Koi... Mil Gaya

Following the success of the romantic thriller Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), the director Rakesh Roshan wanted to collaborate again with his son, Hrithik Roshan, who starred in the film alongside the debutante Ameesha Patel.[9][10] The director wanted his next project to be a child-centric film, not just a romance, which Rakesh Roshan had done many times in his career both as a director and actor.[9][11] He told Bollywood Hungama that he was motivated to make a film that was not "run-of-the-mill" but "an out-of-the-box yet entertaining, mainstream film", after attending the premiere of Lagaan in June 2001 during the 2nd IIFA Awards.[12] He announced it subsequently at the ceremony while he was receiving the Best Director award for Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai.[13] The idea to make a film on extraterrestrial life came up when he saw his five-year-old granddaughter watching a series about it on a cartoon network.[14] He later informed Hrithik Roshan of the project when the latter was shooting the 2001 release Yaadein in Delhi; Hrithik Roshan accepted the role immediately.[12]

Rakesh Roshan used a "K" as the film's initial, his favourite letter he used in all of his directorial ventures.[14][15] The film was originally titled Koi Aap Jaisa (transl. Someone Like You), Koi... Tumsa Nahin (transl. No One... is Like You), and Kaisa Jaadu Kiya (transl. What Kind of Magic You Have Done), before Koi... Mil Gaya (transl. I Have Found Someone...)—which sounded more romantic to him than any of the previous titles—was finally chosen.[16][17] He wrote the screenplay with Sachin Bhowmick, Honey Irani, and Robin Bhatt.[14] This took between two and three weeks before its first draft was done in Khandala.[12] Unfamiliar with the topic, Rakesh Roshan confessed he was initially reluctant and doubtful of the project, but Hrithik Roshan convinced him.[18] According to Rakesh Roshan, the screenwriters were "contributing new ideas since the premise itself was so new".[14] He described it as "a very emotional, thematic film" and "the greatest challenge" of his life, saying that science fiction was not the main theme of the film.[11][19] Though many have commented on the film's similarities to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982),[20] Rakesh Roshan denied being inspired by it.[21] Javed Siddiqui finished the dialogue.[22] Koi... Mil Gaya was produced by Rakesh Roshan under Filmkraft Productions, which he established in 1980, and distributed by Yash Raj Films.[23][24]

Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta were cast in the lead roles in Koi... Mil Gaya

When Koi... Mil Gaya was announced, Rakesh Roshan said that his son Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta would play the lead roles in the film;[13][25] it marked the actors' second collaboration after Mission Kashmir (2000).[26][27] Playing against type, Roshan was cast as the developmentally disabled man Rohit.[28] He admitted the role had reminded him of his childhood, saying he could eat as many chocolates as he wanted and "became a baby and everybody was so caring towards me".[29] Hrithik Roshan called it the "most challenging role" of his career,[30][31] but revealed he had accepted the part after his father first offered it to him, confessing that his excitement made the role feel much easier.[32] In a retrospective interview with Mint, he explained that he "revisited that earlier passion I had felt when I did my first film".[33] To provide an accurate portrayal, Hrithik Roshan lost 8 kilograms (18 lb), changed his hairstyle, and wore loose clothes to cover his well-built body.[16][29]

Zinta was given the role of Rohit's friend and then-wife, Nisha, after Rakesh Roshan saw her 20-minute performance in Mani Ratnam's 1998 thriller Dil Se.. and was impressed by it.[34][35] It was originally to be played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan or Kareena Kapoor; however, he saw that Rai Bachchan would not be a suitable co-actor as she was older than Hrithik Roshan, while Kapoor opted out because she had collaborated with the actor on many projects.[36] Zinta, who enjoyed her part as Nisha and called Koi... Mil Gaya a special film for her,[37][38] described the role as an attempt to change her "conventional heroine" image, telling Rediff.com that: "If I only did the glam-and-pout act, I would have stuck out like a sore thumb and destroyed the film's timeless texture."[39] The part proved to be a new challenge for her, and she found it to be her career's "toughest" role as it was "a very-controlled character".[40] Hrithik Roshan spoke positively of his rapport with her, and said he would "have been only half effective" if she was not his co-star.[41]

