Rising Star

By Fuad Omar.

Oxford's monumental Stowe School has become the cricket ground for an interschool competitive game and one man is batting his heart out for victory. The crowd cheers as he does his best, but given who this man is, they'd cheer for him anyway even if he wasn't playing the game for he has already found his way firmly into their hearts as a favourite. The game is halted (and not due to bad weather), but because another shot is to set up as cameras are shifted and players are moved. This is the set of Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and the one being cheered is Hrithik Roshan.

Since the UK schedule began he is forever singing in between shots and talking to those on the sets about everything from the latest songs and movies to delivering his straight faced jokes and imitating an impeccably typical British accent. Extras surround him for autographs and photos whenever possible and he happily obliges each request when he can, ensuring each one leaves with a smile as another from the crowd pushes forward hoping to be next. After lunch as another shot is prepared for which he's not required, we sit inside away from the busy goings on and begin the interview.

Having seen him at work since the UK schedule began, I had observed certain mannerisms of his and learnt of his sincere dedication for what he does. His body language reflects his demeanour at times and the effort he gives to each shot is like a reserved plasma of energy, releasing it's full force upon the trigger action of his director. And his need for self-satisfaction is shown as he runs to the monitor after each shot is canned to see how it's looking and if he can improve on it.

He is also a music lover - why else would I be hearing the songs of Lucky Ali or Bas Itna Sa Khawab Hai in between shots as he rendered whichever tune was in his head at the time.
"You're always singing," I say to him shaking my head. "It's good to relax," he says to me with a smile.

I begin the interview by asking how he felt when days after his first release, he was hailed as a phenomenon and was being praised to the skies by the media bandwagon that usually follows this publicity blitzkrieg by ripping their chosen one to shreds, escalating the star only to make the fall harder.
"It was completely nerve-racking," he says looking down for a moment as he turns his mind back to the days of his first release. "Because I knew it was just not the truth. Luckily for me I had the intelligence to know that what was going on was irresponsible and dishonest, because they (the press) were putting me up to levels of experienced persons in the business when I had just started with my first film, and even in that I wasn't that good."

He looks straight at me as he answers and appears as someone who has taken the blows and was hurt that he was not allowed to savour his taste of success. Whereas his face does not reflect pain, it does show sadness as he talks about his experience but this initial black hole which can easily hypnotise and suck in newcomers was one he saw as a challenge and faced head on, only to come out a winner.
"After a while it stopped bothering me because I just focused on what I knew and on my work and what I had to do. That's all I wanted to do."

I make a comment about how fame can have its trappings. I ask if he ever feels trapped by his fame and the position he's achieved and if he ever gets carried away by the attention given to him and the image he has compared to who he is. He looks to his left as someone enters the tent we're sitting in, then back at me. With a deep sense of thought reflected in his brandy-coloured eyes, he leans forward slightly and delivers an answer based on his experiences and observations.
"It's very easy to get confused between the magic of the movies which makes you look invincible on screen and who you are in reality. It's very easy to get confused between the person you are and the persona you're projected as on screen, especially for people who've come from outside the industry. But for me I've always treated it like a job and nothing more than that," he says thoughtfully.

Hrithik places his cellular phone on the table and lifts his head a little as he eases back into his chair, getting comfortable as he continues. He's wearing a blue denim jacket with the ripped effect and jeans to match, and I thank my lucky stars my job doesn't require me to have as many different costume changes as his.
"You do your job and come back home and you are what you are when the camera's off. When the camera's on you're playing a character and that's not you. It's a character that's conceived by another person, the words he speaks are given to him by another person and he's not really bashing up the ten goons and is not really the superman he is on screen," he analyses wisely. "But on screen that's what it looks like and so people start believing that he's that strong and can bash up ten people at one time. If it's all new to you and you're from outside the industry, you start believing that 'yes I am that person who's standing on that banner' or 'I am that romantic guy'. You start developing a fake covering all over you and you get an attitude and start walking with a little heaviness in your face like 'I'm too good'."

