At the time of the making of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, the media had praised the lead actor as an unreal combination of acting prowess, good looks and dancing skills. I was a fan of SRK in those days, and I dismissed the feedback as a set of extremely kind statements for a newcomer.
In 2000, the movie was released, and the lead actor generated unprecedented mass hysteria. I enjoyed the performance, and yet I was not convinced that he was so much better than Abhishek Bachchan, who made his debut in the same year - for I got the impression that Hrithik and Abhishek were being compared to different sets of benchmarks.
There was evidently something I was missing, though. Perfectionism and whole-hearted effort strongly appeal to me, and Hrithik’s work embodied that. The box-office and people loved him. His performances were growing stronger with every release. What was I looking for?
Then the flops happened. The media started to write him off almost immediately, and that’s when I began to take notice of him – for he seemed to be handling failure well. 2003 and Koi Mil Gaya was the turning point. Everything fell in place for Hrithik, and for me as a fan.
On the other hand, when Ranbir arrived, I liked him instantly. The spontaneity and enthusiasm made for a charming combination. He made inducing laughter look so easy, and he made me laugh often. His choice of movies ensured that box-office success would not be easy, and it made me notice him – why was he consciously choosing a difficult route?
I enjoy watching both of them.
Salman Khan helped the former with sculpting his body, and has been a part of two out of the four releases the latter has had. Both of them came up with endearing performances in the coming-of-age films they were a part of (Lakshya, and Wake Up Sid respectively).
If you were planning to watch just one movie starring each of them, these are my recommendations.
