His last few releases have not brought great tidings for Hrithik Roshan. This year, he’s back with Kaabil on his home banner, directed by Sanjay Gupta.
Hrithik says 2016 has been a memorable year. “We all grow because of the adversities. It’s like the pressure in the gym. When you can’t lift the weights, you make more effort. Adversities in life are like the gym for the mind. It makes you stronger, you evolve, you become more aware. It’s always good that life becomes a bit of a struggle.”
He wants to work more now. “I’m trying to do a lot of work. Kaabil was shot in 60 days. I want that kind of producers and directors. It’s a very endearing and powerful story. It’s one of my favourite love stories from all the love stories I’ve done. It’s about how a blind man overcomes all troubles in life and how he takes revenge,” he says.
Hrithik and Yami Gautam play visually impaired people in Kaabil. “It was very difficult and different. The story was so deep that I had to find depth in myself. I had to research and meet blind people. I was impressed by Scent of a Woman, and a lot of my prep work was based on Al Pacino’s role in the film. I had to sing and dance like a blind man. I learnt that visually impaired people don’t like sympathy, they are normal people and they lead their life very normally.”
Kaabil releases with Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees, and Hrithik is not too happy with that. “I loved the trailer of Raees. Shah Rukh is a huge star globally and I respect him. Both are big budget films. The business is going to be divided. Let’s wait for the release.”
Hrithik says he isn’t friends with his father Rakesh Roshan. “I love him and respect him, and he is a producer who goes to any length to make me comfortable and make the best movie. When people are doing their best, it encourages me to work harder. He is a stickler for time. He reprimands me if I am late. I’m trying to be friends with my children. I make sure I participate in what they are learning. I take them for holidays to places where they can learn about animals and birds. They are learning skiing. I go skiing with them though I have been advised by doctors not to.”
His children are his biggest critics. “They didn’t like Bang Bang. I take their opinions seriously because it’s not biased. Children don’t mince words when asked about something.”
The 43-year-old actor wants to tell newcomers to take their profession seriously. “They should realise they are not here for fun. One must prepare and study characters seriously. The generation is misguided. They feel it’s cool to become a hero, but an actor’s job is to emote. You have to interpret your life to get the emotions right.”
Hrithik has been called the ‘Greek god of Indian cinema’ but has not forayed into Hollywood. “I haven’t found a script I could sign. I’ve read a few scripts, but didn’t like them.”
He says maturity and awareness create realism. “You don’t want to please people at this stage. All you try to do is make yourself worthy of their appreciation. I am not here to impress anyone anymore. For me, it’s a learning process and to find more depth in the characters I play.”
About director Sanjay Gupta, he says, “He is mad when it comes to action and emotions. Kaabil could have been an art film, but he has given it a twist.”
Hrithik believes that Bollywood’s star system is diminishing. “The industry needs more actors. Instead of having four to five names in the industry, we need new talent. Star system does not give that scope for other actors. We will need new faces for the industry to survive.”
He is going on a holiday with his children, and when he is back he’ll start shooting for Krrish 4 with his father.