Hrithik Roshan’s career-best performance, the gorgeous relationship with Jadoo, and the sheer audacity of a mainstream Indian film that asks you to love a blue alien. Just ignore the dubious romance and enjoy the ride.

Against all odds, it worked. Not only did it work—it became a blockbuster, launched Hrithik Roshan into the stratosphere, and created a franchise. Here’s why Koi... Mil Gaya remains a landmark film, even two decades later. The story begins with a tragedy. Sanjay Mehra (Rakesh Roshan), a brilliant scientist, is ridiculed by his peers for claiming he’s made contact with an alien civilization. While driving in a storm to prove his theory, he crashes and dies. His pregnant wife, Sonia (Rakhee Gulzar), is left alone.

Watch the scene where he first sees Jadoo. He doesn’t scream. He doesn’t run. He tilts his head, blinks, and offers a piece of his roti . That’s the genius of Roshan’s performance—he plays Rohit as the purest version of a human: uncynical, uncorrupted, and incapable of hate. When he cries because the town bullies destroy his model spaceship, you feel it. You don’t pity him; you root for him. In an era before Avatar and advanced motion capture, Jadoo is a miracle of practical effects and CGI. Designed by a British team, the alien is a beautiful creation—large, liquid eyes, a smooth blue head, and a gentle demeanor. He doesn’t speak a word of Hindi. He communicates through coos, clicks, and expressive gestures.

Years later, their son Rohit (Hrithik Roshan) is a grown man with the mental age of a child—a result of the accident. He is sweet, innocent, and relentlessly bullied by the town’s hooligans, led by the sneering Raj (Rajat Bedi). The only light in his life is Nisha (Preity Zinta), a feisty, kind-hearted girl who sees past his disability.

The film paved the way for Krrish (2006), turning Rohit into a superhero. But the first film remains the most special because of its small, intimate stakes. It’s not about saving the world. It’s about one boy finding a friend.

One night, using his father’s old computer, Rohit accidentally sends a signal into space. An alien ship arrives. The alien—whom Rohit names "Jadoo" (meaning "magic")—is stranded. What follows is a pure, unadulterated friendship. Jadoo gives Rohit superhuman powers (strength, agility, intellect). Rohit gives Jadoo shelter, biscuits, and loyalty. Of course, the military and the town’s bullies close in, leading to a climactic chase. Let’s get this straight: Koi... Mil Gaya rests entirely on Hrithik Roshan’s shoulders. And he delivers a performance for the ages. After the Greek-god swagger of Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai , he completely reinvents himself. As Rohit, his wide-eyed gaze is never vacant; it’s curious. His lopsided walk isn’t a caricature; it’s physical language.

Koi... Mil Gaya is Bollywood’s E.T. , but filtered through our own masala sensibilities—louder, more emotional, and unapologetically sentimental. It makes you laugh, cry, and believe that magic exists in the most unlikely places.

Before 2003, Indian cinema’s tryst with science fiction was, to put it mildly, campy. We had Mr. X in Bombay (1964) and the unintentionally hilarious Jaani Dushman (1979). But then came Rakesh Roshan’s Koi... Mil Gaya . On paper, it was a ridiculous gamble: a mainstream Hindi film about a developmentally disabled man who befriends an alien. No villain singing in a Swiss vineyard. No family drama spanning three generations. Just a blue-skinned, big-eyed creature from another world.