Hrithik Roshan plays Noida mountaineer Arjun Vajpai in a commercial

Noida-based mountaineer Arjun Vajpai is preparing for his second attempt at India’s highest mountain peak Kanchenjunga, which he will attempt to scale next month. However, barely a month before the 25-year-old sets out on the expedition; his preparations received a shot in the arm from an unexpected source – Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan. A soft drink brand recreated Arjun’s 2012 attempt at summiting Mt Cho Oyu as part of its ‘Risk Takers of India’ campaign, in an ad where Hrithik played Arjun. In 2012, during his first attempt at Cho Oyu, Arjun fell ill during the climb and was left paralysed and hanging on for dear life. He eventually did conquer the mountain four years later in what he described as ‘a very emotionally satisfying moment’. The ad, released earlier this month, recreates Arjun’s second attempt at the peak with Hrithik playing the young mountaineer.