Hrithik Roshan: I Don’t Think Of Myself As A Star

Hrithik, Agneepath has released and is a great success. Tell us, did someone tell you that living upto the standard of Amitabh Bachchan is difficult? And thus, did you accept the role as a challenge?
I am always in a mood to take the cinema forward, the word ‘remake’ means going backwards. I initially thought why I should do a remake and that too for a film like Agneepath. But when I heard the script I was baffled. The best part was it did not remind me of the old Agneepath and my character in this film, Vijay, is completely different from the one played by Mr. Bachchan. There is nothing special in this Vijay that makes him out to be a hero.

When you think of Agneepath, you think about its hero, his style, dialogue delivery and all those things. Here the character was stripped bare; there is nothing larger than life in him. And this attracted me to play that character. I keep saying, in this film I am not Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, I am just Vijay.

Comparisons between your and Amitabh Bachchan’s performance are inevitable…
See, if you have come to the theatre to compare my and Mr. Bachchan’s work, then it will take one second for me to fail. And then, you watch the rest of the film and see if I come up to a level where I can find a place in your heart as an absolutely new person.

What are the parameters you consider while selecting a role?
For me the most important thing is that I must believe that the director knows more than me. My directors are my access points to growth.

Do you completely submit yourself to the director?
Before that I will make sure and test (the director) in my own ways, but once I am satisfied, the director is (like) my father on the sets.

You maintain that you don’t have an ego, but a star without ego seems unthinkable!
That is why I don’t think of myself as a star. People think that you can’t walk on a street because you are a star… I agree, because if you walk like a star, you can’t walk on a street. (If) you walk like a normal guy, then you can. And I walk the streets, go for jog, I am on the roads. I meet people, shake hands and say good morning to them with a smile.

Why do you act in so few films?
I am doing films back to back. Whenever my film comes out, I get two days break and start my next film.

So, maybe your films take longer to complete…
Exactly. My instinctive reaction to Agneepath script was, why me? Why do I have to do such mammoth films, films which take time and life out of me?

I am actually looking for a script, an easy film which I can complete in a matter of 50 days. I have been looking for such film from last four or five years.

Before taking up a career as an actor, you assisted your father Rakesh Roshan in film production. Has that experience benefited you later?
Yes. Mostly it has taught me how to respect a worker, and that is most important. When you are behind the camera with the team, you understand that we are all just workers.

Hrithik, how do you unwind?
I don’t need to unwind. My work makes me feel good and thus unwinding happens as a natural consequence.

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Komal Nahta, the Editor of Koimoi.com, is Bollywood’s most trusted trade analyst & film reviewer. You can follow him on Twitter and check out his Video Blog.