As he says this he uses those piercing eyes and characteristic face to mimic how someone with attitude would glance at someone, narrowing his field of vision to be as restricted as a person who believed they lived in a self created bubble where they were the only person who matters. His answer is one which seems to depict an aspect he has already dealt with, as once half the world start screaming for you and the scribes describe you as hot property, it would be only human to believe you are the epitome of popularity people are painting you to be. But as he continues it's evident that this is an aspect he has dealt with, but not fallen prey to.
"But that only happens when you don't really know what it's all about and soon enough everybody realises, in a matter of time be it two years, five years or six years, that 'I am not that guy'. They are not in love with me. They are in love with the person they see on film in the cinema. It's not me saying those lines to the heroine and it's not you because that's not the person you are. They're not in love with me, they're in love with Rohit or Raj or Aman who whoever I'm playing. It's not really me and I have the intelligence to know that. So for me it was not a big problem because I never believed it. It's just a compliment when they like my work."

His answer is well thought, but I still probe and wonder as to whether the adulation has swayed him. After all, if a crowd the size of Wembley Arena are shouting his name doesn't he feel the self-importance prodding him to believe these people love the real him?
"I know that if even one person from that crowd of 80,000 or however many people there may be in an audience, had to meet me alone like in a restaurant or somewhere. They'd just come up to me and shake my hand and say 'hey you did good work, well done. We love you. Keep up the good work.' That's it, it's just a compliment and that's how I take it. There's no reason to start thinking that 'they're crazy about me' or 'I'm too good' because it's not about you it's about your work. It's about your product and your job. You do your job and as long as you do it well they love you. The moment you give a bad performance, it's over. So I never really get trapped by that, sometimes you do start thinking 'I must be that good' but it's not true it's just a job."

Impressed with his answer and the maturity with which he seems to have handled his fame, I find the interview gearing itself towards promise as the curiosity with which I had approached him begins to be satisfied and my interest remains piqued. Hrithik is not only a good actor and performer, but also someone who seems to have a strong passion for his medium, and is attempting to see shortcomings before they arrive, such as the star-trappings and a saturation point, as is evident with the roles he has done and is taking on. His perspective of his role in the industry as someone who's merely 'doing his job' has clearly helped keep his level head and the star who should categorically be the most arrogant given the success and popularity he has, is as down to earth as the next person.

An impression of Hrithik from his early Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai days up until now is that he has been constantly travelling on a continuos journey. From being an assistant to achieving super success with one film, maintaining the support of his fans and dealing with the controversies which were tossed at him, it's been a bumpy ride but a constant journey. I ask him to share with me a few of his favourite stops during this ride and recall some memorable moments.
"I think a really good decision for me was to join my father as an assistant because it really helped me a lot. I spent six years of my life behind the camera watching the best actors at work and one of the best directors at work - my father. So I got to learn so much," he says again looking at me with eyes that show respect at his father's name.

The man I came to interview and is extremely popular suddenly appears to me as his father's son and nothing more. His eyes are so full of affection for his father and his voice becomes softer, with a look that conveys deep gratitude and complete devotion. His body language also begins to relate this as he lowers his hands and leans forward, as though he is speaking of the most precious person in the world to him that it deserves that extra measure of care and respect. He pauses before continuing, probably stealing a moment to think of his father again, before going on and returning to his answer.
"It was good for me as far as my career is concerned but it was also hell being there physically. There were times when I had to go without food, or sleep for only four hours and all the running around I had to do as an assistant was tough work. I had to bath in brown water sometimes, the conditions were terrible because my father was into action films and was shooting in deserts and jungles, but I got to learn a lot," he says reminiscing, telling how he has struggled rather than being someone who found success easily.

