Written By Anuradha Choudhary
(Executive Editor, Filmfare)
Q. You have done a series of superhero movies. Is there a danger of it getting monotonous or you getting typecast?
I don’t waste time in such thoughts because it’s just a movie. Just like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara or Agneepath. I’m here to do all kinds of roles. And I’ve done all types of roles. There’s no reason to justify that but no I’m not typecast. I’ve enjoyed all three stories of Krrish starting from Koi… Mil Gaya. In fact, I’ve enjoyed Krrish 3 even more because it’s been the toughest. Here, I’m playing three characters. Wearing the Krrish mask and cape and flying around those trees and jungles in the dead of the night and in the heat of Film City, then to get back to my vanity van and spend three hours getting into Rohit’s (his character in Koi…) get-up was a tremendous challenge. To bring alive the essence of Rohit after seven years and to get into the mould of a mentally challenged, vulnerable person was tough. When a father puts his hands on his son’s shoulders, there’s a strength that he has to instill. So how a mentally-challenged father does that was a challenge. If Rohit went wrong then the film would go wrong because Rohit is the most powerful character.
Q. You went through a lot physically while shooting for the film. Were you ever daunted by that?
We all have problems. I’m not going to glorify them. Everyone has their stories of struggle and hardships. What matters is the outcome. What’s the result of those hardships? I went through a lot of physical hardship; the film was to be shelved because of them. But I surpassed them. Maybe, once the film is out and appreciated, I’ll talk about the journey. Right now that journey, however hard, is not important.
Q. Tell us about that one moment you cherished in the film.
I cherished the fact that both my father (Rakesh Roshan) and I confronted the risk involved in making a film like this. Maybe it was not the best decision money wise because we could end up spending from our pockets. We might not make money but there was a realisation that it’s a service we were doing. And if we didn’t do it, then no one would. Cinema, sometimes, means more than just business. That decision empowered me and my father. I’m glad we had the opportunity to do something most would have shied away from. I’m proud that it’s a completely Indian film. It was our decision that every special effects shot would be done in India. So it’s your first fully homegrown high budget VFX superhero musical. We have talent; they just didn’t have the opportunity or someone who had faith in them. There was no supervisor from abroad, no stock was sent abroad. It was all done here with our people, under the supervision of my father and myself at Red Chillies.
Q. And the one moment during the making when you said ‘no never again’!
Actually, there were many such moments. But every single time you go through a moment like this, the bigger picture comes to your mind. And you know what your goal is. That’s why it’s important to choose your goal with care. Because when the going gets tough, that big picture is so strong, you know you’re doing something that will contribute to the world. And that keeps you going.
Q. Coming back to the film, how do you see your dad evolve as a director?
I shudder to think what Indian cinema would have been if dad did not exist. I mean there would have been no superhero genre, no aliens in our movies. When my dad was making a film on aliens, his friends said that he was going mad. When he was making a superhero with a cape and a mask, they said he had gone even madder. But he has been the flag bearer of Indian cinema. He’s always pushing the envelope. Yes, he comes from an old school but he’s constantly learning. He has been here for decades and yet he tries to see life and movies from the point of view of the next generation. He is a silent observer and constantly evolving. And that’s his greatness.
Q. You once said your dad’s a superhero…
All sons want to be like their fathers. And my father lives by values, which are close to being a superhero himself. Krrish would not exist if it had not been conceived by him. He is the conceiver. I’m just the paint, he’s the painter.
Q. Are you a superhero to your sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan?
Being a father is your biggest and the most rewarding opportunity of being a superhero. Teaching by example and not by commanding or admonishing them, you can inspire your children. I’m constantly empowering them. There are a few things, which I make sure become a part of their day – that is looking for victories, writing them down at the end of the day so that they are constantly growing and doing good.