In 2000 a young actor made his debut in Bollywood under the direction of his father in a movie that went on to become one of the biggest hits of the year. The film was the musical hit Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai and the actor we are talking about is Hrithik Roshan.
The actor has completed two decades in the Hindi film industry this year, but what makes his debut year an interesting one is that he had two more releases that year. And both films were a complete departure from his debut role. And one of the two films was the critically acclaimed Fiza, which hit the screens on September 8.
Directed by Khalid Mohammed, the film starred Karisma Kapoor in the title role. Hrithik played her brother Amaan and Jaya Bachchan their mother. The story revolved a sister looking for her brother who went missing during the 1993 Mumbai riots. And when she finds him, he is not the young and innocent sibling she had lost.
The film was originally planned as an artsy project, but with Hrithik’s successful debut, the actor’s role got extended and some commercial elements were added. But that did not take away from the heart of the film. It made the impact that it set out to have. In fact, it is considered one of Karisma’s most powerful performances.
Fiza also gave audiences a taste of what Hrithik was capable of as an actor. He was not just a one-film wonder but he had the acting chops.
Yes, his amazing looks and superb dance talent have overshadowed his acting talent, but when we look at his filmography we know that he is not scared to try different things. Be it the quadriplegic in Guzaarish, the regal Moghul in Jodha Akbar, the lovable conman in Dhoom 2, the trying-to-find-himself young man in Lakshya or his recent roles in Super 30 and WAR, Hrithik has given the Hindi movie audience more than what they expected from him.
In a career spanning 20 years, he has done a little over 20 films as the leading man or one of the leading men, not a very big number when you think about the star status he commands. And he has had his fair share of disasters as well, professionally, personally and physically. But he has managed to get out each one of them, stronger and better.
It is interesting how this was supposed to be about 20 years of Fiza, but has ended up being about Hrithik Roshan. And this is the impact the actor has. There is no way you can ignore his presence, on and off-screen. Even in his worst films, you will be still talking about him and Fiza was one of his amazing films.
Another highlight of the film was its music composed by Anu Malik. Mehboob mere song sung by Sunidhi Chauhan and Karsan Sargathiya, featuring the sultry Sushmita Sen, is still popular as ever. The lyrics for the song were by Tejpal Kaur. The other songs from the film were equally popular, in fact the album was one of the top albums of the year.
Khalid had wanted AR Rahman to compose for the film, but due to other commitments, he could not. But he did compose one song Piya Haji Ali, which I feel is the soul of Fiza. And it is one of the many Sufi gems that came from AR Rahman.
The film also starred Johny Lever, Isha Koppikar and Manoj Bajpayee in a guest appearance. Here is an interesting bit of trivia. Manoj is married to Neha, the actress who played Hrithik’s love interest in the film.
So, if you haven’t seen Fiza, it is about time you watched it. It is streaming on Netflix, so give it a go.