'Hrithik Roshan got Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai because of my portfolio': Dabboo Ratnani reveals Rakesh's phone call

Photographer Dabboo Ratnani, who is gearing up for the launch of the 2021 edition of his annual calendar, has spoken about the bond that he shares with his subjects. Dabboo releases a calendar filled with pictures of some of the biggest actors in the industry. This year's edition will feature the likes of Alia Bhatt, Vijay Deverakonda, Sunny Leone, Kiara Advani, Saif Ali Khan and others.

In an interview, Dabboo Ratnani revealed that he was the one who shot Hrithik Roshan's first portfolio, which encouraged Hrithik's father, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, to launch him as an actor in the film indsutry.

He told SpotboyE, "With everybody, it's true you have to create a vibe, but it all happens with how you behave at the shoot. For me, they are friends. I don't go with the mental space that I'm starstruck. It's more about being honest."

He continued, "Hrithik had told me this once... And I shot Hrithik's first portfolio, before Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. He got the movie because of my portfolio. His dad actually called me and said 'aapki photos dekhi maine (I saw your photos) and I've decided to make a movie with my son.' He told me always stay honest with people. From that time till now, our last shoot together, him and all these actors who've been in the film industry know when someone is fake."

Hrithik made his debut with Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai in 2000. On the film's 20th anniversary last year, he told Hindustan Times, "Really? 20 years already? Feels like I just started a few weeks ago. So yes, I still feel almost the same like it was on the first day as an actor. I am truly grateful for the love the audience has given me all these years from Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai to War. It has been a hugely enriching journey. As a beginner, I was extremely conscious of unimportant things while performing. Now, I am more at ease. This reflects in me personally too, as a person I am more comfortable with myself.”

Also read: Alia Bhatt stuns in blue as she poses for Dabboo Ratnani's calendar: 'Some wild spirit, a little bit of poetry'

Hrithik was last seen in Siddharth Anand's blockbuster hit War. His next film is Fighter, also directed by Siddharth, and co-starring Deepika Padukone.