In July 2001, Rekha joined the cast and portrays Rohit's mother Sonia, a part that was specifically written by Rakesh Roshan for her.[42][43] Rakesh Roshan recommended she play the character as soon as he had finished writing the film's screenplay.[14] "I didn't even have a back-up artiste in mind for her role. If she had turned me down, I wonder what I would've done", he told Filmfare.[44] Discussing the film and its casting with the press, Hrithik Roshan said that she was the best on-screen mother and called her "marvellous".[45] Rekha saw that her part was "not too big", but believed that the role's motherhood aspect made it "worthwhile".[46] The film was her second project with Zinta following Dil Hai Tumhaara in 2002;[47] it also reunited her with Rakesh Roshan after both had worked together on several films such as Khubsoorat (1980) and Khoon Bhari Maang (1989).[32] After Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, and Rishi Kapoor rejected the role, Rakesh Roshan decided to play the small role of Rohit's father and Sonia's husband, the scientist Sanjay.[16][43] The film marked his comeback to acting following the 1999 comedy-drama Mother.[34]

Indravadan J. Purohit got the part as the alien Jadoo. According to him, Rakesh Roshan had offered the role to 30 or 40 people before he gave it to him without any screen tests. To prepare, Purohit lost several kilograms of weight, joined a gym, and followed a strict diet.[48] Four months before the beginning of shooting, he went to Australia to model his 15 kilogram (33 lb.), three foot (nearly one metre) animatronical mask, which was created by the Australian artists James Colmer and Lara Denman from Bimini Special Effects Studios.[48][49] They were both emotional when Rakesh Roshan narrates the film's screenplay, and they later showed a number of sketches for the mask that took a half-hour each to draw.[12][14] The mask took nearly a year to build.[49][50] and cost ₹100 million (US$1.3 million).[51] Because the mask was heavy, Purohit needed oxygen after shooting every one of his scenes to avoid suffocating. Having starred in more than 300 films (all of which feature him in comic roles), he thought with Koi... Mil Gaya he got "a role of a lifetime" and considered the film to be a career boost.[48]

Zinta and Rakesh Roshan at the muhurat of Koi... Mil Gaya in 2001

Principal photography for Koi... Mil Gaya began on 12 November 2001, in Film City, during the Dhanteras celebration.[52] The total budget ranged from ₹250 million (US$3.1 million) to ₹350 million (US$4.4 million), making it the most expensive film Rakesh Roshan had made at the time.[51] Ravi K. Chandran and Sameer Arya were the cinematographers, while Sharmishta Roy was the production designer. Rocky Star and Komal Shahani designed the costumes for the rest of the cast. Farah Khan, Raju Khan, and Ganesh Hegde served as the choreographers, and Allan Amin and Tinu Verma did the action direction.[7] A mall replica was built in the film complex for the film's 14-day shooting schedule.[52] A schedule in Canada was completed after three days. In September 2002, the entertainment portal Bollywood Hungama reported that the film was 40 percent completed.[51]

Chandran used shadows and smoke to make the film's sets look dark for the scenes that feature aliens, as he faced difficulties shooting those scenes in bright light. The spaceship, in which Jadoo visited Earth in the film, was designed by Colmer and Denman and built in a year.[53][54] During filming, Hrithik Roshan was also shooting three other projects—Na Tum Jaano Na Hum (2002), Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002), and Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003).[41] Koi... Mil Gaya took place in Bali, Rajasthan, Bhimtal, Western Europe, Kasauli, Nainital, and New Zealand.[55][56] In 2018, Rakesh Roshan revealed its climax sequences were shot in two different versions: in the first one, Rohit lost all of his powers after Jadoo left Earth, while in the second, Rohit did not lose them. After hearing opinions from many directors (such as Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar, Subhash Ghai, and Yash Chopra, he decided to use the second ending, presuming the audience would be satisfied by it.[12]

