"I’ve been emulating superheroes all my life; a recurring childhood dream was to fly. After doing that in my dreams for all these years, it’s suddenly coming true in real life,” says Hrithik Roshan, who is back to playing the masked crusader in Krrish 3, the 3D science-fiction sequel to Krrish
(2006).
While the 38-year-old actor is jumping off skyscrapers, his six-year-old son, Hrehaan, wants to hop off stools. According to the star father, he has just about begun understanding the art of slow-motion fighting. “I had to sit him down and explain the laws of gravity,” he laughs.
Last year, Hrithik’s father, producer-director Rakesh Roshan, almost considered scrapping the sequel after watching his son writhe in pain from a knee injury and a double slip disc. “I was in a dark place that was full of negative vibes,” reminisces Hrithik, who consulted friends, therapists, surfed the Internet and finally connected with trainer Kris Genthin and his nutritionist wife Marcia Johnson to get back into shape.
Isn’t it heartbreaking to lose the hunky body for another film role, which may require him to gain weight (Guzaarish, 2010) or get a leaner look (Agneepath)? “No, there’s no attachment to the image of a Greek God because I know it’s all transitory. For me, this body is just a torso, a pair of hands and legs and a stomach, that everyone has. The idea is to use food and the gym as tools to sculpt a body and lifestyle, which can benefit me professionally and personally.”
Impressed with Kris and Marcia’s routine, the actor has hinted that he would like to share the know-how with other health enthusiasts soon. But he doesn’t say how, exactly. “Once we wrap up Krrish 3 in August-September, I’ll take time off and work on that. For now, it’s about dreaming big with Krrish and Rohit Mehra (name of Krrish’s father in the film), and about completing the trilogy that began with Koi Mil Gaya (2003).”
The Rs 100 crore club Karan Johar’s Agneepath, which made Rs 125 crore at the box-office, has marked Hrithik’s entry into the elite Rs 100 crore club. “I’m happy. Though I have started understanding the business now, I don’t get into figures. Money for me is not a motivator, it’s the creativity that counts,” he says, adding, “I’m just elated with the response my portrayal of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan has elicited. I’ve had to work hard for a year-and-a-half to enter this club, but it was worth it. It’s reaffirmed my belief in the power of a good script and a director’s vision, while nullifying my reservations about remakes.”