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Interview

Chicken Soup For Hrithik's Soul!

Published On: 2012-08-18

Author: unknown

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" I seek Rejection"



Source: CineBlitz, Aug (2005)
Scanned by : Sonia (FB forum)
Typed by: Vanita


The below text is copyrighted to the submitter in association with HrithikRules.com, and is NOT to be reprinted, distributed or used WITHOUT PERMISSION of the submitters and/or the webmaster(s) of HrithikRules.com


Chicken soup for Hrithik's soul!

Hrithik's Chicken Soup For the soul' is a collection of quotations he has collected over many, many years. In a rare peek the actor allows us a dekho at the thoughts that have shaped his life. From dog-eared school notebooks, he recites his favorite quotations.

' Dream as if you'll live forever, and live as if you'll die tomorrow' - James Dean

"Wow! That's some quote! It's ironical that James Dean should have said this because he died to tragically young! If only we could all live our life like Dean did. He relished every drop of his life while he was alive. I, for one, wish I could. It's so simple; you want to be happy, then just do all the things that make you happy! If you think about it, most of the time, we know what will make us happy, we even know what to do about it. But either we don't have the courage to go chasing it or are too lazy to be persistent about it. If only we realize that today is the only time that we have, we could probably make all our dreams come true tomorrow. Don't wait for tomorrow, seize the day today. I wish I could do that, it's the toughest thing in the world for me to be spontaneous."

'Hollywood is a place where they will pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and Fifty dollars for your soul'- Marilyn Monroe

"What can you say? Sex sells…much to the dismay and frustration of the self-proclaimed high-calibred actors who pride themselves in not stooping to such levels. They blame the system for rejoicing and applauding the talent of the looking attractive or cool or hot. But it's the way of the world. You either play the game or shut up. How many times have we heard proficient actors talk about the star system and say that a certain actor is only a star because of his looks or body? Well, if it is really as easy as that to become a star, then why don't you b****** well give him a run for his money? Who says that to look hot or attractive on screen is any less a talent than being a good actor?"

"I feel they go hand in hand. We have so many great actors but not all of them become stars. It takes a lot to fit into the image of a Hindi film hero. If you want to make it to the top slot you cant have just talent and no looks. It all comes as a package deal. There is a lot more that goes into the making of a star. There are so many actors who haven't really achieved the kind of success that their talent deserves but there are a lot of mediocre actors who have shot to fame and have all the success in the world."

"Well, you only get what you deserve. Look at Mallika, for instance. I completely applaud that girl. She's about the most fearless girl we have. She is so proud of the way she is, it's fantastic. She is being the way she is and expressing herself the way she knows best. I see nothing wrong with that. The people who are running her down should just shut up."

'Actors search for rejection. If they don't get it, they reject themselves.' - Charlie Chaplin

" This quote strikes to home for comfort, ha, ha! I find this amusing but strangely it's also very true. It holds true for a few actors. I unfortunately fall into this bracket because it happens with me all the time. I watch the screening of my film and then my energy is spent getting feedback. Of course, I think that it's positive feedback that will give me a high but actually, they hold my attention for just a little while. I have often found myself turning away and looking for that one person who did not like my performance. That is strangely more interesting for me. It's only because I want to know how could I have bettered myself, that I am constantly in search for that higher perspective that could point my flaws to me. "

"Funnily enough, my bigger mission is to search for rejection. I never wait to rest until I find that one person who will tell me what is wrong with me. Most of the time you hear only compliments but once I know that this person has liked me he/she doesn't interest me anymore. I say thank you and I move on. So yes, Charlie Chaplin hit the nail as far as I am concerned. The funny thing is that victory is the worst anti-climax ever because instead of satisfaction at having accomplished your mission, when you finally meet that person who hasn't liked your performance, you get upset and brood about it. And then you end up thinking of all the positive compliments you have received. I end up chasing my own tail! "

'Half your life you work at becoming famous. And when you do, you hide behind dark glasses!' - Al Pacino

"Again, this applies to an unfortunate few. There are certain actors who are very, very shy people. When they start off, they realize they can be extremely confident behind the mask of a character. When they become stars, the fame and popularity compels them to stand before the world as themselves with the same amount of confidence and they are unable to do that because they are so used to a mask! Suddenly when stardom happens, you become greater than the character and everywhere people want to know about you, want more of you. Many times we don't feel that confident and so we don't want to be in that limelight. We want to hide away because we don't consider ourselves as good as what we are in the film…Greek God good looks, perfect emotions, those are actually just a mirage."

