Source: Mumbai Mirror
Date: June 23, 2006
By: Ram Kamal Mukherjee
This superhero is counting the hours until the release of his super-action adventure Krrish. Ram Kamal Mukherjee chats with a ‘nervous’ Hrithik Roshan over a cup of brewing coffee…
How was the premiere of Krrish in Singapore and Dubai?
In Singapore it was more like a press meet. The tourism board of Singapore organised a Krrish tour, which took visitors to all the locations at which the film was shot. In Dubai, we had the first premiere organised by Star TV. There was an unbelievably huge crowd outside the theatre and I think the number of tickets sold was greater than the number of seats in the theatre. The response was so overwhelming that we couldn't even enter the theatre to watch the film with them, although we managed to somehow to make our way on to the premises.
So you missed the premiere of your most awaited film?
Can you believe it! (Laughs) Yeah, I missed the premiere of Krrish; I don't think that has happened to any actor till date. There were others who made it to the theatre but couldn't catch the screening. But I guess that's a positive sign that means people liked the film.
The film releases today. Are you worried about the audience’s reaction? Well, I have been fortunately distracted with a lot of work, so I haven't had the time to be anxious. Now, even though I am relatively free, I am trying to occupy myself with something or the other. Because the moment I have nothing to do butterflies start fluttering in my stomach. Actually, I can already sense those butterflies. I have never been so tense in my life! Maybe it’s because people are going to see me after two years on screen.
The buzz around is that pirated VCDs and DVDs have already hit the market. Are you going to do anything about it?
I got wind of that yesterday and we have somebody looking into it. But it was a false alarm; there are no pirated VCDs available in the market yet. But the retail guys who sell pirated VCDs are very confident about copies coming out on the very first day of the release.
Do you plan to do the rounds of theatres today and catch audience reaction?
That has always been my modus operandi. I did so on the release of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai and when Koi Mil Gaya was out, and I am sure I'll have to do it for Krrish. It's the most overwhelming experience to watch a film in the midst of an audience and watch their reactions; it’s something I am not going to miss for the world. But I plan to be very inconspicuous and not interact with audience at all.
It seems that you have released a record number of prints for the film?
Yeah… it's going to be the highest number of prints in the history of Bollywood. We have released 875 prints all over, while Koi Mil Gaya had just 150 prints; I have been informed that Fanaa had just above 400 prints.
Although your film has been tagged as the year's biggest Bollywood release, why did you decide against a grand premiere in Mumbai?
It was because of a very simple reason. We have a huge list of invitees and it was difficult to please all of them. My dad already started getting text messages from his friends asking for the best seats. Now each auditorium has a limited number of centre seats, so whoever gets the raw deal will feel hurt. Which is why we decided not to have a premiere of the film here.
It is rumoured that you have invested five months in designing the mask you wear in Krrish...
It's true. I tried hard to give that mask my vision. I was so desperate that I got down to drawing, and my sketch was pathetic. Then I got designs from London, Singapore and Dubai from people who have worked with Walt Disney. But none of them could satisfy my thoughts…
…and what was your thought?
I wanted a mask that would look convincing, natural and one that would generate a lot of energy. So when you see the mask you'll understand that there is some force behind it. My mask was actually inspired by Lord Krishna's sudarshan chakra. I am revealing this for the first time. If you notice the mask properly, you'll be able to see the chakra. I had to sit for three hours and take a mould of my face so that the mask fit my face perfectly.
Last week we saw the release of Alag, this week we have Krrish and the next week we'll have Superman. There’s going to be an overdose of superheroes don’t you think?
Is Alag about a superhero? I haven't watched that film. I think it's good that all three films are releasing at the same time; the good ones will run and the not-so-good ones will not. As far as comparing Superman with Krrish is concerned, I think our entire budget of Krrish, which is about Rs. 9 million, is, I think, the budget of one airplane crash sequence in Superman! So you can see how small Krrish is in comparison with world cinema. Keeping that in mind, if you watch both Krrish and Superman, it will make us feel very good. Another point to note is that nearly 80 per cent of Superman depends on computer graphics, and in Krrish all the stunts and shots are real.
You have been travelling extensively for your film. How do you manage to spend time with your son Hrehaan?
Well, the beautiful thing to have happened with the birth of Hrehaan, and one that I am truly happy about, is that I have developed the art of time management. I give enough time to both Sussanne and Hrehaan. It's only possible to do so much in one day, if you understand the art of time management.