When SRK kept his distance from Hrithik on sets of 'K3G'

Latter was isolated, unwelcomed because of the popularity he was garnering after 'Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai'

Karan Johar’s second directorial venture Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G) may have been a lesson on loving your family but the sets of the multi-starrer were anything but homely or welcoming, at least for Hrithik Roshan.

In his memoir, An Unsuitable Boy, Karan Johar had revealed that Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan and Kajol kept their distance from Hrithik, who was then a mere 27-year-old riding high on the fame of his recently released Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. According to Karan, it was “really sad” because the hostility had to do with the success of his film.

Hrithik was being compared to Shah Rukh and touted as the next big thing in Bollywood then. “It was unfair because he was too junior, and Shah Rukh was already such a big star. But that was a phase when one or two of Shah Rukh’s films had gone wrong and the media had started projecting Hrithik up there,” Karan wrote.

“The negativity that crept in was not justified. I felt Hrithik was the only one during the course of the shooting who needed a little hand-holding. See, the Bachchans didn’t have that equation with him. And Kajol was team Shah Rukh,” he added.

Karan went on to develop a really good friendship with Hrithik at that point in time. “We got close; he was a bit of a lost child in this whole lot. Hrithik, anyway, is slightly awkward around people. He’s not the most people-friendly person. Now he’s become a lot better,” he shared.

Upon its release in 2001, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham smashed box office records and became one of the most-loved films of all time. It revolved around the rift in the illustrious Raichand family and their eventual, tearful reunion, while also exploring the prevalent class divide in India.

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