The only reason his struggle and hard work has been masked at times is because he is often portrayed as someone who was born as he is, gifted a dream debut which was tailored to highlight him and has fallen into stardom by chance. Sound stunningly familiar of your favourite filmi gossip mag? Don't believe the hype.
"Working as an assistant helped my decision to be an actor and take the final plunge by joining the classes of Kishore Kapoor and get my photosession done by Daboo Ratnani, and then to get the offer from dad was so unexpected. I always thought my first film would be with somebody else and not my father, because I knew he would not compromise, he would not take me just because I`m his son. So when he offered me this film it was the best compliment I could ever get. Because I knew he would only take me if he thought I was good enough for it and at that meant I was good enough. So that really was a memorable time," he says recalling his spark of interest which stems from his early days, only to become an engulfing inferno of determination, passion and enthusiasm which would push him to become the name he is today.
"Then of course my training was another memorable time. The time I spent with Salman was amazing and really helped me a lot. And then every day of shooting Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, every second was a learning experience where I picked so much information, and it was great fun," he says with a smile, again shifting in his chair and listening carefully to my next point.

Hrithik is not the star son who received everything on a golden platter. His father may be a respected actor and filmmaker, but at the time of his son's launch he was not considered a legend by any means, just a simple man who did good work. Hrithik's arrival was a star's son's launch but it wasn't such a big star's launch that everyone could announce beforehand they expected him to do well because of what has been given to him.
"Especially in this career you cannot be handed anything because the logic just does not apply. Ultimately you stand on your own and there are so many star sons who have come and received opportunities but if you're not good enough or you don't deserve it, you're just turned away and you end up worse than what you started off with. You lose your individuality and you become known as a flop actor and people pass remarks about you, so it's a really big risk with your life."

As we approach the next chronicle of his journey, I take a minute to pause and ask him about the future before moving on, and ask if like the dream he once had to act, another exists or is weaving in his mind to direct. Something one would expect from someone whose life has unfolded on the sets and been eternally bonded with the visual medium.
"Right now I just want to take one shot at a time and put everything into every shot. I do want to direct some day, but I don't know if I'll have the guts to do it. I just need to mature a bit more, experience life a little more because to be a director you really need to understand human behaviour. You need to have seen a lot in life and I think maybe in time I will," he says as he loses himself in his thoughts, seemingly dreaming of a tomorrow which will again achieve something great and make his father even prouder. I can't help but notice the same way his eyes and disposition calm, as though he is thinking of his father and what he's done or how he directs. Whatever his train of thoughts, it's clear he still has dreams in him he hopes to one day realise, and in the future I'm sure he will. As if returning from his mind journey, his eyes look at me again and he says.
"Hopefully I'll get to a stage when I can direct a film, that would really be achieving something, because that's the toughest job ever."

At this point I hear the bustling outside and am reminded of the crowd that has been eagerly seeking their favourite actor's attention all day. While he's been posing for photographs and signing autographs probably since morning, there are still more in the batch who are waiting for the interview to be over so that they can again claim who they have embraced as their own. Stardom is something which leads to fame, and in turn popularity. Whether this is good or bad has been debated throughout history as popularity leads to power and gives the individual a false sense of security and highlights them above others. In this field one thing is assured: your stardom may not always be there but while it is it will bring a smile and joy to every person who supports you.

Be it the fan, casual supporter or well-wisher, everyone who has met Hrithik today has left with a smile. I ask if actually stops and realises to what extent he as a star touches people's lives be it from making millions smile on screen or meeting the millions off screen, he has the power to make that person who wants to meet him go away feeling better. He again speaks softer than usual, visually humbled by the affection he has received and answers with a sincere tone and a gentle lost look in his eyes.
"I know what I can do and it's something I will never take for granted because it's a blessing. I think I'm really fortunate that I can bring a smile to a person's face just by being there. Which is why I always respect the fact that someone wants my autograph or wants a picture with me, and I always try as much as possible to be there for them and give them the little that they want. Sometimes it becomes impossible to please everyone with the quantity, but as far as possible I do try to please everybody."

