Source: Indian Express
Date: February 18, 2005
By Harneet Singh
YOU know where I live?’’ he asks, when I stop him from giving me directions to Guman Villa, his suburban Mumbai home. Coming from any other star, that would have sounded incredulous, even fake. But it’s Hrithik Roshan. His modesty is paralleled only by Amitabh Bachchan’s, so you’ve got to believe him.
This is Roshan’s year. With Rs 90 crore riding on Krrish and Dhoom 2—and a leaner, more chiselled look to boot—the 32-year-old is being touted as this summer’s biggest show-stopper. (It’s a coincidence that both the films are sequels.)
With Krrish, we’ll finally get our own version of a Matrix-style Superman. In Dhoom 2, Roshan does the baddie act, sporting a pout and a bandanna. Later in the year, there’s Zoya Akhtar’s experimental love story and Ashutosh Gowariker’s historical Jodha Akbar. But before the professional deadlines, Roshan will become a father in March.
‘‘I’m taking each day as it comes. There’s no pressure,’’ he says, as poised as you’d expect him to be.
In the industry, they’re calling your detailed preparation for Krrish ‘Mission Krrish’.
I don’t know if there is any other way to do it. I wish I had the kind of spontaneous talent and capacity it takes to fake it. I’m trying to develop a very honest perception of myself. Maybe I undermine my talent, but it works for me. As a person also, I’m more interested in the negatives, which I feel are the only sources of information that can make me better.
Would you then admit that you get a little obsessive about work?
I don’t have long-term goals and short-term plans to achieve. I take my work very seriously, but don’t take myself so seriously. I’ll do whatever I must to get it right if I’m excited by the film.
You are very cautious.
I’m instinctive. If there is a reason to hold on or mull over something, then it’s probably not calling out hard enough.
How big a challenge is Krrish?
As a student of cinema and producer of the film, I can safely say it’s 10 times a bigger challenge than Koi...Mil Gaya. It’s like an ant being compared to a mountain. If you tell a common movie-goer that you’re making a Hindi film in which the hero will run around wearing a cape and a mask, you’ll hear chuckles. The real challenge of Krrish was to make something fantastic and to make the special effects look as good as Hollywood does, with our limited budget.
What kind of equation do you share with your dad Rakesh Roshan on the sets?
On the sets, he is the director in every sense of the word, and I’m the actor in every sense of the word. We’ve developed the luxury of complete communication without getting our egos involved. In my opinion, that’s the best way to work.
What sort of a superhero is Krrish?
If you ask Krrish, he would say he’s just a regular guy. Krrish isn’t aware of his powers.
Do you have a favourite superhero?
(Laughs) Coincidentally, it is Krrish.
Tell me something about the stunts in the film.
Krrish is all about finding the vortex of energy within and allowing it to burst out, so that you can give it all you’ve got. There was no room for fear or to take calculated steps.
Which was the riskiest stunt?
There’s a shot that required me to jump off a 12-storey high clock tower. I was perched on a 2-ft X 2-ft rickety platform when it started to rain. I was up there for three hours.
What was going on in your mind at that time?
If my mind lost focus for even a second, I would have lost my balance. I wasn’t thinking anything, but I had to keep myself very aware.
You almost had a fatal accident in Singapore...
Yeah, an action shot required me to be harnessed 50 feet above the ground. I was dangling from a high-rise, when suddenly the wire frayed at the edges from the strain, and snapped. I was skydiving to my death until I fell on the 6-ft long canopy of a shop that was out because of a slight drizzle. The canopy had iron rods, but I escaped the rods too. God truly saved me.
Would you take such a risk again?
Sure, even you would do the same. It all depends on the level of passion and excitement.
But you are not known to be vocal about your passion...
I’m just a student who is still learning, so I can’t give discourses on acting. I prefer to keep quiet and just go about my work.
I don’t think any other actor cries better than you on screen.
(Laughs) I don’t really believe in acting it out. There was a stage when I could simulate the expression and tears and give you the impression that I’m emotionally charged, but after Koi...Mil Gaya I’ve realised that true acting is really about being in that world. It’s hard to do that all the time, but I try to be as honest as I can be.
How do you get that cute little crinkle on your forehead when you cry?
(Laughs) Let’s just say that now the crinkle is one more thing I’ll be aware of. I hope I don’t lose it.
Are you all set to play the mean villain in Dhoom 2?
Yup, and don’t be surprised if you end up falling in love with the villain. Dhoom 2 is turning out to be a great experience. I’m quite happy to see a similar level of involvement on the Dhoom 2 sets as on my home productions. It looks like a good prospect for a good product.
Is there competition between you and your Dhoom 2 co-star Abhishek Bachchan?
Actors always get pitted against each other. I was pitted against Shah Rukh Khan. Personally, I think that’s great. I’m a firm believer in competition. Without that, human beings won’t really realise their potential. Competition is the one thing that makes others push you to excel.
With Dhoom 2 and Jodha Akbar, you and Aishwarya Rai are being projected as the next big pair. Comment.
I’ve just started working with Ash. She’s looking stunning. It’s very nice working with someone who is so beautiful, talented, down-to-earth and easy to talk to. Let’s hope we can live up to the expectations.
Like Ash, do you want to work in a Hollywood film?
My big dream is to take our cinema to a world platform. I don’t believe in the term crossover. Every film is a potential crossover. The idea of acting in a Jackie Chan film doesn’t excite me. That’s betrayal.
Will you be working with Kareena Kapoor in Zoya Akhtar’s debut film?
I’m doing the film, but I’m not aware if they’ve finalised the leading lady.
Which was the last film you wanted to be a part of?
I love films that depict the triumph of the human spirit. Seabiscuit was the last film that truly inspired me.
You’ve been certified as the best dancer in the industry, but who do you like?
You know, nobody has ever asked me that. Salman Khan tops my list. That man doesn’t need any steps, he’s all style and can do anything nobody can. I also like Govinda, Shammi Kapoor, Rani Mukerji and Shahid Kapoor.
Are you ready to become a father?
Yep, all set for the miracle to be. Life is all about evolving, and I’m ready for the next stage.
Have you thought of baby names?
We’re thinking.
How about Krrish, if it’s a boy?
(Chuckles) That’s very filmi.