He has taken over the legacy of ‘Prem’ from Salman Khan, who has been a hot favourite with the Barjatyas.
For Hrithik, it’s been a virtual cakewalk to fit into the author-backed character in Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon, the latest film from the stables of Rajshri Productions.
Despite being written off as a one film wonder, Hrithik Roshan continues to be a phenomenon. And he and Kareena Kapoor are already being touted as the next on-screen pair a la Shahrukh and Kajol and Raj Kapoor and Nargis.
While critics point out that their on-screen chemistry is magical, Hrithik says “whatever one sees on screen is what the director has already conceived on paper. And any two good actors can make for a good screen pair. It’s the characters who share the chemistry, not the actors.” Though he adds with a twinkle, “I hope Kareena and I will make a good pair together.”
Readying for release on August 8 is papa Rakesh Roshan’s Koi Mil Gaya, in which he plays a mentally challenged person and on the cards is another mega venture Lakshya by Farhan Akhtar, a love story that traces the journey of a boy from his puberty to manhood.
While playing a mentally challenged character is considered to be a professional faux pas, Hrithik says it’s a dream come true for him. “Koi Mil Gaya was conceived even before A Beautiful Mind happened. Dad had the concept with him since the time of Kaho Na Pyaar Hain. And it took me nine months to convince him to make the movie. I thoroughly enjoyed doing the film. I don’t care what the others think, to me, it’s a dream role,” smiles Hrithik.
And to play the part, he says, “at the risk of being ridiculed, all I had to do was look into myself, look back into my childhood. It might sound a little weird, but that’s the truth.”
After some bitter experiences and huge flops like Yaadein, Hrithik now insists that it’s the script that makes or mars the film though he feels it’s important to act in the right banners too. “Working with big banners is important as their reputation instills a lot of faith. The thought that the banner has achieved so much and all the experience that has made it what it is, makes it a lot more easy to trust a big banner, though there is no guarantee,” he smiles.
A Capricorn, he says it’s important for him to work with like-minded people, to give his best. “I am a very sensitive person. I don’t as a rule work with people who I don’t get good vibes from.”
Also a self-confessed philosopher, Hrithik says “I believe in miracles, dreams. I believe life has a rhyme and that everything happens for a reason.”
Ask will he take on the mantle of direction from papa dearest? “Though I hope I will never have to, something tells me, I will,” he ends on a philosophical note, smiling.