dies in an accident - and the second half of the film - where the heroine is sent out of her hometown to her uncle's place in order to overcome her depression, but is shell-shocked to find a lookalike in a vehicle nearby, and later catches a glimpse of him again in a discotheque dancing merrily - was reported to be based on the 1986 Kannada movie Ratha Sapthami.

Box-office
In India, Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai was the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2000. When adjusted for inflation, it was the 11th highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time as of 2011, and the sixth highest-grossing film of the 2000s.

Soundtrack
The film's music was composed by Rajesh Roshan with lyrics by Ibrahim Ashk, Saawan Kumar Tak and Vijay Akela. Most of the songs were sung by Lucky Ali, Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. The dancing sequences were choreographed by Farah Khan.

The film's soundtrack album sold about 8.5 to 10million units becoming one of its decades best selling Bollywood soundtrack of all time. The soundtrack was #70 on the list of "100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks of All Time", as compiled by Planet Bollywood.

In popular culture
The Hindi-language musical romantic film, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum (2002) also starring Hrithik alongside Esha Deol and Saif Ali Khan, is named after a song from this film.