Rakesh Roshan and Pinky Roshan had never expected that their son will take to acting.
"We thought, he'll chose graphics because he has an artistic temperament," says the father.
But when the son didn't want to go abroad for studies and said that he wanted to become an actor, the father wasn't disappointed.
"It was his decision," he says. The father then did everything in his power to launch his son into stardom. And what a launch it was! He sought and found a subject to suit Hrithik's personality. He also found a fresh face - Amisha Patel - to star as the female lead.
Did he expect his son's debut film to be such a big success?
"As a producer and director, I could only try to make a good film," he says. "But I was sure that people would appreciate him as a new-comer. I knew his talent would be appreciated."
But Hrithik didn't have it that easy. The father wanted the son to learn the ropes of the business first.
"Once he decided not to go abroad for studies, he joined me as an assistant director for five years," says Rakesh Roshan. "I could see his involvement in all the departments. He worked very hard and sincerely. He didn't take any privileges as my son. He wouldn't even get into my car to go to the studio. He would take a bus to and from work."
But then, he had noticed this trait in his son from childhood.
"He was not only very good at studies, but he was good at whatever he decided to do. He picked up things fast. But he did not compete with anyone."
Hrithik is known in the business as a reserved and extremely simple person. Was he like this as a youngster?
"He was an introvert," admits the father.
"He kept to himself. He always thought twice before he spoke. That was because, from childhood, he had the habit of not hurting anybody's feelings. He has always been very sensitive to other people's feelings."
These were the traits that made Hrithik's parents wonder if their sensitive son would survive in the cut-throat world of films.
"He was not only very good at studies, but he was good at whatever he decided to do. He picked up things fast. But he did not compete with anyone."
Hrithik is known in the business as a reserved and extremely simple person. Was he like this as a youngster?
"He was an introvert," admits the father.
"He kept to himself. He always thought twice before he spoke. That was because, from childhood, he had the habit of not hurting anybody's feelings. He has always been very sensitive to other people's feelings."
These were the traits that made Hrithik's parents wonder if their sensitive son would survive in the cut-throat world of films.
"That's why we didn't want him to join films, because we felt that the film industry was not made for him. But what can we do? It was written in his destiny to be an actor ... destined to be a a star, I suppose," says the father.
Indeed Hrithik has it in him to make it to the top of the industry.