"Even I went through the same thing right after Kaho Na…Pyaar Hai. But once I accepted that I could never be as good as what I portray on screen, I found a lot of peace within. It's okay not to be as good. The image is one thing and a human being another; it's also very hard to live up to another image. Infact, I would go so far as to say that it's futile. Basically it is very unintelligent if you get mixed up between the persona and the person. Of course it's a trap that a lot of fools fall into as actors."

"Somewhere this trying to hide away arises from insecurity too. You want to make your fans happy. You want them to be impressed by you and you don't think that the way you are in real life is good enough to you put on an act. You speak with a deeper voice or you start walking with a swagger, a little frown on your forehead just to show what a lot of weight you have on your shoulders because you are a star. I know this because I was doing exactly these things for a while after Kaho Na…Pyaar Hai's release."

" One day, I was in Delhi surrounded by fans, signing autographs and playing Raj from the film to the hilt. I had done that character to perfection in my head and it wasn't a tough act. So I was putting on this whole Raj act, talking and signing autographs and being a star when suddenly I saw my parents standing a little ahead, watching me from a distance. I was so embarrassed because I knew that they knew the truth about what and who I really am. I felt so ashamed at that moment. In an instant I just threw my hands up, I drew a breath, sat down and went back to being myself. I started talking like myself, being a fool and not being too hard on myself for allowing myself to be a fool. And things just became so much easier and I started enjoying myself. That was a whole load off my shoulders."

'An actor's a guy who, if you ain't talking about him, he ain't listening.' - Marlon Brando

"I remember when Kaho Na…Pyaar Hai was ready for release, I watched the films atleast five times consciously trying to watch Amisha's performance when I was also in the frame with her. I just couldn't do it! On the sixth occasion, I just gave up. It's automatic; the moment you are on the screen your eyes just wander to where you are. I realized that it's not in my power to watch anyone else but me. Even on a video assist if my co-star asks me to judge his or her performance, I actually have to block myself on the screen with my hands and then watch the other person!"

"Actors are very self-centered people; their world revolved around themselves. You can't help it; it's a job-hazard. It happens because we are our own product. If you are an actor, the most interesting thing for you will be information about yourself. I personally don't think it's a bad thing. It's not vanity at all as most people construe it. It's actually insecurity. All actors are basically insecure but they never acknowledge that. Acting is a profession where there is constant fear of being exposed for who you actually are. You always feel that people will find out how bad you actually are and judge you for that. It's a constant struggle to keep your shortcomings hidden and protected."

'The best revenge is massive success' - Frank Sinatra

"Sinatra knew what he was talking about. If there was anyone who had a chequered career, it was this man. You can call it revenge, you can call it vindication, massive success is truly the more intelligent way to get back at your detractors. When you are down and out and people all around you are saying things that are motivated to provoke or instigate you. It's best to sink deeper into your work instead of wasting time and energy trying to hit back. You feel extremely victorious when you do pull off a success. There's nothing quite like it."

"It usually gives me more focus when somebody says that I wont be able to pull off a role, a film or a scene. Being successful is the most is the most graceful path to victory. Returning an abuse or pulling someone down will only ensure you a permanent citizenship in Mediocri-City! In retrospect, you look back and you marvel at the tenacity of the human spirit to fight back, to claw back, to be where you are meant to be. You feel like a conqueror, who has won a major war and that you have hoisted that flag of victory."

'If there's any message to my work, it is ultimately that it's okay to be different, that it's good to be different, that we should question ourselves before we pass judgement on someone who looks different, behaves different, talks different, is a different color.' - Johonny Depp

" I can really relate to this quote by Jhonny Depp. It takes guts to go where no man has gone before. You'll be called a fool, fingers will be pointed at you and they will say you are mad just because you don't want to follow the crowd. Because you want to carve your own path. You have to fight mediocrity all around you to find your place in the world and you have to do it alone."