Shooting ended in March 2003,[57] and Koi... Mil Gaya was edited by Sanjay Verma.[7] With help from the Bangalore-based company Compudyne Winfosys, the American artists Marc Klobe and Craig Mumma, who previously collaborated on the science fiction films Independence Day (1996) and Godzilla (1998), were involved in the special effects.[14][53] They were enthusiastic about their first Bollywood project, and Rakesh Roshan asked them to be thrifty;[14] they spent ₹40 million (US$500,000).[2] Nonetheless, the director confessed that the film's total cost was still excessive for him and attributed this problem to the special effects and making Jadoo's costumes.[19]

Koi... Mil Gaya was successful at the box office, due to the audience's sympathy for Hrithik Roshan's character as a man with developmental disability. Trade analysts speculated the film would be an "acid test" for the actor.[93][94] The film was released on 450 screens across India and grossed ₹22.5 million (US$280,000) on its opening day, the year's second-highest first-day earnings.[95] It grossed ₹64.5 million (US$810,000) by the end of its opening weekend,[96] and ₹129 million (US$1.6 million) after its first week.[97] Koi... Mil Gaya earned ₹724.9 million (US$9.1 million) in India, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film of 2003.[98]

Abroad, the film did not attract much of an audience. As reported by Rediff.com, it debuted in 29th place in North America, where it was released on 55 screens, and grossed less than $300,000 after a three-day run.[99] Following its first weekend, the film had collected ₹32 million (US$400,000).[100] It earned ₹98.4 million (US$1.2 million) after finishing its overseas theatrical run, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing Indian film of the year.[101] Summarizing the film's total gross in India and overseas, the film-trade website Box Office India estimated Koi... Mil Gaya grossed ₹823.3 million (US$10 million), making it 2003's second-highest-grossing Indian film.[102][103]

Koi... Mil Gaya opened to a positive critical reception, with most critics applauding the cast's performances (especially that of Hrithik Roshan).[93][104] Rekha and Zinta's performances were panned; several critics found them to be "utterly wasted" serving only as the film's "decorative piece[s]".[105] In spite of that, Rekha's performance was better received critically.[106] The film received a rating of 75 percent on Rotten Tomatoes based on eight reviews, with an average rating of 5.4 out of 10.[90] Udita Jhunjhunwala of Mid-Day observed, "You walk into Koi... Mil Gaya expecting to find a mysterious alien, what you end up discovering is a child inside you." She praised Roshan for his performance in "his bravest role".[107] Bollywood Hungama noted, "Hrithik Roshan dominates the show and packs in a power-packed performance. The role of a mentally challenged person is no cakewalk, but the actor takes to it like a fish takes to water. He manages to pull off the zero-to-hero routine exceptionally well. As an actor, he scales dizzier heights with this splendid performance."[108] Rediff.com's R. Swaminathan called the actor "the turbojet that propels the film to the realm of the extraordinary", and believed that the film's screenplay and dialogues gave his character "flesh and blood".[109] However, he felt Jadoo's design was "a big letdown", saying that it was "plasticky" and "does not exude life".[110]

Writing for The Afternoon Despatch & Courier, Deepa Gahlot described Koi... Mil Gaya as "a great demo of the Bollywood style of filmmaking", but criticised its scientific inaccuracy.[111] Manjulaa S. Negi of the Hindustan Times was not satisfied by the special effects and compared them to Independence Day (1996).[112] Screen's editor Bhawana Somaaya appreciated Hrithik Roshan's performance, finding it to be "very sincere" and "brave"; she also took note of the film's "refreshing" subject.[113] Sharing a similar view, Dinesh Raheja felt Hrithik Roshan had delivered "a cherish-worthy performance".[114] Both critics added the child actors, who accompanying Hrithik Roshan's character throughout the film, contributed positively to his performance.[113] Ziya Us Salam was sure Rekha was underdeveloped and Lata Khubchandani, in her review for Sify, questioned why she was cast for the role;[115][116] Khalid Mohamed, who gave the film four stars, presumed that Rekha's role made her "restrained"—an opinion shared by Nahta.[117][118] Of Zinta's performance, Nahta opined: "Preity Zinta does not have a very significant role in terms of the value she adds although she has a running role. She looks pretty and acts well."[118] Vijay Venkataramanan of Planet Bollywood appreciated Rekha's strong chemistry with Hrithik Roshan.[119]

