Source: TOI
Date: November 11, 2013
By: Priya Gupta, TNN
Krrish 3 is already a success. While Krrish seems to have found a permanent place in the hearts of people, its box office potential will be known shortly. In this hour-long conversation with Hrithik Roshan, I could not help but feel inside me how Krrish this man had become. Past few days, a part of the pain in his head had returned and I could clearly see him battling his physical pain while talking to me. He preferred to not talk about it, but on being pushed, he said, "There are no answers right now. Maybe it is a symptom of recuperating and it will take its time to go away completely. I have had days without pain, but past few days, I am trying to understand it and go with it. There has to be a solution and it will present itself in time." Excerpts from my conversation with this real-life superhero.
What is the significance of Krrish 3's success in your life?
It reaffirms all that I have believed all my life. I have given this film three years. There is a story that I read when I was very young in a comic called Tinkle. There was this man who goes looking for water and digs 20 feet at one place. Another man comes along and tells him, 'What are you doing here?' You won't find water here. There is another spot somewhere else and you will find water there.' So he gives up his spot, goes to that other spot and digs up 40 feet there and still does not find water. And then the priest comes along and tells him, 'Son, are you looking for water? Go to that mushy ground just around the corner. I am sure you will find it there.' So he goes there and digs 65 feet. And this goes on the whole day and eventually, he comes back home to his wife and says, 'Today I have dug almost 200 feet and still not found water' She tells him, 'If you had dug just 200 feet in any one of those spots, you would have found water'. That story just stuck in my head. And I just knew that from thereon,whatever I do, I will do with utmost belief no matter what other people say. And I will keep striving in the direction that my heart believes in. No matter where and in which direction you put in your force and energy and go full throttle, you will achieve what you want to in whichever direction you want to.
This is your highest box office performance. Does it reaffirm your pairing with your father and the fact that you make a great team?
Yes, I guess so. We definitely make a great team. There is a very clear communication line where we can tell each other anything. He has faith in me not just as an actor but as someone who can contribute to a film in every single aspect. Facts and figures are important as they signify progress. It's not about beating the previous film's record but it is about getting inspired by something that has been established and trying to go ahead and establish your cinema. What has worked for 'Krrish 3' is it's vision. The vision of being progressive and going towards evolution. Evolution is something that the universe supports. Be it a small film or a big film like Krrish 3, if you are working towards breaking barriers and pushing your cinema and your imagination forward, the universe will support you. That is what has happened. Regardless of whether it is a great film or not, it has been supported by the universe.
Who did you share your happiness with?
I share my happiness with every single person I come across. I share it with myself and my alone moments and give myself a pat on my back. And then it is about going to the next challenge. It's important for you to recognise what you have done and have achieved and have a true sense of yourself. I have done it through my hard work, my struggle, through my pain, by overcoming my issues, my disadvantages and I know that this is a great victory in every sense.
Did you cry at the end of your achievement in the last few days?
I understand the overwhelming feeling and allowing yourself to let go and breathing that sigh of relief. But I have had so many such moments that now, it is about the journey. The greatest victory of Krrish 3 is the fact that we have been enthusiastic about it for 365 days for the last three years. How long can you live to enjoy that peak? Once you reach the Everest, yes it goes down in history, but you have to come down again and find the next mountain to conquer. Life goes on. It's to focus on your next step and make the best of life no matter what happens. It's true that life is a journey and the journey of the film has been its greatest victory.
Javed Akhtar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali believe that you are a true-blue superstar of our industry who has not been given his due?
I disagree with that. You get exactly what you deserve to get. If you start seeing your life based on what labels are put on you, be it good or bad, it is of little importance. What is important is how you see yourself. A person on the street can see himself as a superstar if he truly decides to. I see myself as an aspiring superstar and superhero. I want to live by those values and codes. To tirelessly be in contribution to the world and to be able to love like no other. But to do that you need to recognise your weaknesses and the aspirations of a superhero that make you a superstar. There is a story behind every successful man. And that story inevitably starts off with weaknesses. Those weaknesses need to be put through fire and you need to go through that fire to come out with infinite possibilities. Once you have learnt that lesson, then you are not afraid of any other fire as you know that the more fire you go through, the stronger it makes you.
Is there an added emotion in this film for you due to your father being the director?
Of course. I am so proud and so happy. He is the only director who has had four historic hits in a row. From Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai to Koi Mil Gaya to Krrish to Krrish 3. He is unstoppable and I can lay a bet that he is going to go on for 20 years giving more historical hits.
In the few days, has Rakeshji said anything to you to share his happiness?
Nothing needs to be said as there is perfect understanding between me and my father. But yes, we have had some amazing moments in silence. It's that feeling of warmth you feel in your heart that is reciprocated and we both know we have done this together as a team. We are still in the process of achieving that victory and there is still a need to nurture the baby and the process is on. We have still not abandoned that effort in making it fly.
Where would you like to see it?
No one can foretell the numbers but there is no limit. The idea is to discover the limit and that discovery process is on. We will discover its potential once it reaches that limit. It's like your child going up and achieving success and you want him to do better and better and grow powerful and more successful.
One of your friends, Shah Rukh Khan's film Chennai Express holds the highest box office record so far. How does it feel to compete with your own friend's record?
Not just Shah Rukh, but every single person who is trying to push our cinema forward, is a part of this brigade and we stand hand-in-hand pushing ourselves to contribute to our cinema. I congratulate every single one of us. It is not about beating the other. It's about getting inspired by the other and hoping that the next person will be inspired by you and will break your record.
Did your sons like it?
They were very excited and loved it. I was concerned while they were watching whether it would stimulate their minds and it did. They were constantly trying to analyse what will happen next and when you have that kind of involvement from the kids, you know you have a good product. The best part is that they involve Krrish in their imagination when they are playing with their friends just like they involve other superheroes. When they play with action figures they are assigned some figures. Recently, they were playing where one of their friends was Batman and the other Superman. And suddenly one of them became Krrish and said, 'But I am Krrish and can beat you all.'
How Krrish are you in real life?
I want to be. It's easy to be a superhero. You just have to decide. Keep moving forward no matter what happens in your life. Contribute to the world. That's what life is about. Anybody who has been successful in their life has contributed in someway to a bunch of people who have then given back to others. Your service, however, cannot be self-indulgent. If you are making a film, it cannot be something that only you can watch in your drawing room. It must make people happy.
How have you managed to remain so humble?
You have to be stupid to not be humble. We are all mortals. And whatever power is bestowed upon us has been done by others. Yes, it may be because of your hard work, but if you think you can be great in isolation, you are the stupidest person in the world. Not being humble does not have an advantage at all. So even if you look at it from an intelligent point of view, being humble will create a nicer environment around you. It's the easiest thing to be and is common sense.