PLAYING 'SEXY' IS A LOT OF HARD WORK
Hrithik Roshan says there’s a lot more that he has to offer as an actor
He set the box office on fire with two consecutive hits last year — Super 30 and War — two roles as different from each other as chalk and cheese. And this is what actor Hrithik Roshan has always done in his career spanning 20 years. From Krrish (2006) and Guzaarish (2010) to Agneepath (2012) and Kaabil (2017), he has pushed the envelope. As the rumour mill goes on an overdrive about what is going to be his next film, we talk to the 46-year-old about the journey so far:
You had mentioned once that ‘playing a suave charmer who can dance well doesn’t come naturally’ to you. This is despite the fact that you are a regular on the lists of ‘most sexy men’ and are considered to be among the best dancers in Bollywood. So what made you say that?
I am frankly more comfortable doing characters where the exterior is not something I have to sell as ‘sexy’. Because it really is a lot of hard work, physically, and there is a chance to get carried away by that exterior. I need to be extra vigilant in each shot, to make sure my character is coming from a real place and does not appear pretentious about his looks when facing the camera. Unlike a character like Rohan from Kaabil or Anand from Super 30 where it is just all heart — that to me is easier. But then again, the mental stimulation when playing people like Aryan from Dhoom 2 (2006) and Kabir from War is just unmatchable. So,
both have benefits.
Having done over three dozen films in a career spanning 20 years, have you figured out your process as an actor yet?
I don’t think that there is ‘a’ particular process of acting. An actor’s job is to bring a scripted character to life. It’s quite easy to imitate someone or even an emotion, but only good ‘actors’ can do that. I, on
the other hand, need to feel it or I can’t act it . So, in that regard I am a bad ‘actor’. Hence my basic process in the larger sense is first identifying the way I want the audiences to feel about the particular scene or the film, and then feel that emotion and hold on to it till the end, towards that goal.
your bucket list that you would want to tick off?
A bucket list is something that sets the basis for what all one wishes to do or achieve. So while I keep ticking off things I have managed to achieve, I also keep adding newer things to that list and there are too many of them. The ticks are an encouragement, and all the additions to the list are all motivations.
There are ups and downs in everyone’s lives. Who has been your inspiration? Does box-office success play an important role?
Like you said, there are clouds in everyone’s lives. A professional high would definitely bring some kind of sunshine in your life but the key is to keep going, whatever the weather.