As Hrithik Roshan swoops down from dizzying heights as a superhero, someone has already planned a sequel to Krrish 3. That someone has worked out the logistics and concept of K4 in his mind. For him, his son should never taste failure like he did. There is a superhero behind every person and for Hrithik it is none other than his father — Rakesh Roshan who struggled for a long time before making a mark in the industry. He failed as an actor, didn’t do too well as a producer-cum-director initially but once his career took off, there has been no stopping him. He gets candid with Deebashree Mohanty in a Diwali special
I believe in Jadoo. I believe in superheroes and their powers. I believe a superhero watching over me and my family. How else could I have risen over a failed journey as an actorIJ How else could I have recovered costs of films I produced and which bombed at the box officeIJ How else could I have gotten married to such an attractive woman from such a good family when I had no job securityIJ Who gave me the courage to tide over my daughter’s cancer daysIJ Who looked after me when I was shot at point blank by goons in 2000IJ Who inspired me to make movies like KrrishIJ,” Roshan bombards you with queries. He tells you unabashedly that he believes in a superpower which can change life.
For Roshan, there are many people responsible for making him what he is today — a respected filmmaker, producer and a loveable human being. “It will be unfair if I said I owe everything to my father (musician Roshan) alone or that I am a strong person only because my wife supported me through thick and thin. In some sense, my daughter and son have also helped me discover the person within me,” he says.
For a man who has barely slept for three years due to his obsession with Krrish 3 production, Roshan is very exuberant. He tells you how important it is for him that this film gets an audience. “I have had my share of failures in the industry. I have struggled a lot. I have begged directors for roles and for opportunities to assist. I don’t want Hrithik to go through that. I have been in the industry long enough to know that a bad stint can ruin your confidence,” Rakesh Roshan who is unable to fathom why a “masterpiece” like Kites fizzled out at the box office, says.
“That was crossover cinema. I thought it would work wonders. We spent a lot more on the screenplay. Hrithik of course, put his heart and soul into it. It took him six months to recover from the disappointment. But he came out of it more determined to succeed than ever before,” Roshan tells you.
Talking about his journey thus far, he breaks into ‘zindagi ki yahin reet hai... haar ki baad hi jeet hai...”. That’s how he describes his journey in Bollywood thus far.
“I would bunk school to watch movies. My father then sent me to Sainik School in Satara hoping that I would mend my ways. But the filmi keeda had gripped me. I came to Mumbai to prove a point. But what I faced was failure. I fizzled out as a hero despite having the looks and a father figure in the industry. I had an arranged married when I was only 22 and my daughter was born when I was 23. I took up any role that came my way. But even cameos didn’t work. Frustrated, I decided to open my production company in 1980. But that too flopped. Bhagwan Dada in 1983 did not even recover the costs. I was going to quit Bollywood and start a business outside India. Then Khudgarz happened in 1987 and I finally had a reason to be,” Roshan recalls his journey, right from the day Shammi Kapoor came to his house for a music sitting with his father.
It was a sunny afternoon and beta Rakesh was studying in the verandah when a white car cruised in, in the early 60s. Sedans were rare those days and only the super elite could afford them. Along with the car came a sea of onlookers, shouting slogans. The crowd following the car mesmerised a young Rakesh. And then Shammi Kapoor hopped out asking for Roshan saheb. Such sightings were not uncommon for Rakesh who was always taken in by the stardom. “I wanted to be in that car, to drive around town with crowds following me to catch a glimpse. I wanted all the attention. But my father was very strict about my studies. He wanted me to be serious about my Board exams. later, he said, I could do whatever I chose to,” Roshan recalls. He was punished the day his father caught him watching a film at a neighbour’s house instead of being at school. “That day, he decided to send me away to Satara as I lacked discipline. I had a terrible time at the boarding school,” the filmmaker tells you.
life turned turtle when his father died when Roshan was only 16. “I had never imagined life without my father. Those were tough times, settling my father’s debts and making a living for my family. But jaise taise karke we managed,” the actor-turned-filmmaker says. It was then that he entered the industry to look for a living.
