Pinky Roshan, the first woman in Hrithik's life, on the current rage
Today, everyone wants a brother, son, boyfriend or even a husband like Duggu (Hrithik Roshan). His fan mail registers 2,000 letters a day. Some of them write to me too. The godowns are over-flowing. Initially, Duggu made it a point to personally reply to every fan. But with his incresingly hectic schedules which include shooting, dubbing and stage shows, that's not possible any more. I hope his fans will bear with him. That they understand his problems. Whenever he gets a little time, he does read the mail. Duggu is a stickler. He's very particular about every little thing he does. Even when he was very young, if I gave him Rs 50 or Rs 100, he'd be sure to return with the exact change. Today, when he's a superstar or whatever the media calls him, he just can't handle the money. Whenever he goes out, he asks me for the exact amount of money he'll require
Even if I want to give him more, he refuses to take it insisting, "That's all I need." If I owe him some money, he'll take it back. And if he owes me money, he won't rest till he pays me back. People may find this difficult to understand but I like this quality in my son. He's very clear-cut about money matters. I still remember the day I felt he had
the makings of an actor. At the time, he was undergoing training at Kishore Namit Kapoor's acting class. One day, he brought the video cassette home. As I watched him on screen, my confidence in his talent grew. I asked him to show the cassette to his father but he was reluctant. I sneaked out the cassette and showed it to Guddu (Rakesh Roshan). He agreed with my reading of Duggu's performance.
As a child, Duggu had the knack of spotting unusual traits in people. He could mimic them perfectly
As a child, Duggu had the knack of spotting unusual traits in people. He could mimic them perfectly. He was good at playing a drunkard. And he's always been crazy about dancing. Switch on the music and he's on his feet. Be it a birthday or any other family party, he's sure to be on the floor till the very end. He's not much for socialising though. He's not a party animal. Duggu has always been very shy, content and undemanding. The only time he asked me for anything was ten years ago. He wanted a computer but unfortunately, since I didn't understand what a computer was all about, I didn't get it for him. Three years ago, be bought one for himself. Now he's so busy, he doesn't have time to even start his computer. As a mother, that upsets me. It's sheer joy watching him handle the computer. His fingers fly over the keyboard, as if he's playing the piano. Though I never helped him in his studies, he was an excellent student. Sensing his interest in academics, we wanted to send him abroad for higher studies. But he refused to go anywhere. He wanted to be with his father. Maybe the thought of joining films was tucked away in the back of his mind at that time. Duggu is a very loving person. He's not very demonstrative but he can give his life for his loved ones. Nowadays, his busy schedules prevent us from seeing each other every day. So much so that he gets very little time to meet Suzanne too. But these things are bound to happen. There's only one effect stardom has had on him. He's too stressed out. Gradually, he'll get used to it. This happened because he became a superstar overnight. He grumbles, "I'm here to work, my goal is to be known as an actor. I'm not here to open shops or dance at functions." But his major problem is that he can't say `No' to anyone. To the extent that he'll report for shooting even when he's running a high temperature.
Duggu is a very loving person. He's not very demonstrative but he can give his life for his loved ones
He's a sensitive boy. Duggu gets upset when the media makes comparisons between Abhishek Bachchan and him. The two have been friends since they were kids. At such times, he turns to me. I try to make him understand that the media is just doing its job and that he should just carry on with his. Similarly, he was equally worked up when the media compared Shah Rukh Khan and him. He wondered: "Why is everyone trying to make me a legend? I still have to prove myself. Shah Rukh is my senior. He has proved himself again and again." I tried to console him. Initially, all of us were very upset about the Pepsi ad. But then we understood that these things are part of the game and have to be taken in our stride. We have to keep our cool no matter what the provocation. To bigen with we did feel the ad was in bad taste but we chose not to react. The media blew everything out of proportion. In fact, Shah Rukh is like a family member. He has worked with Guddu in Karan Arjun and Koyla. Duggu was assisting his dad at the time and looks up to Shah Rukh. Duggu respects his father. I'm more like a friend. We argue like kids on small, small things. Four years ago one evening he came home and said, "Mama, I want to talk to you about something." He was very serious. I wondered what was wrong. Then he added, "Mama, I'm in love." I said that's fine and asked why he was so serious. He said, "Because she's half-Muslim."
I said, "So, what's the problem? I'm not into caste and religion. It's more than enough that you love the girl. Who is she?" That's when he told me about Suzanne. I was thrilled because the two families are friends. The rumours about their engagement are not true. But yes, they're likely to get engaged whenever Duggu has the time. And it may happen soon. They may even get married by the end of next year. During the making of Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai I felt like a sandwich. When they returned home after the shootings, Duggu used to feel that he had nothing to do in the film. That Amisha Patel had a better role. After listening to Duggu's complaints, I used to ask Guddu what was happening. Why Duggu wasn't happy with his role. That's when Guddu asked me, "Do you have any doubts about the director in me? I know what's good for him." When D-day dawned, we saw the first copy of KNPH. I told Guddu he had three aces in his hand. Then I asked Duggu to forget that he had acted in the film and tell me what he felt about the film. Typical of him not to over-react. If he's happy, his eyes reflect an inner glow. Duggu takes after his father. Both of them are very particular, perfectionists, honest and will never stoop to cheating. They stick to their principles. I always appreciate the courage and presence of mind Guddu has. When that fateful incident happened (an unknown man tried to shoot him down), he called me up to say that Duggu should stay wherever he is. We still wonder at how much in control he was. Everyone knows the rest of the story.
His major problem is that he can't say `No'. He'll report for shooting even when he's running a high temperature
There's a saying that `A woman is the pillar of the house', but in our case Guddu has been the pillar of the house. We can't take decisions without him. We do air our views but he's the final authority. He has been a fighter all his life. He is full of life and energy. Even when he was in the ICU at Cumbala Hill hospital, doctors used to say that his recovery was a miracle. That they had never seen a patient with so much will to live. If the doctor suggested that an exercise had to be done 50 times, he would do it 250 times just so that he'd recover faster. He's a man of iron-will. Today, everyone feels I must have changed. But they forget that I have been a veteran film-maker's daughter (J. Omprakash), a star wife (Rakesh Roshan) and now I'm the mother of a star. Now tell me, how can I change when fame isn't new to me.