Having covered most of the aspects I had intended, yet leaving the treasure chest slightly closed for it to surprise me in our next meeting, I throw a question at him which is completely unrelated to his work and anything he has been asked. This is to be the question that encourages him to take from this interview as much as I have, by remembering of the interviews he gives this one question was totally out of the blue and different and one he had to ponder over. The psychoanalyst in me has been forever dormant (if it even exists), yet I push forward with one of the most bizarre questions I'll probably ask:
If you could be given one of three gifts: the ability to be invisible, the ability to fly or the opportunity to travel back in time to any day and re-live it, which of the three would you choose and why.

Hrithik's eyes focus on me deeply and his lips curl into a smile that broadens and fills his face. He stops the tape recorder and remains silent for a few seconds, still smiling.
"I'll have to think about this one," he says as I silently leap with joy accomplishing the final tick on my 'to do' list, brandishing a smile with the knowledge that the answer will be unique.

A few moments later without uttering a word, he turns to me and simply presses record, smiles and begins his answer.
"Being invisible is really exciting, and to be able to fly has always been one of my dreams," he says almost leading me to believe I have my answer. "But," he continues, "if I could go back in time and live a day," he says before pausing again for a second, building up this answer to it's now anticipated climax.
"I'd really more than anything, more than being invisible or being able to fly, I'd like to re-live the 14th of January, 2000."

I remember the significance of the date and smile, and listen as he continues with a smile. 14th January 2000: the day Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai was released.
"The day that I entered the theatre with the audience, because at that time I didn't know what was happening. I couldn't understand what was happening so I wasn't excited enough. I was more scared than excited.

"I entered the cinema with everybody and some people recognised me and said 'hey you're the actor in the film!' and I was like 'yeah' and they were like 'all the best' and I just said 'thank you'. I entered with them and sat with them. And when the film got over there was a stampede, I was mobbed. They had to call the police force, there was a crowd of thousands outside the theatre and the next show got cancelled and delayed. They could not get me out of the theatre and they had to call guards and pull me out because there were people everywhere." He looks at me while remembering the day, and repeats slowly "e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e," his face still wrought with disbelief at the hysteria.

"And I couldn't get out of the place, they had to call people there and put me in a different car and just whisk me away. I was with my friends and I kept asking them 'What's this? What's happening? Is this normal? Does this happen with everybody? What's this?' and we were all stunned and they didn't know what to tell me, they just said 'Yeah this is good, just enjoy yourself!' and I didn't know what to make of it. It was like instant fame. Three hours. That's all it took to change my life. Just three hours. I'd like to live those three hours again. I'd like to feel like the Hrithik before Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai happened and feel like what happened after those three hours, because it's just such a small time frame. My life actually changed in three hours," he says beginning to stammer slightly and wide eyed, still unable to comprehend what actually happened and how it all came about, before the smile returns and he says:
"It's just so amazing! I'd like to go back and live that again, and not only live but observe and actually feel the time change. I want to go back and be more attentive, be able to observe, be able to absorb what was happening, because at the time I couldn't absorb anything."

I give him a few seconds before asking him for a message or something he'd like to relay via this interview as representing or defining him or a period in his life. Aptly he chooses to narrate to me two 'wise men's words', which end our meeting perfectly, symbolising the journey he has travelled and revealing the keys to his attitude, determination and success. He holds the dictaphone close and says:
"There are two sayings I believe, and that I believed in when I was training. The first is: 'The finest steel has to go through the hottest fire'," he says with a sparkle in his eyes, before explaining it's meaning. "So if you want to be that good, you have to bear the worst thing. You'll make it. And the second is: Life's battles are not always won by the stronger or the faster man, but sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can. Positivity and hard work will achieve anything and everything."

On that note we end the interview and Hrithik gets back to his shot, to continue pouring his hard efforts into his work, to please those who have supported him and continue to make his father proud. As we leave the tent all of the extra's eyes are on him, following him and watching their favourite actor's every move. What they see is the image, the character they have seen and fallen in love with as it was projected larger than life on a big screen. What I see is a hardworking actor doing his job and mastering his art, attempting to evaluate what's happened to him and thanking God for every small milestone. What I see is Hrithik Roshan, the man. Someone with the fire of determination in his eyes and a heart bigger than his image. The man who'll win because he thinks he can.