Ameesha Patel discusses her friendship with Hrithik, discloses his nickname for her
Actor Ameesha Patel recently opened up about her enduring friendship with former co-star Hrithik Roshan, reminiscing about their journey since their debut film Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai (2000). Speaking about their bond, the actor revealed how they still maintain a special connection despite their busy schedules. Ameesha also opened up about what it was like working with the star during their maiden film.
In a recent interaction with India Today Digital, Ameesha shared that she and Hrithik speak over the phone, but their hectic commitments have kept them from meeting. However, she emphasised that a celebration was due.
Reflecting on Hrithik’s evolution over the years, she noted visible maturity in him but insisted that, for her, he would always be “Dugu.” She fondly recalled how, from the very first day of their friendship, Hrithik saved her contact as “Heroine” in his phone—a tradition he continues even today. “Even last week, when we exchanged WhatsApp messages, he texted, ‘Thank you, Heroine,’” she revealed.
Talking about their early days in Bollywood, Ameesha described how both of them were like “two little buds blossoming together, uncertain of their future.” While acknowledging Hrithik’s preparation and the advantage of belonging to a film family, she praised him for never making her feel like he was the son of the film’s producer-director. “He was just as normal, insecure, and afraid—discussing things with me like any newcomer would,” she said.
Their bond, she affirmed, remains irreplaceable. “He knows my flaws and strengths, just as I know his. And that first-time experience—no one can replace it. We were the original ‘first-time buddies’ who went on to become actors, and then the nation accepted us… back when the term ‘national crush’ didn’t even exist,” she added with a smile.
Ameesha and Hrithik’s debut in Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai was a turning point in Bollywood, catapulting them both into stardom. It was re-released on Hrithik’s birthday, on January 10.