The going was not easy. Roshan thought it would be a cakewalk for a well known musician’s son. But no help came from any quarter. “With great difficulty I managed to find some work with director HS Jhaveri. He asked me to assist him in his film Sanghursh. Then, I assisted director Mohan Kumar for Anjaana and Aap Aaye Bahaar Aayi. Things were looking good and I wanted to experiment with my luck. I was told by Mohanji that I had the face of an actor. On his advice, I approached directors to cast me as a hero,” Roshan says, remembering that his first real break in the 60s was when he signed up for Man Mandir and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki although it was Paraya Dhan in 1968 in which he was noticed as an actor.
But even then Rakesh Roshan had not created a ripple in an industry ruled by Rajesh Khanna and Shammi Kapoor. Offers thinned and stopped by the end of the 60s. But what put the nail in the coffin for this young actor was when he was replaced in a movie without being informed. “When I arrived at the sets of Priyatama (produced by TC Dewan) in 1977, I was told that my role had been given to Jeetendra! They offered me a cameo instead. I was disappointed and angry but had to do the role because I was a family person. When the film was wrapped up I decided not to act ever again,” Roshan says.
The director says it is one thing that his luck was laced with failures but he has this unique way of dealing with it. Something that he has passed on to his family and now to the third generation. Roshan tells you he can’t stay angry and depressed for long. He manages to find “a silver lining in the most stormiest of days”. “No one at my home can stay depressed for long. They find ways to cheer themselves. We are an extremely closely-knit family who have dinners together and plan vacations with each other. However busy we may be, no one misses the fortnightly Sunday brunch organised by Pinky. My children, grandchildren and my brother’s family are always there,” he tells you.
Although Hrehaan (Hrithik’s eldest son) is into cars and complicated lego sets, his younger brother Hridhaan is the naughty one and is the pet of his granddad. “My grandchildren are special. I have learnt a lot from them. From tech-gadgets to happenings around the world, they make me aware of my surroundings. Suniarika (his daughter’s eldest daughter) is 19 and raring to go. I would love to see how she faces the camera. As of now, she has not decided if she wants a career in the film industry,” Roshan says. While his daughter and granddaughter love watching films, his grandsons prefer to watch the shootings instead. They are his outdoor companions.
looking back, Roshan recalls how he never gave up despite flopping as an actor. When Priyatama was snatched away, he set his ego aside and worked at anything that came his way. “I did cameos in Khel Khel Mein and even attempted a negative character in Aakhir Kyun in 1979. They were moderately successful but I still had not found my ground. I wanted to quit and start producing films instead,” he says.
Even that journey was no bed of roses for young Roshan who launched Filmkraft in 1980. The films kept flopping and he had to reconsider. But he put his bets on Kaamchor. He had given this film his all. “Kaamchor was pretty much my last hope so I gave it my 100 per cent. For a particular song which I wanted to picturise in Ooty, I sold my Fiat car for Rs 2 lakh. The song became a superhit. Jaya Prada got all the accolades and made it big after this film. But I continued to struggle for a foothold. After Bhagwan Dada (1985) failed, I was a broken man. It was my wife Pinky who gave me the confidence. When we were driving for the premiere of Khudgarz in 1987 in a rented Mercedes, I held her hand and told her that this was going to be my last shot. She smiled back at me and asked me to hang in there. Khudgarz was a blockbuster and I was back in the game,” he tells you.
But guess who Roshan credits for his blockbuster moviesIJ His greatest fan whom he has never even met! Those days, Roshan tells you, fan mail was regarded as the ultimate stamp of success. Even the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, the greatest star of that time, would read his fan mails every once in a while. In one such envelope, Roshan recalls was the key to his success.
“A fan had advised me to start my film’s title with the letter K. I discarded it instantly. But after Khudgarz became a hit, I started thinking backwards. Khandaan, Khel Khel Mein, Kahani were all big movies. The ‘K’ factor stuck to me after this,” Roshan reveals. For sceptics, movies that did do well under his banner were Khoon Bhari Maang, Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, Koi Mil Gaya and the Krrish series.
But KitesIJ The filmmaker says he is yet to figure that out. “It was all about crossover cinema. The concept was refreshing and we had all the ingredients. I was 100 per cent sure that this kite will soar. I was shocked when analysts told me that the audience was unimpressed. It broke Hrithik. But I had to continue,” Roshan says.
