How would you feel if a country’s tourism increases by leaps and bounds because of your efforts? Rakesh Roshan would be the best person to answer about it. Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (2000), which completed 25 years on January 14, was one of the first films to be shot in New Zealand. Bollywood Hungama wrote an exclusive piece in 2020 on the island country facing a tourism boom thanks to the Hrithik Roshan-Ameesha Patel starrer. Five years later, Rakesh Roshan revealed one more fascinating aspect to Bollywood Hungama exclusively. He said that not just New Zealand, but even Krabi in Thailand benefited due to Hrithik’s debut film.
EXCLUSIVE: Did you know? Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai crew had to stay in houses of local people due to lack of hotels in Krabi; Rakesh Roshan reveals FASCINATING trivia
A major chunk of the first half of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai was shot in Krabi, located close to Phuket when the characters of Hrithik and Ameesha were marooned on a deserted island. Rakesh Roshan began by saying, “The film worked and so did the locations. We depicted the beautiful locales of New Zealand and it enticed people. The same thing happened in Singapore with Krrish (2006). In fact, the same thing also happened when I shot Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai in Krabi.”
Rakesh Roshan explained, “Back then, there was only 1 hotel with 8 rooms. I, Hrithik, Ameesha, the DOP and 2-3 more people stayed there. The rest of the unit of 150 people were accommodated in the houses of local people! They had no choice but to have local food and after a few days, they got fed up with it. After all, there was only Thai or Chinese food available. Now, there are innumerable five-star hotels in that area.”
Rakesh Roshan admitted that his film played a small role in Krabi tourism. He added, “I am very fond of shooting in beautiful, unexplored locations. We shot Koyla in Arunachal Pradesh.” Interestingly, the Sangestar Tso Lake is now referred to as ‘Madhuri Lake’ thanks to Koyla!
5 years ago, Bollywood Hungama reported about a lovely thank you note which is proudly put up in Rakesh Roshan’s office. It was given to him by the then New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark in 2004 and it thanked him for the “important contribution he made in strengthening the longstanding friendship” between the two countries. She remarked that “your film captured the imagination of Indian audiences and portrayed to the world a rich and vibrant image of New Zealand” and also added that even the local residents were “made aware of the panache and vitality of the Indian film industry”.
In 2006 or 2007, Peter Healy, the then New Zealand High Commission in Delhi confessed that the demand for New Zealand visas became so huge that the existing 2000 feet immigration and visa office of New Zealand was extended by another 8000 square feet, to handle the steady pile of applications! Peter also said, “We call this additional area the ‘Hrithik Addition’! In fact, we invited Hrithik Roshan to open the building, but unfortunately, he was away abroad.” The high commission office had to also employ 8 more people, totalling its staff strength to 16. Peter Healy jokingly remarked, “These employees owe their jobs to Hrithik!”
Does Rakesh Roshan now get royal treatment in New Zealand after these developments? The filmmaker laughed and simply replied, “I have been there only once since then.”
More Pages: Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai Box Office Collection
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