Date: Aug 27, 2006
Hrithik Roshan chats with Ram Kamal Mukherjee about stunts, fashion and Aishwarya Rai
So now Hrithik Roshan has become a superhero...
(Interrupts) Huh, hardly. I thank God for the success of Krrish, but now it's time to talk about new projects.
Apparently you are getting ready to play the character of the Mughal emperor in Ashutosh Gowarikar's magnum opus Akbar Jodha?
I have not yet begun the shooting of the film. Right now I am in this blank state of mind, which comes between films. I think I would like to talk about the project once I start shooting for the film.
The theatrical teaser of Dhoom 2 has got some good response...
Yeah... I have been getting SMSes from across the country for it. Of course, I hope they like the film as much they like the promo.
It seems that you have mastered the art of stunts. After doing Wushu in Krrish, now you have done few more daring stunts in Dhoom 2?
They both are so different... Krrish was about a super human being. But in Dhoom 2 my character is that of a normal human being. He has just got skills which he has developed into a sport. He uses them to get his work done. Compared to Krrish, I think I have worked harder on Dhoom 2. I have tried my hands at sports which I have never dared earlier, in my life. There were dangerous shots and sequences which I never thought that I would do in my life. But I guess, the challenge keeps me going as an actor. If I neded to train for one-and-a-half months in Hong Kong for Krrish, there is this one sequence in Dhoom which required me to train for two months, too. And we have three such sequences for which I needed training.
Why do you take risks in every film you do. Aren't you afraid of accidents?
Actually I don't think that I have ever taken a blind risk. I don't get into doing stunts without thinking. The idea is to train yourself completely so that you are always aware of the risk and your instincts are developed enough to react spontaneously and save yourself from any impending danger. So that, God forbid, if there is a mishap, you can save yourself. Tthere are ways and means to save yourself, and I have learnt that. All this is part of the training. Besides, accidents can happen any time, not necessarily only while doing stunt scenes. A car can come and knock you down, you might trip and fall while walking. You don't have control over life, but when you are doing stunts, you do have some control in your hands. Basically there are calculated risks.
Earlier, directors used to bank on body doubles to keep actors safe. In fact, they did not allow actors to do their stunts.
Times have changed and, frankly speaking, I don't allow any body doubles to do my stunts because I think that it's a part of the film and the body language is very important. I have a certain style and today's audiences are intelligent enough to understand that the director has used a body double for the scene. The persona comes across through body language, which no stunt man can achieve for me. So it's very important that I do my stunts myself.
Since you have signed Dhoom 2, you have been talking a lot about playing a bad guy for the first time. Now that you have completed the shoot, how was it to play a negative character?
Well, I don't consider my character in Dhoom 2 a 'bad guy'. Some films depicts reality, some films propagate a certain social value, some pass on a social message and family values... but Dhoom 2 is a film which you would watch for sheer entertainment. Some films are a complete departure from all these genres, there is no moral good or bad character in the film. You'll munch popcorn and enjoy the film with your family. There is a wrong way to do a wrong and there is a right way to do a wrong, Aryan does the wrong the right way! Moreover this has been something that I have been craving to do for a long time. I was doing only serious roles, I wanted to break away from it.
Dhoom established John Abraham as a style icon. With the teasers of Dhoom 2, it seems that you are heading the sameway.
The idea is to develop a particular style for every character. We had worked for the look of Krrish. Similarly, I thought of doing something different for Dhoom 2 too. The entire look, attire and the image that has been created in Dhoom 2, compliments the character that I am playing on screen. I have never followed fashion or felt any eagerness to become style icon. Now, sometimes my clothes fit into fashion world's requirements and sometimes it does not. I am not catering to fashion world, as an actor. But yes, with Dhoom 2, I have been included in the fashion category!
Who would you give credit to for your brand new look in Dhoom 2?
To my stylist in the film, Anahita Shroff. She worked on my entire wardrobe. Blunt parlour has designed my hairdo. Both of them, with some feedback from me, have developed this character.
You are working with Aishwarya Rai for the first time. There has been a lot of expectation from your fans, since the time they have seen you both in a Coke commercial. Do you think that the chemistry between you two will work?
I would like to believe that people will appreciate Ash and me in Dhoom 2. We have done our best and now it's left to the audiences. The chemistry between the two characters cannot be analysed at this stage. I think we look great together.