Sussanne is my sunshine: Hrithik Roshan Source: TOI Date: October 14, 2013 By: Priya Gupta Hrithik Roshan, 39, lives the life of a superhero. He is a fighter and does not quit in life. He is a man of truth and is on a mission to live the best life possible, no matter what. He loves challenges as that is his access to growth. To him, happiness is being enthusiastic and the way to be enthusiastic is being imaginative. His energy makes him restless. While he was quiet and a thinker when he was younger, he is now uninhibited and not afraid of being judged. Ahead of his upcoming superhero film Krrish 3, he talks to TOI about his strong father, his sunshine wife and what worries him about his older son Hrehaan. Excerpts: How early in life did you know you would get into films? I went to Bombay Scottish school and right from the time I was eight or nine, I assumed I would be an actor. While studying B.Com at Sydenham, I started assisting my dad and did that for five years. I assisted him on King Uncle, Karan Arjun, Karobaar, Khel and Koyla after which came Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. Lets talk about your father? I learnt how to be strong from my dad. I am still learning from him. He teaches by example. He has never empowered any kind of weakness. If I have tried to get any weakness by expressing my shortcomings, he has never come forward with sympathy. And by example, he teaches you to concentrate on good. Krrish is a manifestation of his own being... the fact that he thought of a film about a superhero and the fact that all his films are about the underdog. Thats how he saw his own lifes journey. He is someone who did not have the resources, but still managed and struggled and created an empire and is continuing to do so. He never shows it, but he is a deeply emotional man. He has been through a lot in his life and has the strength to channelise his emotions in a strong way through his films. Its made him a stronger man. He has no ego and is open to suggestions from his fellow directors or directors of my generation and had no ego about narrating his script to Adi Chopra or Farhan Akhtar and take their feedback. I dont know of many directors who would do that as they are insecure and make films in their isolated space. He is a very good businessman. He will not let anyone take him for a ride. He has seen tough times. I have seen my mom cry as there was no money for groceries. Despite the fact that he was an actor, we have been kicked out of our house as we did not have money to pay the rent. I was ten at that time and we had no place to live, so we moved into my mothers parents house and my father lived with his friend until he managed enough money to buy a place. We shifted in without any furniture, slept on the floor for the first two nights, after which he slowly built his house. It taught me that there was a lot behind the glitz and the glamour. I feel blessed to have those teachings of the past that I can pass on to my children. All that I am and all that I have learnt, I have learnt first from him. He has been my best teacher and the rest I have learnt from my own experiences. I shudder to think what Indian cinema would be without him. He is the flag-bearer. Look where he is coming from and the kind of films he is making. If he did not exist, then there would be no genre of superhero or alien films that would be convincing enough to be successful. He is always pushing the bar and when he shies away from doing that, I am there to remind him that he needs to. How different are you from your father? We are two individuals coming from different schools of thought. He is old as in gold and I have grown up watching superhero films. I am very blessed that I have a chance to contribute to Krrish 3 in many ways. Between us, we cover the entire spectrum of an entire superhero personality. He has more experience of life and has the big picture. I look at the details and make it more identifiable to my generation. And there are times when I am looking at the big picture, but he gets into a particular scene. The best thing between us is that we work without an ego. We have arguments, but the one thing that is obvious is that I am not fighting for my suggestion and he is not, for his idea.We fight for the best idea for the film. So either he convinces me or I convince him. Normally an actor and director dont have this relationship? I think they should. People say my dad brings out the best in me, but that is because he gives his best to me. He is very concerned about the final connect with his audience and knows that his lead actor is his key person to express his vision. He understands me and I can express his vision, as I have lived my whole life with him and understand him a lot. So far, we have not had a dispute that has not been solved. Its about conviction. The one who is more convinced, wins and once you are convinced, it will work. In creativity, there should not be an ego. It depends on how you negate someones suggestion. If you use words like but and no then it immediately puts the other person in a defensive mode. Its about language, really. I have mastered language more than him and the great thing about working together is that the moment the shot is done, it is canned and forgotten and we are on to the next debate. Who are you most attached to? Sussanne I think. She has been my closest companion. I was infatuated with her when I was 12. She lived in the vicinity. I met her time and time again as a part of a group that used to play in the compound. All the boys would try and impress the girls with their bicycle stunts. She happened to come to my sisters engagement party and I told my best friend, One day I am going to marry her. At that time, she was a working girl and was making more money than me. She paid for my first date with her. Shes still very ambitious and career-driven and I am very proud of her. She has established a name for herself and has her individuality in place. She is a very generous and loving person. I call her sunshine. Whenever she enters the room, she puts a smile on peoples faces. My handicaps or problems condemned me to lead a darkish life in the past while I was growing up. I would struggle day in and day out and so God must have thought of her as a blessing that he must send down for me as a ray of sunshine. That is how I have managed to survive. I had broken tools and was the last person people would have thought would make it. But she recognised the mettle in me. I am a fighter and I dont quit on anything in my life. Are you a romantic person? I used to romanticise everything in my life. I used to stay nostalgic but realised that that is also a waste of time. I realised that romance is glorified through a lot of heartbreaks, obsession and craving. But to me, that is not romance. To me, romance is peace, walking hand in hand and sharing your life. It goes beyond lust, obsession and the drama. Are any of your sons like you? They will be. They will learn by example. I am living my truth. My elder son Hrehaan is a lot like me. He is quiet and is always thinking, so I am worried about him a lot more. I am always curious to know what he is thinking. The younger one is more like Sussanne and is carefree and happy-go-lucky. Does the pain in your body make you weaker emotionally? Breaking down is okay, but you cant stay in that too long. You have to get up and change yourself. Science told me a few years back that my knee will not be operational a year from then. But my knee is now stronger than it was when I was 18 years old. It means that life is more than what meets the eye. And if you keep searching and seeking well, you will find all your answers. I am looking for the next big challenge. How much will it break me? How hard will I rise back and fight it? That will be my service to my kids and, in turn, my contribution to people around me to create a better and stronger society. pic
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 12:01:45 +0000
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