The year 2000 saw two-star kids stepping into the industry to make their mark. The former was an actor turned filmmaker, while the latter was the son of the most powerful couple in the industry back then. Hrithik Roshan, son of Rakesh Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan – son of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, two stalwarts of the industry.
While Hrithik’s debut was not such a buzz initially, Abhishek’s stardom was hysterical even before his debut. When he started shooting for Refugee, the crowd used to gather at the shooting venue just to have a glimpse of ‘Amitabh Bachchan ka ladka.’
He could witness the hysteria and experience the pressure. Both the star kids made their debut a few months apart. While Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai was released in January, Refugee dropped in June. However, the opening day numbers for the films were a testimony to the fact that this nation thrives on stardom.
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Here is a box office comparison of Refugee and Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, how eventually tables turned for the two star kids, and how one failed, and one sailed!
Refugee VS Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai Day 1 Box Office
Abhishek Bachchan was a rage even before he stepped into the world of cinema through that silver screen. His introduction was heavier than his persona – son of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, grandson of Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Interestingly, the heroine of Refugee was another star kid, Kareena Kapoor Khan – granddaughter of Raj Kapoor, sister of Karisma Kapoor, and daughter of Babita and Randhir Kapoor. The lineages backed the film strongly, and on day 1, Refugee collected 1.52 crore at the box office.
It’s not a very bright number, but it’s a decent one. But it’s way higher than Hrithik Roshan’s day 1 at the box office. Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai collected only 0.45 crore on the opening day – 45 lakh, to be precise! Abhishek Bachchan earned 277.77% higher on his opening day of the career.
Refugee VS Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai Weekend Collection
Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor Khan‘s numbers were much better than Hrithik Roshan’s debut film in the first weekend as well. While Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai collected 1.7 crore on the first, Refugee registered 4.5 crore, 164% higher than Hrithik Roshan’s film.
Refugee VS Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai Week 1 Collection
While Refugee was a rage in the first week since people were very excited to see Abhishek Bachchan, the film collected 8.90 crore in week 1. Meanwhile, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai was stuck at 3.71 crore in week 1.
Tables turned for both the star kids with the terrific word of mouth for Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai and dull responses for Refugee. Finally, JP Dutta’s romantic drama based on a story amidst Bangladesh’s formation died in six weeks, and Hrithik Roshan’s debut film ran straight for 10 weeks, which made all the difference.
Abhishek Bachchan delivered 15 flops after Refugee was released, and Hrithik Roshan gave critically acclaimed performances in Fiza and Mission Kashmir the same year, and their fates were probably sealed!
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
Check out the box office collections and verdicts of 2024 here.
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