25 Years of Mission Kashmir: When Preity Zinta Earned More Than Hrithik Roshan

Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ambitious Kashmir-set drama clashed with Mohabbatein, sparked pay-scale surprises, and became a turning point for Hrithik Roshan’s early career.

October 27, 2000 — Mission Kashmir hit theatres and marked one of Bollywood’s most daring cinematic ventures of its time. Directed and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the film featured an ensemble cast including Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan, Jackie Shroff, Sonali Kulkarni, and Preity Zinta. Set against the politically tense backdrop of Kashmir, the film blended emotional storytelling with action and social commentary, exploring the deep scars left by terrorism and conflict.

The film released on the same day as Mohabbatein, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan — a box-office clash that remains memorable even today. While Mohabbatein emerged as a massive blockbuster, Mission Kashmir performed decently, earning praise for its performances and bold theme, even though it didn’t achieve runaway commercial success. Interestingly, the film opened to strong collections, largely driven by Hrithik Roshan’s soaring popularity after his debut Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai.

What many don’t know is that Mission Kashmir was actually signed before Hrithik became an overnight sensation. Back then, he was a promising newcomer, not yet the superstar he would become just months later. The film’s focus was initially more on Sanjay Dutt’s character, but after Hrithik’s debut film became a blockbuster, portions of Mission Kashmir were reportedly reworked to expand his presence in the narrative.

According to writer Suketu Mehta’s book Maximum City, the film’s cast had unconventional payment structures. Sanjay Dutt was to be paid ₹25 lakhs if the film recovered its cost, and another ₹25 lakhs if it became a hit — with nothing if it flopped. Hrithik Roshan, still a newcomer then, had a deal of ₹11 lakhs if the film broke even, ₹1 lakh if it failed, and a ₹10 lakh bonus in case of success. Preity Zinta, on the other hand, was offered ₹15 lakhs if the film made money, ₹1 lakh if it didn’t, and a ₹10 lakh bonus if it succeeded — meaning she was paid more than Hrithik for the project, an unusual situation considering how quickly his stardom rose afterward.

Reflecting on the film years later, Hrithik Roshan admitted he wasn’t fully satisfied with his performance. He said, “It’s Sanjay Dutt’s film — he’s mind-blowing in it. I think I could’ve done better in Mission Kashmir. This was the first outside film I shot for.” He further added, “The portions I shot before Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai are among my best scenes. After my debut, I became so busy that I had much less time to prepare for my role.”

Two and a half decades later, Mission Kashmir remains a bold and emotionally complex film that attempted to blend action spectacle with social substance — a rarity in the mainstream landscape of early-2000s Bollywood. It also stands as a fascinating time capsule of a moment when stardom, risk, and artistry collided — and when a then-unknown actor named Hrithik Roshan was still being paid less than his co-star Preity Zinta.