"If I have learnt anything so far, it is that you can only make a mark in this world when you have the passion, the fury and the focus to say or do something different. Kaho Na…Pyaar Hai and Koi…Mil Gaya proved that to me. When Dad decided to cast me in a double role in Kaho Na….Pyaar Hai, everyone came forward with dire warnings. They said a newcomer would never be able to pull off such a huge responsibility. Dad and I just went ahead with our plans. It was the harder and tougher path but how thrilling it was to be proved right! ' There are two roads that lead into the wood and I took the one less travelled…' It's a line from a very inspiring poem I read once and I instantly made it the rule of my life!"

"Then came Koi…Mil Gaya. It was about a mentally retarded boy and his relationship with an extraterrestrial being. I knew what people were saying about us. We had gone too far according to them. The popular perception was that we were fools to be experimenting with an alien in a Hindi film. But this was a subject both Dad's heart and mine was set on. If we were honest to ourselves, I knew that we would be okay. I played the character very differently from all others I had earlier played. Rohit had so much self-respect. If you watch him closely, you will notice that he never cries for sympathy, he only cries out of anger because he can't fight back or because he is not strong enough. Even in the scene when he is crying and talking to God. He is not breaking down for sympathy. He is questioning God. It's very hard to keep your head on your shoulders when everybody around you is loosing theirs and blaming it on you!"

'Success is a great deodorant, it takes away all your past smells.' Elizabeth Taylor

"According to my experience, I don't think it matters what came before or how long and hard the struggle was. Once you are successful, everything is forgotten. The other side of the coin is that you are again as good as your last piece of work. Which is good because it keeps your on your toes. It's about the spirit that never says die."

"You cannot rest on your past laurels in this industry. The attention span of the audience is notoriously short. You'll be forgotten like yesterday's newspaper if you aren't careful. You have to remember of course that the deodorant is not going to last very long so you'd better have that success ready to wipe the bad smell off, pretty soon. Every success is followed by failure, that's how the cookie crumbles and you have to struggle to find that flavor of acceptance again."

'Only the gentle are true and strong,' - James Dean

"This is so true. There is this saying my grandfather would constantly quote to me. He use to say that the world is out to provoke you and if you get provoked, it's your downfall. He was dead on right. People all the time, all around you are trying to instigate you. At every instant of your life they will say things or do things that will anger you, hurt you. I, for one, think that it takes more strength of character in holding yourself back than in stooping to their level. It takes more strength to create something positive out of the negative that is happening rather than to succumb to it. It is always the easier thing to do to turn around and hit back or lash out. That's the easy way out; everyone does that. But how do you rise above the situation?"

"The greater thing to do is to turn the negative into something positive. And when you know the truth, why should anything affect you? The defeat is in succumbing to the world's ways rather than rising above it. Exercising that kind of restrain is not easy at all, it requires a lot of strength. I, as a person would react only if there was injustice being done to someone. Injustice, cruelty, these are things I do get provoked by, and yes, I react. I am able to take a lot of s*** myself but if I see someone else being subjected to it, I cant stand it!"

'What is acting by lying and what is good lying but convincing lying?' - Lawrence Olivier

"I do wonder why Lawrence Olivier would say something like this…I have been asked once, who makes a better actor, a better liar or a really honest person. I have never been able to answer that question satisfactorily. I don't have an answer to that. There's a joke that says acting is all about honesty. If you can fake it then you have got it made. Honestly, I don't believe that acting is lying. I have had moments in front of the camera when I have felt truer than I have ever felt in my life. Of course there have been very few moments like that because I am still struggling to be an actor."

"There were many moments in Koi…Mil Gaya and Lakshya that have been completely true for me. In Lakshya there were so many moments, like the bunker shot between Preity and me. I just felt very honest and very, very true to myself in those scenes. There's another scene where I call up my father; that's another moment when I felt that I was very honest. I know that to call that moment a lie, when I have never felt more honest and true when doing those scenes, would be completely inappropriate."