As the Greek God of Bollywood - Hrithik Roshan turns 44, we take a look at films where we feel Duggu impressed and nailed his character.
Hrithik's debut film as a hero which was directed by dad Rakesh Roshan and Hrithik was paired with newcomer Ameesha Patel opposite him. Hrithik essayed a double role in the film of Rohit and Raj Chopra. This romantic entertainer was a blockbuster and heralded Hrithik's arrival in Bollywood.
2) Fiza
The film was the directorial debut of ace journalist Khalid Mohammed and starred Karisma Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan and Jaya Bachchan in key roles. The film is about a girl Fiza (Karisma Kapoor), whose brother, Amaan (Hrithik Roshan), disappears during the 1993 Bombay riots. Fiza and her mother Nishatbi (Jaya Bachchan) desperately hold on to the hope that one day he will return. A film which had an inherent pathos to it, for us this one ranks amongst Hrithik Roshan's finer performances despite the film being based on Karisma's character. Hrithik's Aman had the right amount of rebellion and vulnerability and one can't forget the climax scene where Hrithik's character requests Karisma's character to kill him to give him an honourable end. The scene is pure awe-inducing.
This one was an action thriller which told the story of the life and tragedy of a young boy named Altaaf (role essayed by Hrithik Roshan) after his entire family is accidentally killed by police officers. He is adopted by the police chief (role essayed by Sanjay Dutt) who is responsible for this, and when Altaaf finds out the truth, he seeks revenge and becomes a terrorist. Hrithik did full justice to his rather complex character in the film and was a delight to watch. The film was produced and directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and was beautifully shot.
This one is the mother of all family dramas with a huge star cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. Lavishly shot and mounted, this Karan Johar film saw Hrithik essaying the character of Rohan Raichand who is instrumental in bringing back the family together. Not only did Hrithik hold his own against such an amazing cast, he also looked like every girl's dream come true.
This was a career defining film for Hrithik Roshan in which he essayed a mentally disabled person Rohit who meets with an extra-terrestrial and their friendship. Loosely based on Steven Spielberg's ET, Hrithik showcased his histrionic skills to great effect in this sci-fi entertainer.
6) Lakshya
Hrithik played the character of Karan Shergill in the film - a youth who is totally clueless and has no aim in life. On a whim, Karan enrolls to join the Army and gets selected. From that point onwards, we see Hrithik's character slowly metamorphise from a happy go lucky guy to a focussed Army officer. A coming-of-age story set against a fictionalized backdrop of the 1999 Kargil War. One of Hrithik's most accomplished performances.
7) Krrish
The sequel to the highly successful Koi...Mil Gaya, this one Had Duggu essaying a superhero and relates the story of Krishna, the son of the previous film's protagonists, who inherits his father's superhuman abilities. Krishna must later thwart the plans of the evil Dr. Siddhant, who has a connection to Krishna's father, Rohit, the protagonist of the previous film. The film had a super spirited performance from Hrithik and was a huge craze amongst the kids. Expectedly, the film was a blockbuster.
8) Dhoom 2
The second part of the Dhoom franchise saw Hrithik essay the character of Mr. A who's passion is to steal rare and valuable collectibles using high-technology gadgets. The film had exotic locales and elaborate action sequences. Hrithik looked stylish and carried off his role with elan and his chemistry with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was out of this world and the pair looked perfect on-screen.
9) Jodhaa Akbar
An epic historical romance film which centred on the romance between the Mughal Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, played by Hrithik Roshan, and the Rajput Princess Jodhaa Bai who becomes his wife, played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The film was directed by ace filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker. Hrithik's Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar looked suitably regal and Duggu delivered a praiseworthy performance.
10) Guzaarish
This Sanjay Leela Bhansali masterpiece had Hrithik playing a paralyzed magician-turned-Radio jockey Ethan Mascarenhas who files a petition in court seeking permission to end his life. Hrithik essayed the role of a quadriplegic wonderfully in the film and moved everyone with his touching performance.
The Zoya Akhtar film depicted the story of 3 friends (Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol) and what happens when they go on a trip to Spain where each one gets to choose a dangerous sport for the group to partake. Hrithik's character of Arjun was that of a workaholic, smart, stylish equities trader. On the surface of it, his life is cool but underneath the cool facade there is a certain hurt and angst at Farhan Akhtar's character for having an affair with his former girlfriend. During the trip, Hrithik's character comes in contact with Katrina Kaif's character and they gradually get attracted towards each other. Duggu carried off the role with aplomb.