Krrish is a franchise that can go on and on – Hrithik Roshan

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart… Hrithik Roshan's image long has been that of a sunny side up Indian – a singing, dancing, easygoing, actor, husband and father who can instantly transform from being a man who loves to tell bed time stories of super-heroes to his kids to turning into one for the big screen. Both as onscreen superhero Krrish and real life Bollywood star, Hrithik is one of Bollywood's truly good guys. But almost a decade ago, little did the actor know that he would be the most celebrated action-hero of Indian cinema. Quite a leap! Now he can be a threat to his western counterparts. He's a triple threat I mean! He can sing, dance and wield a weapon. At almost 6 feet tall, all scruff and biceps, Hrithik looms large when I meet him at his apartment in Juhu. His smile comes easily – something he is well known for, but in this case, there's an extra reason: the fact that he's waiting for the most critical review from his kids after they watch Krrish 3. In person, he is affable and generous. He offers me a chilled glass of fresh lime water knowing that it's bloody hot outside and the fact that it's healthy. His affinity with the basics is honest and with this interview, he re-lives the days when he and his team created India's most loved draped super-hero. Here's Hrithik Roshan in a never heard before no-holds-barred mode.

You've been living various characters from Krrish since a decade now. It all started in 2003.
Both, Rohit and Krrish are two parts of me. When I do Rohit, it's a 100% me. Ditto when I play Krrish. Both are two sides of my alter egos.

How difficult it must be to get out of one and get sucked into another character?
Rohit has been very close to my own life. A lot of scenes I played in Koi Mil Gaya were out of my own experiences in my childhood. I remember a time when I didn't want to let go of Rohit when I started Krrish. It's all in the mind and you can't really attach your story in your head. If you live in the past, you are never going to explore the infinite possibilities that lie beyond it. Forward motion should be the philosophy of life. I move on, Rohit moves on and so does Krrish.

Be honest! Are your kids biased towards the Avengers or Krrish?
(Laughs) That's a difficult question. Of course they are a little biased towards Krrish but they are very fair. My kids haven't really looked at me as something that I'm not because they know me as the person I am. That is stronger than the persona I play on the big screen. I think they know the real me is way stronger than Krrish.

Superhero movies never stop in the third installment. Do you see a possibility of extending the franchise for a few more years?
Krrish is a franchise that can go on and on. We could go on till Krrish 5 or Krrish 6. It all boils down to how much we can contribute to the film and how much fan base we have generated over the past decade. I hope to see it happen, sooner or later. There is no reason to believe there won't be a Krrish 4.

Avengers got the concoction right – Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America and Thor. Would Krrish meet G-One anytime soon too? Will Indian Superheroes go the Avengers way?
Yea sure! Why not? Actually it's a great idea. If it's a thought in your head, it must be a thought in a lot of minds out there. It's a progressive thought. I don't see any reason why it can't be a possibility.

Seeing Gravity was a surreal experience for me. But I often wondered what would it be like to shoot the entire movie in front of a green screen. How real do you feel when it is not?
As me! I've spent almost 80 days on the harness, 9 hours a day. It's tormenting, actually. But you have to make it look effortless and real. I can strap on the harness right now and do it in my sleep. I've become so comfortable with it that it has become a part of my body. The joy of being able to simulate something that someone else can't is something that empowers me.

As a son, how much creative input did you give while jamming with your father?
With Dad, we work as a team and are involved in every single department of the film. Where you are sitting right now is where my dad sits and with all the writers, we spent nearly a year and a half getting the screenplay into action. It all started in this room where we are doing this interview. We are also sitting on the post of the film together and I get to explore my visions in my head too.

Ever thought of playing a real Superhero? Like a real life character? A biopic?
I don't know in whose shoes I would like to fit in, to be honest. I like to be surprised by somebody who has a thought and someone who may have written the screenplay that I had never thought of. It may blow me away.

I like the fact that you can physically transform into any role so well. I'm sure you can shed weight like Hanks did in Cast Away or Bale did in The Machinist.
I would love to do that. Nothing that is worth something comes easy. If you have the vision for it and you know you have the resources, nothing is impossible. We just have to use our imagination. I have the tools of how to get ripped, like I did in Kites and be consistent. If you have to gain weight like I did in Guzaarish, I binged on vada-pav, samosas and everything junk. I enjoy playing physically challenged characters.

Shakaal, Gabbar, Bhikhu Mhatre, Mogambo and many more. Ever occurred what if Krrish had a look-alike baddie?
You won't believe it but I wanted to play Vivek Oberoi's character in Krrish 3. I was most definite that only I could've played it. I spoke to dad and urged him to push me play a baddie in the movie. He just shut me up saying that I was already playing three characters in a film and playing a baddie would be too self indulgent (Laughs). What Vivek has done in the film has surpassed my expectations.

So technically speaking, what's the big leap Krrish 3 has taken compared to Ra.One?
The difference between Ra.One and Krrish 3 is that a supervisor handled Ra.One and a lot of the work was done abroad. Krrish 3 is completely home grown. It's entirely done in India. Red Chillies has done the VFX here. We gave them the opportunity, which no one gave them as yet; with time for trial and error because this was the first time they were handling a film on this scale. I don't think you will separate a Hollywood film with a Bollywood film when it comes to VFX.

With everything on such a big scale, didn't you feel like releasing the film in IMAX?
I would've loved to do so but they were in a contractual agreement with another movie from Bollywood that would be the first IMAX release.

What's the most amazing technology you used in Krrish 3 that you are proud of?
Besides all the innovative rigs created by our art director Sabu Cyril, I think it was our vision that surpasses all the other tools we used to make Krrish 3.

Article written by staff at Bollywood Hungama. Read more