Rakesh Roshan is known to be a strong man for a reason. The filmmaker has not only managed to stand against all odds, he has turned failures into opportunities and stared death down. Even the underworld attack on him in 2000 didn’t deter his single mindedness. “When I was shot at, I tied a handkerchief around my right arm and told my driver to take me straight to the police station in Andheri. At was only after I had recorded my statement and told them about the extortion calls I had been getting that I drove to the hospital and called my family,” he says, not willing to dwell any further on the subject. “I don’t like thinking of bad times. let’s talk about what we have in store for our superhero instead,” he says.
Although he doesn’t want to reveal much about the ‘idea’ of Krrish4, he says this Krrish and villain fight will not end here. A lot many sequels are in store. For a director who likes doing things differently, he doesn’t mind his special effects being compared to Hollywood. “I am not bragging but I think given a context, we are even better than some effects I have seen in English films,” he says. For now though the focus is entirely on Krrish 3 and its starcast. Apart from Hrithik, Roshan feels Vivek Oberoi has done a commendable job. According to him, this could be Oberoi’s turning point.
When he is not thinking films, Rakesh Roshan is at his favourite bar sharing a drink with his favourite people. He is a social person but doesn’t like to mingle much with strangers. Give him some time and he is an open book. But for his family, he is always there. “I couldn’t face my daughter the day the doctor diagnosed her with cancer. But she knew already. When I went home she was out there laughing and cheering everyone. She told me that she will fight the cancer and she did. But chemotherapy sessions were the worst phase of our lives. She screamed the first day when the doctor couldn’t find the vein. The very next moment she was joking that because she was losing hair, she should shave it all up and look like me,” he says. She is well now.
Yes Mr Roshan, jeena isika naam hai...
‘My daddy strongest’
For beta Hrithik, dad is the only person in this industry who inspires him. He sets an example for others to follow. “My father has fought against many odds and I have witnessed most of them. He was a young father who would do everything possible to make his family happy. He has been an excellent babysitter whenever my mom needed a break. Even now, he is great with my sons and my sister’s daughter. He is the world’s most patient granddad,” Hrithik who is on a breezy trip to Malaysia, says.
He recalls the most painful part of his upbringing was to see his father in depression over failed attempts. “I have never seen him suffer physically but emotionally he is a very soft person. It was a tough time for our family when my sister was detected with cancer but Papa was hit the most. He took a long time to recover from that trauma,” Hrithik tells you.
As an actor, Hrithik has always been very excited about promoting his films and the baap-beta jodi are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that Krrish 3 reaches the masses. “Papa has a great business sense in addition to his direction capabilities. He has learnt it the hard way. But all this hardwork has finally paid off. He knows what role marketing and PR plays in making a film popular. He has dreams about this alien super hero making it big and he won’t rest until he has realised his this dream,” the superstar says, adding that his father is the most involved director-producer that he has ever met in the industry. For Krrish 3, Rakesh Roshan spent more than three months deciding the starcast, finalising the plot and finally ensuring that the special effects team delivered.
“This is a special film and he has given it a kind of boost that no one would have ever imagined. One has to watch the film to realise that Rakesh Roshan doesn’t stop at the ordinary. He has done something magical with this film,” Hrithik tells you. Even the Red Chillies VFX team who are behind all the visuals in this superhero film tell you that Rakesh Roshan is one of the best people to work with. According to the creative director, Roshan is good with his inputting as well.
But Hrithik says this was not easy work for anyone in the team. “We have all had to slog very hard. It may look smooth and simple, but believe me it was one of the toughest thing to pull off. Vivek is fantastic in this film,” the actor says.
But why favour films under his father’s banner aloneIJ “That’s not true. I am hungry for good scripts and a film where I have something to do. With Filmkraft I have a very strong bond and have blind faith in whatever they do. The production house has never failed me. But I am open to projects from other banners as well,” Roshan says.
There are quite a few films coming next year and Hrithik has high hopes from Bang Bang, a Fox Star production. He is also looking forward to sharing screen space with none other than Katrina Kaif. “She is a great actor and I think we will rock together,” he leaves you with that thought. But for now, the centrestage belongs to Rakesh Roshan.
