Actor Hrithik Roshan is in the middle of many things as we catch up with him at his plush Juhu apartment. Caught between the promotional touring for his upcoming film, prepping for the second two-month long schedule for Krissh 2 in Hyderabad, it’s easy to expect the actor to be all worked up and nervous with the amount of pressure building up as the release date of Agneepath draws close. “Judgement Day is approaching, of course, I’m nervous, but anxious in a very positive way,” says Hrithik, explaining his surprisingly calm exterior.

“Excited, knowing that what you’ve worked on so hard could be worth something and petrified hoping that it gets accepted the way you were hoping it to be,” he adds, as he insists on settling down for a tete-a-tete on a special chair meant to ease his back trouble.

Is the back still that bad? It’s much better now, but I’m not taking any chances with it anymore. I’ve been working non-stop for the past 11 months now, so I won’t even be signing any new film till August for sure, till I wrap up Krissh 2 that is. I just hope to spend time with family and give my back some rest too, before I take on any new project.

Buzz was that you are holding a special screening of Agneepath for Amitabh Bachchan? Well, that’s a call that the filmmakers will take. I know comparisons are inevitable and I’d personally love to get his feedback for sure, but I also know that five minutes in to the film, it won’t be tough to see that it’s no remake. Sanjay Dutt’s look is being much-talked about too. Was there any kind of ‘who’s the bigger star bit’ happening on the sets too?

I may not be the best actor, but I’m certainly not insecure. As for Sanjay, if anything, he’s still very inspiring. So, there’s no who’s-the-bigger-star. I never let myself forget that as actors we are only parts of the bigger picture, not the, be it all and end it all. The film can only work in totality. At the end of it, no star is bigger than the film. What do you feel about the number game? I feel there’s place for everyone at the top. There can well be 500 number ones, why not?

What about competition? Healthy competition is always good. I myself look at everyone as competition. In fact, I’m always trying to learn and imbibe something from others and work on what might be my shortcoming. But I don’t adhere to benchmarking my life depending on the success or failure of my films at the BO or this number game. That’s not what competition is for me.

And what about the cold war and campism talks, especially with actor Salman Khan? Well, there’s enough drama in my own life, for me to want any additional drama with others. I think they are petty and the last time I indulged in that was when I was in school. I can’t say about others, but I know that as you mature, you look at how silly worrying about such issues can be. Like I’ve said earlier, I’m a peaceful warrior. I am armoured, but I will always tread the peaceful path. Just don’t try me too hard (smiles).