Source: Bollywoodworld
He is the latest heart throb, yes. But Hrithik Roshan, has his feet firmly planted in practicality
Hrithik Roshan’s mesmeric eyes affect both the young and old, it has floored the women and given the men a valley-deep huge complex. And to think that it had almost been curtains for him, after extortionists targeted his father Rakesh Roshan. “After father was shot and injured, I almost quit. I felt what was the use of all that hard work?”
Luckily for Roshan, support came in the form of the masses, who not only thronged the cinema theatres, but also Nanavati Hospital to see Rakesh Roshan. “It was then I realise I was not alone,” says Roshan Jr. One can understand the tensions within the Roshan household following the attack, with innumerable security men now posted outside the house, cameras in every room following your footsteps, the three odd mobilephones kept in one corner of the room, all switched off. Yet the congratulatory calls kept filtering in from other forms of communication. Indeed, after the superb success of Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, superseded by a profusion of praise, Hrithik Roshan, the new heart-throb in town, is more than a match for many in Bollywood.
Roshan could perhaps give the Khandala Khans and Star Rukh Khans, a run for their money. Both Mela and Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani have fallen flat in their faces under the Roshan onslaught. Yet he refuses to succumb to the too-big-for his britches attitude. “There have been frequent comparisons saying I am the Shah Rukh Khan or the Aamir Khan of the future. But I am nowhere near them. They have achieved so much in their life,” he asserts.
He is averse to too much praise. “I am a person who waits for see things with my own eyes, so I waited for Friday to see the trade reports, even though everyone was saying that the film is a huge success. But before that could take place, Dad was attacked. None of us have since been able to dwell on things like whether the film is a big hit or not.”
For the Roshans, there has been no exhilaration. “I understand that the film has done quite well, and I just take five minutes in a day and thank god for letting the film get the credit it deserves. More than all that, I am quite happy for my father, because he toiled very hard for me. Believe me, he went through a financial crunch. We were in dire straits. The film was grossly overbudgetted by some crores. But now, everything has worked out, Dad’s back in action. He is in good health. So even, if it is late, we shall soon let the good times roll.”
Roshan is now able to breathe more easy. “I should indeed be very grateful. When I think back to all the pains we have taken, the success of the film comes as a welcome relief. The film has indeed done good business, much better than what we expected. I think that I have got more than I deserve. I think I might have to pay for all that in my films to come,” he guffaws.
Meanwhile, Roshan unwittingly has set a benchmark for people like Abhishek Bachchan to follow, something the small B will find tough to overcome, in the media managed marathon for numero uno.
With the star children of Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Dharmendra, Feroz Khan and Rakesh Roshan all focusing their attention on Bollywood around the same time, comparisons are inevitable. “But generally, comparisons have not overwhelmed me. It is quite obvious, that we all have to focus on our work, which is of prime importance. Whatever competition is being created is an offshoot of what runs in the minds of the directors and even the media.
“Frankly, we are not into what you guys call ‘rivalry’. If there are any number of newcomers and if all of them are good, there is no reason why we should not all stay, because there is enough room for everyone.”
Yet the pressure must be eating him up? “It is. In fact I have been put on way too high a pedestal. I was expecting a reasonable amount of praise. And now suddenly, I find I’ve been put in the top slot. So let’s hope it’s not downhill for me,” he smiles flashing starfire.
That very smile, coupled with the romantic mysticism of his eyes, has turned him into no less than a traffic signal. Spreading magic, far and wide, Roshan is the cynosure of all eyes today. “When I get out of the car and suddenly the traffic stops to look at me. I am put in a very awkward situation. Basically, I am very crowd-shy and have been an introvert all my life. All of a sudden, there is a hue and cry and people are rushing after me. It scares me more when I realise that they want to see the extrovert called Raj, whom I played in the second half of Kaho Na Pyaar Hai. They do not think that I am Rohit, the guy who is bumped off in the first half.”
Yet the reason for all the adulation is that people have felt that Roshan Jr deserves all the praise that is being showered on him. But this in no way helps Roshan to relax.
“It gives me goose pimples. Once you set a benchmark, you have to keep doing as well and even better. You are in the public eye. I was so insecure earlier, that I had signed on so many films. It is different that I have now settled into a rhythm, but I realise that I hardly have any time to prepare for my roles. For me, it is very important to go through the script and analyse my character before acting it out. Since there are too many films coming up, I am short of time. I clearly understand that my performance will be affected, I will have to find out a way to counter that.”
His handful of films include Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Mission Kashmir, Subhash Ghai’s Yaadein opposite Kareena Kapoor, Raj Kanwar’s film opposite Kareena Kapoor and more importantly Vikram Bhatt’s next film opposite his Kaho Na Pyaar Hai heroine Amisha Patel. The chemistry between the two has indeed come off very well on screen.
“Amisha and you have done very well as a pair… You also have Vikram Bhatt’s film coming up with her…
“Amisha is a pleasure to work with. She is a very nice human being. Fans write in to say they want us to do more films together because they feel we have done well together. However I have not been able to talk to her after the film, because of all these reasons. She has been shooting in South Africa for a long time.”
How is he taking life now? “It is tough. But I want to take life easy. I keep Sundays to myself. I need that much time. I spend a couple of hours in the gymnasium everyday. Before going to bed, I have five minutes when I think of what I want to do next.”
And so the one-time assistant of Rakesh Roshan, who bunked college to assist father and then went back home to study, finds himself entrenched on terra-firma. Something Roshan feels he could never have achieved , when he was in college.
“I was never into college. Though I was enrolled in Sydenham college, the frequent strikes, the changing principals, the lack of interest in education from the teachers’ side, perturbed me. I refused to believe in the existing form of education and sat at home and studied. I still managed over 70 per cent in my exams.”
Now what? “ I want to act in films and make my fans happy.” Meanwhile another bit of news reaches him — he has been cast in his father’s next film as hero!
He is elated. We leave him to his moment of joy, which he has every right to share only with his family. We will get our bit when the film hits the marquee.