Source: The Week
By: Neelam Gupta
Date: May 28, 2006
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You once said that you had tried to play Superman as a child. With a towel around your neck you had tried to jump off the roof. Is Krrish a culmination of that fantasy?
[Laughs] Maybe in a way. But Krrish is not about Spiderman or Superman. It is the story of a very innocent boy in a small town, who is not aware of his special powers.
How has this journey of ups and downs been?
It has been exciting. I have evolved as an actor and I am quite happy about it. In Krrish, the challenge was to maintain the innocence of the boy and portray his special powers. There is no big excitement in being extraordinary.
You are known to prepare for your characters. What efforts went into Krrish?
I underwent intense physical training in China for more than 40 days. I attended an exhaustive martial arts workshop, spent a few weeks in Shanghai to learn the moves. I had never imagined I could do all this.
What do you say that you have learnt the most through your father’s films?
My entire growth has been with him. Even before my acting days, he was a great influence. I learnt my first lessons when assisting him.
You have kept a low profile since Koi…Mil Gaya. Was it a conscious decision?
It is only because I was not doing too many films. I talk only when my film is due for release. I cannot do too many things at a time. In 2003 I did Koi…Mil Gaya, in 2004 there was Lakshya, in 2005 I did a John Player ad and in 2006 I am doing Krrish. I did get offers, but I was very involved with Krrish. I contributed to the script, which took nine months.
After your initial success, you tumbled. What happened?
I think it is important for you to go through the cycle of life. You work hard, you attain success and that brings an imbalance in your head and in others perception about you. When my films were not doing well, I saw people [whom I knew] making derogatory remarks about me. I think I handled both the situations well. Neither did I allow the success to get to my head, nor did I allow failure to ruin my balance. Even when they called me a phenomenon, I held on to reality. if I had not done that my fall would have been more damaging.
How would you describe your career graph?
Funny. When I was a phenomenon, my films flopped. When I was in my worst phase, I had good films like Koi…Mil Gaya and Lakshya. I don’t think there is anything like good or bad times. It is in us. Each incident in the cycle of life teaches us something and helps us grow.
Will you call yourself a good dancer?
In the world of actors I am a great dancer but I am not a good dancer per se.
How does fatherhood feel?
Great. It cannot be articulated in words. As a kid when you get a new toy, you are exhilarated but it dies out slowly. But in the case of Hrehaan [his son], this feeling just grows stronger everyday. It humbles you when you look at your own child. But he has not changed my outlook on life, experiences have done that.