From Darkness to Light

Clad in a monkey cap and ankle socks, HRITHIK ROSHAN walks into the hall where I am already ensconced in a comfy sofa. His dog has just gone bananas with excitement at a new guest, ie. yours truly, and is flying around knocking tables and nipping around in playful gambol. The superhero has been advised a day’s rest by his doctor, he’s been working like a hamster at the wheel, non-stop for many months now. Hrithik is glad for the rest. He walks in humming Jaane kahaan kab kissi se… the song from the old film Julie. We launch straight into it.

- Suguna Sundaram

Oh, that movie was so ahead of its times.

Yes, the music was just spectacular. My chacha (Rajesh Roshan) was 19 when he gave the music for this film, only 19. Julie was his first break, it was incredible. No, actually his first break was Kunwara Baap, he was 18. He used to assist LaxmikantPyarelal. So Laxmikant got this film and he said to him, you do it, and he did the music of both the films Kuwaara Baap and Julie, it was amazing. Those are the songs that still carry…aaj ki tareek mein bhi…

For someone always in such great physical form, since your debut, barring a few films like Lakshya, Dhoom 2, Mohenjo Daro, etc. where you are normal, in every third film of yours, you choose characters with some kind of physical or mental infirmity. Is that a self-imposed challenge, to consciously drive yourself to expand as an actor?

No, I think the challenge lies in the victories or the result that you perceive. You perceive me as having a great body, but the story of my challenge with the body lies within that. It’s like, one can’t do without the other. So, if you have a victory in your life, you have to rise to the challenge, and in a sense, suffer the pain.

No, all beautiful things don’t necessarily come out of pain.

Yes. All of them. I would not say pain, that’s a negative word. Some kind of a toil, some kind of hardship, not necessarily pain, because the hardships can be borne with a positive attitude which I have learnt. Which is why there is now an addiction to it because it keeps me positive. I love my challenges.

So you are hooked on to these kind of roles, these characters, their stories? And how are they different from stories of, let’s say a regular hero?