Source: Various
Date: May 25, 2006
By: Neelam Gupta
Father and son team up in Krrish to recreate the magic of Koi Mil Gaya.
A double act in the debut film Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, which ran to packed houses, brought him overnight stardom. A series of flops followed and he was termed a one-film-wonder. But, he came back with a much-lauded role of a mentally challenged man in his father's film Koi Mil Gaya. There halts the career graph of Hrithik Roshan. He once again pairs with papa Rakesh, hoping to recreate their on-screen magic with Krrish.
The film, a sequel to Koi Mil Gaya, which will hit theatres in June, is made on a budget of Rs 50 crore. Hrithik will be seen doing some amazing stunts directed by Chinese action director Tony Ching Sue. Not defending his son, Roshan senior is willing to support the actor in him.
"An actor is not an actor unless he is backed by a good screenplay and good direction," he says. "All top filmmakers signed Hrithik, but their chemistry did not work. Then some wrong decisions gave him a string of flops. But that doesn't make Hrithik a bad actor. Every time, he had a good script and proper characterisation, he has shown his potential."
In Krrish, Hrithik plays Krishna, who has inherited the extraordinary powers from his father Rohit (in Koi Mil Gaya). A series of events transforms Krishna to Krrish. Portraying the two contrasting characters is certainly a challenge to Hrithik's acting prowess.
So, can Hrithik do justice to the roles? Senior film critic Komal Nahta sounds confident about the actor's abilities. "This film will take Hrithik to international levels," Nahta says. "There is no doubt about his ability as a performer. In his earlier films with his father, too, he gave brilliant performances. I am sure this time also they will deliver a world-class product."
This brings up the obvious question: Can Hrithik deliver only under his father's direction? "He is a good actor. He cries so well and only good actors can do this," say youngsters Swati Tejwaney and Anushree. "He has the potential. But, I think that other directors were in awe of him and allowed him liberties." Hrithik has worked with famous directors, but delivered duds like Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage, Mujhse Dosti Karoge and Yaadein. Were they in awe of him too? Interestingly, the same directors have brought out the best from other stars.
"I don't think that is the reason," says Vikas Mohan, film critic and editor of trade magazine Super Cinema. "Since he has assisted his father, he knows the art of film-making to quite an extent. So others tend to let him override the directors at times. But his father knows his actual strengths and weaknesses and exploits them to the full. Now he is a seasoned young man, very different from what he was during Kaho Na.... He is confident but not overconfident."
Hrithik is synonymous with perfection, and he goes that extra mile to make his characters look real. To enact Rohit, he used to lock himself in a room for days to get into the mood. For Lakshya, he learnt army discipline and before Krrish, he stayed in China for a month and a half to understand the action techniques of Ching Sue.
This perfection is also evident in his dance movements that leave audience spellbound. Though not a natural dancer, he works very hard on each step for that perfect symphony. "Hrithik is truly a hardworking artist," says choreographer Bosco, who planned his moves in Mission Kashmir. "He has the grace and natural rhythm in his body but he is not a natural [dancer]. He doesn't give up and works really hard to get his steps right." Ami Jahveri, a film-goer, says: "He looks incredible in the Hide and Seek ad. Even the John Player's ad is amazing. One cannot believe that he is not an expert dancer."
Often accused of taking his star status too seriously, Hrithik, some say, is losing his fan following because of his attitude. But, across the seas Hrithik continues to be the rage. "Hrithik is a pretty known face amongst NRIs in London and America," says Prasoon Joshi, lyricist and creative head of McCann & Erickson. "He is one of the top runners in the industry and has the capability to be the next superstar. India is wary of overnight success. Every artist, be it Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan, had to go through struggles before settling at the top spots."
Ask film-maker Farhan Akhtar why he picked Hrithik during the actor's not-too-successful days, and he says: "Maybe Hrithik was down, but films are like cricket-if you are not in form that doesn't mean you are finished as a player. Ditto in his case. Also, in most of his films, people may have rejected the movie but they liked him as an artist. I believe that it is the script that dictates who the actor has to be. And for my script, Hrithik fitted the character to a 'T'." Lakshya is one of Hrithik's best films.
The box office may not have been too impressed by this tall, blue-eyed charmer, but Bollywood's film-makers sure have their faith intact. "Every artist is a director's actor," says director Suneel Darshan. "Backed by professional directors like his father, Hrithik is a star actor."
What does 'daddy cool' think of son Hrithik's growth as a performer? "His expression has grown and changed with each film," says Roshan. "In the very first film, I gave him the challenging task of doing a double role and he delivered brilliantly. Then the role of a mentally challenged, which he did full justice to. Each time he has bettered the previous effort. With so much potential he just needs proper guidance to deliver the best because basically he is a director's actor."
A loving son, a doting husband and now a proud father-Hrithik has played his real-life roles to perfection. If this magic continues in reel-life, too, then it may just be the beginning for this star.