In 2000, when Hrithik visited Siri Fort auditorium in Delhi to promote his debut film `Kaho Na Pyaar Hai`, a young boy, Surjeet, waited for hours to meet him.
However, due to the chaos at the venue, the police had to turn the fans away.
"Mujhe wahan se dande maarke bhagaya gaya tha (They beat me up with sticks and forced me to run away)," he recalls.
Surjeet said he was not interested in dance until 2000, when Hrithik took the Bollywood by storm.
"He has always been an inspiration to me. In fact, I learnt to dance by watching him on TV and copying his steps," said the young dancer, who has now set his heart on a career in dancing.
Surjeet, who calls the actor his "idol", even named his niece, `Hrithika`. "When my brother`s daughter was born, I wanted her name somehow to be related to Hrithik, so I convinced everyone to name her Hrithika. I feel I have a special connection with him because even my own daughter was born on the same day as he ? January 10," Surjeet said.
"When I met him and performed in front of him, it was seriously like a dream come true," Surjeet said.
"I call him `sirji` and he too calls me `Surjeet sirji`," the participant said, adding that he found Hrithik to be a down to earth person.