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25 years of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai | Ameesha Patel recalls ‘got letters written in blood, fans stalked me’

ByMugdha Kapoor
Jan 14, 2025 11:32 AM IST

In an exclusive chat with HT City, Ameesha Patel opened up about the euphoric period that followed Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai's release back in 2000. 

In the year 2000, Bollywood was on the brink of a new era, and Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai symbolised that shift. The film, directed by Rakesh Roshan, catapulted Hrithik Roshan to instant stardom and introduced Ameesha Patel to millions. Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai resonated with the youth, capturing the pulse of a generation, and its unforgettable songs became the soundtrack of the summer. The film’s success sparked a frenzy unlike any seen before. As the film celebrates its 25th anniversary with a re-release, Ameesha Patel, who played the female lead (Sonia), reminisces about the euphoria, challenges, and the lasting impact of a film that continues to capture hearts.

A still from Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai
A still from Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai

“It feels nice that people want to see the film on 70mm again...they feel the film is important enough to be re-released. That is the beauty of this film. It transcends time. It's evergreen. We're lucky to be a part of such an iconic film," Ameesha tells us, adding, "I feel grateful. It was my most raw performance ever. And I think authenticity is what also reflected on screen, and people loved it. I had a fantastic chemistry with Hrithik.”

Also Read: Ameesha Patel recalls physically and mentally draining shoot of Gadar 2: 'People thought I was dead'

A still from Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai
A still from Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai

Ask her if she plans on catching the film in theatres and she responds: "I had only seen it twice back then. But now, I'm excited to see it again with a whole new group of friends and family who didn’t watch it with me at that time.”

RECEIVED LETTERS WRITTEN IN BLOOD

Talking about the euphoric period that followed the film’s release, Ameesha recalls how she and Hrithik became sensations overnight and the heartthrobs of millions in India. “There were so many people, fans who were taking our pictures to temples and churches and marrying the photos. I would get fan mail letters with the photos of me garlanded, with sindoor and the words 'You belong to me' written on them," shares the 49-year-old, adding, “I would also get hate letters with some saying 'How can you work with Bobby (Deol) and Sunny (Deol)...you belong to me, Sonia'. There were letters written in blood. It was scary as much as it was flattering.”

Also Read: The Roshans trailer: Netflix docu-series explores Hrithik Roshan and family's legacy; Priyanka Chopra, SRK feature too

A still from Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai
A still from Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai

Ameesha also reveals how some fans would go to extreme lengths, even showing up at her house. “People would come from villages, some would stalk me, somehow find my residential address and wait for a glimpse outside. The watchman and the security guards would have to pushing them away, lie to them that it wasn't my residence." She adds, "It was not a time when actors had a huge entourage and there was no social media. For them to completely prop up at my residence and these handwritten letters, some written in blood, landing up at my place, was another level of fear and madness.”

NO WASHROOM, NO MAKEUP ROOMS, WENT HUNGRY FOR HOURS

A still from Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai
A still from Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai

While talking about an extremely challenging schedule, Ameesha detailed the grueling conditions of shooting the island sequence in Krabi, Thailand. “We were stuck on that piece of land. We'd have to get there in dingy boats at a particular time and get off the island on time. Sometimes, while going back and forth in those boats, a slight tide would topple us over, and we'd end up in the ocean. During the day, we shot in 40 degrees plus temperature there. There were no washrooms, makeup rooms or vans, no food stalls. We'd go hungry for hours. That one meal of lunch that we got was also brought to us with difficulty. Temperatures were soaring but we'd be scared to drink water in the heat because we had no washrooms to go to. We would do our touch-ups under an umbrella. It was a very tedious shoot. Our skin got rough. We broke out allergies because of the mud, the sand, and the salt water. It was hard.”

Also Read: Hrithik Roshan is nervous about Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai re-releasing, thinks people will realise he wasn't all that

The physical challenges didn’t stop there — Ameesha also recalls a scary incident during the filming of the action-packed climax: “While filming the climax scene, Hrithik did a jump and when he fell, we heard his back crack. We had to rush him to the hospital at 4am and the shoot got postponed. We had to rebuild that set 6 months later, and the film got delayed by 6 months because of that one injury.”

A still from Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai
A still from Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai

Ameesha also recalls a near-accident involving a bullet during another scene. “When we came back on set to reshoot the remaining portions of the climax, I got a bullet. I had the presence of mind and turned my face, otherwise that bullet shot would have been in my eye and I would have been blinded. I got the bullet to my back and I had a charred hole there. They rushed me in the night to the doctor. Oh! We've had quite a journey,” she says.

FRIENDS, NOT CO-STARS

Ask her about her bond with co-star Hrithik, Ameesha emphasises that they never saw each other as co-stars but rather as friends who happened to work together. “Hrithik and I, we will never be co-stars for each other because we began as friends. We'll always be friends that worked in a film together. Our first insecurities, our first shots, watching the trailer cut together for the first time, we've shared those moments together. We also shared our doubts and insecurities, as well as our happiness with each other, and there were so many moments on set that were so difficult. But that sense of togetherness helped us both through it."

A still from Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai
A still from Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai

Noting how much she learnt from Hrithik, especially since she was an outsider, Ameesha says, “I learnt a lot from him because he was more well versed with the whole film and acting scenario. I came as an outsider, and he was a great teacher to me."

She also shares a lighthearted memory of the two of them practicing autographs in those early days, not knowing what the future would hold. “He and I would practice our autographs, not knowing whether we would become stars or if anyone would even want our autographs in the future once the film released. Every day I would try an autograph, and he would try something and then we would show it to each other and ask 'You think this is good enough?' And then, we'd suggest 'Let's dot an I or let's strike A in another way'. We would try and do these different things and then we'd look at each other and say 'We're practicing autographs, but do you really think people are going to want it one day?”

'I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS'

As she reflects on the past 25 years, Ameesha feels a sense of growth in her acting career. “I'm more sensible as an actor. I would like to think I have a little bit better grasp of cinema or characters now. You grow with every film. But I'm still a student. I have a long learning curve to still go through. I hope to do loads of different kinds of roles and continue learning,” she says, adding, "It's been a journey that has given me the love, affection and adulation of millions of people that I haven't met, but I've met through cinema and I live in their hearts. It's a beautiful feeling. In the last 25 years, I have had some wonderful work to my credit starting from Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai to Hamraaz, Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd., Race, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and Gadar 2. It's been a great journey. I have no complaints.”

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