Chitra Mahesh from The Hindu commended Hrithik Roshan and the cast of the children, while referring to the character Jadoo as "amateurish".[120] In his five-star review published by B4U, Parag Chandrabala Maniar lauded the efforts of Rakesh Roshan "to provide pure and clean entertainment" and Kolbe's and Mumma's special effects. He said of Hrithik Roshan, "[He] proves his versatility as an actor. At times he moves you and at others he makes you laugh. Here's is (sic) definitely an actor to reckon with. The number of flops notwithstanding, Hrithik Roshan is here to stay."[121] Meenakshi Rao of The Pioneer complimented his acting style, considering him to be "endearing, as endearing as a child of his mental age".[122] The Times of India's Omar Qureshi elaborated, "Hrithik blows away all doubts, theories, criticisms and disbelief with an extraordinarily touching performance of a mentally challenged boy in a rough man's world. He surprises you with his reserves of pathos, his gamut of emotion and his transition from weak boy to strong man. Here is a sterling act, worthy of all awards this year—thus far. He is simply incredible, even in his voice modulations, his sloppy walk and his lopsided smile."[123] An Indo-Asian News Service critic wrote that the pairing of Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta took "the couple conventions of Hindi cinema far beyond the escapades of typical Hindi cinema".[124]

Overseas critics focused their attention on Hrithik Roshan's performance and the film's themes.[125] Grady Hendrix of Film Comment commented that the film was an "embarrassment of riches", summarising, "... it's mockable, it's silly, it's cloaked in a cloying miasma of cute, but its off-handed facility with pop-cinema conventions, spiced up with some jarring stylistic disconnects, delivers the most mind-bending entertainment experience of the season. This is commercial moviemaking taken to its logical, mondo mercantilist conclusion."[126] M. J. Simpson expressed approval of the entire cast, especially Hrithik Roshan, whom he regarded as the film's "oddest aspect".[127] Calling it "bright, loud and relentless fun", Jürgen Fauth gave the film three-and-a-half-out-of-five stars and reviewed its comedic, romantic, science-fictional, musical, action, and melodramatic elements positively.[128] Empire magazine hailed it as the "most novel Bollywood movie of the year".[129] The BBC's Manish Gajjar described Hrithik Roshan's role as a "mentally-retarded-child-[turned]-superman-hero".[130] Derek Elley praised him for avoiding his typecasting as a romantic hero,[131] while David Parkinson of Radio Times thought that the film served as "slick, sentimental entertainment".[132] Writing for TV Guide, Maitland McDonagh singled out Jadoo's expression in the scene where he is lost in a forest for praise.[133]

Koi... Mil Gaya won three awards at the 51st National Film Awards, including National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues tied with Prakash Jha's crime film Gangaajal.[134] At the 49th Filmfare Awards, the film was nominated for eleven categories including Best Actress (Zinta), Best Supporting Actress (Rekha), Best Performance in a Comic Role (Johnny Lever), and Best Music Director (Rajesh Roshan).[40][135] It went on to win five trophies including Best Film, Best Director for Rakesh Roshan, and Best Actor and Best Actor (Critics) for Hrithik Roshan.[135] At the sixth Bollywood Movie Awards, Hrithik Roshan received Best Actor and Best Actor (Critics), while Rekha was acknowledged as the year's Best Supporting Actress.[136] The film won five of eleven nominations at the fifth International Indian Film Academy Awards, including Best Director (Rakesh Roshan) and Best Actor (Hrithik Roshan).[137] It also earned five Screen Awards,[138] five Zee Cine Awards,[139] four Producers Guild Film Awards,[140] and two Stardust Awards.[141]