Source: Mid Day
By: Roshni Bajaj Sanghvi
Date: March 26, 2006
Seventeen days after Hrithik Roshan lands from Brazil, where he’s shooting for Dhoom 2, he’ll be ready to whirl our world on wheels. Hrithik’s become quite the pro at what instructor Jatin Sanghavi calls ‘speed-skating’. And it’s been less than a whole day’s worth of one-hour lessons so far, just 23 in fact. “Next I’ll teach him ‘aggressive skating’, which not too many people in India know about, let alone practice,” explains Jatin. Which means Hrithik might do any or all of these — leap, spin on and off the ground, jump off high ramps, tricks and tons of other such gravity-defying antics.
But this is not Jatin’s first brush with Bollywood. It all started when Keshav Ramsey called JJ Skaters, Jatin’s skating academy, and said he’d been looking for someone to teach Akshay Kumar skating for Khiladi 420. “I auditioned to be the trainer,” Jatin says, “by tying myself with a rassi to a hanger hooked onto the rear bumper of an Esteem. Keshav Ramsey wanted to see if I had control when the car was cruising at 60 kmph. I did that two or three times, with some turns as well. Then I did a ramp jump, where I jumped off a five-foot high ramp with blades on. But Ramsey, I think, had made up his mind with my first shot.” Confidence isn’t in short supply with Jatin, but it’s more the quiet self-assurance that comes from conquering fear to enjoy a passion. He holds the record for blading from Mumbai to Indore, a distance of 610 kms in just 37 hours. “I wasn’t afraid during the audition with Ramsey, because I know I’m too good at it already. Trucks were almost touching me when whizzing by on the Mumbai-Indore road.” Jatin also got his five frames of fame in Khiladi 420. Well, more or less. “In one skating scene, if you watch carefully on the big screen, the camera moves up from (what is supposed to be) Akshay’s chin to his face, but you can see my face for a brief second before his merges on,” Jatin explains. Which means, Akshay did the basic speed-skating, while Jatin was the ‘body double’ who was digitally morphed to look like the on-screen Khiladi for stunts. “Oh, it felt great. I said, ‘Okay, I’m here!’” Jatin says. And then, some years later, it was Sanjay Gadhavi on the phone, asking him to come on over for Dhoom 2.
So what’s long-legged Hrithik like on wheels? “He was really apprehensive in the first few sessions, but that’s normal, isn’t it? On the first lesson, we strapped on our skates and I caught him by his shoulders and gave him a really hard, long shake. You should have seen his face! He was really shook up after that!”. Jatin doesn’t believe in the philosophy of ‘Giroge, tho seekhoge’ — if you fall, you will learn. He says, “It’s alright to fall, but not absolutely necessary. It’s important to keep your weight on your toes and know how to fall. And beginning skaters should pad up to protect knees, elbows and other parts Jatin laughs, “Hrithik, like most newbies, lost his balance during the first lesson. So I dipped really low while wearing skates and lifted him up inches before he hit the ground. He was pretty startled, but not flustered, considering he almost fell really hard. I think he was astonished that I even managed to get him. But after that he’s been very confident. You know, he’s even specially called for a full length mirror to check his moves out himself.” But that doesn’t make Hrithik narcissistic, just ‘a very, very curious learner’. “He’s constantly asking about how he’s doing all the time,” says Jatin, “Before you’ve met an actor, you’re not sure what kind of person he is. Hrithik is down-to-earth. You forget he’s an actor. Even when he falls, he’s relaxed. He has no hang-ups and is not embarrassed.” When Jatin was preparing for the nationals one time, his instructors went over to teach Hrithik. All this while, the actor had been practising in Yashraj Studios, but this time he practised on the street right outside his home, knowing full well that a fall would leave him vulnerable to the view of a bigger audience.
Hrithik, who’s not too far from papa-dom himself, also shares Jatin’s love of kids. One time, when Jatin took young students over from JJ Skaters to meet him, he hung out with them and took pictures with each one. “He even skated with a couple of my students once before that,” says Jatin, “And he’s told me, once his child is old enough, he’ll send him or her to me for training on inline skates.” Students jump off ramps two and a half feet high and can go up to a height of six feet or a distance of five feet forward. Students also spin in the air and land backwards, facing where they started off from Getting up to speed Eight years ago, the then 18-year old quad-skating (regular four wheel skates) enthusiast Jatin’s family was vacationing in Dubros, Italy when he came across kids being trained for aggressive skating on inline skates. He sold his family on his idea, and everybody extended their holiday so he could join in. By then, Jatin was already training kids from the ages of 3.5 years to 30 years speed-skating, at JJ Skaters since a year. Back from his spin around Europe, Jatin started teaching aggressive skating (his favourite), artistic skating and off-road skating as well. Each of these requires different skates and gear. Now, JJ Skaters has 200 students, five instructors and four centres around the city. Today, Jatin only teaches for two to three hours a day, identifying students who might qualify for the nationals. He spends the rest of his day helping his dad in the family event management business. But that doesn’t mean this award-winning skater is growing out of his skates just yet. This December, JJ Skaters will have Mumbai’s first fun, fast and furious skating marathon. In the good sense of the word, Mumbai city just became a faster place.
Source: IndiaGlitz
Date: February 24
Hrithik Roshan has supernatural powers in Krrish- the most awaited film on 2006. On the other hand he is also enhancing his sporting skills for his next biggie Dhoom 2. He is recently noticed learning Roller Blading a sport that comes from the family of roller-skating with a tinch of difference. He is also learning snow boarding in Dubai. Roller Blading is what he is enjoying more as he is learning it in Mumbai. He has an excellent teacher for it Jatin Sanghvi who has a school of his own for such sports. He has been learning it for 23 days now and enjoys it with every minute. He also enjoys seeing kids play the same game. He finds it stunning. Probably that's how one feels when he is expecting his first child. This sport that he is learning is for a special stunt that he has to perform in Dhoom 2 directed by Sanjay Gadhvi.