Source: Rediff
Date: October 13, 2010

Hrithik Roshan could not have been in any other profession but acting. His looks, actions, the way he carries himself -- everything seems just fit for a hero.

And of course, there are his acting skills. Never mind Kites, his earlier films like Kaho Na...Pyaar Hai, Lakshya and Jodhaa Akbar have proved that.

Hrithik is back with a new film called Guzaarish, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It co-stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, with whom Hrithik has done Dhoom 2 and Jodhaa Akbar.
In this film, the actor takes up perhaps one of his toughest film roles -- a paraplegic magician. He tells Srabanti Chakrabarti more about it.



You play a paraplegic magician in Guzaarish. This is a very unique role. Was the challenge responsible in you agreeing to take up the role?

The primary reason behind taking up this film was the script. I am playing a character called Ethan, who was a magician in his past but he becomes a paraplegic after an accident. After that, he gets restricted to his wheelchair. I met a few people suffering from this in Mumbai to get a better understanding of the character.

Ironically, when I finished reading the script, I got a severe problem with my knee and could barely move. I needed crutches. The doctor told me that I might have to stop working in films. But the script taught me a very important life lesson -- I'm not the only one with problems in life, many people have problems. And they may have far worse problems than me. This made me accept the fact that though I had a problem with my knee, I could still move on in life.

This film teaches you how to live life despite so many barriers. I want everyone to watch this film only for that reason.


You've never played a character like this before.

This character is very special and different from the others I have played until now. This man on the wheelchair is the coolest superman. Since I have met people like this, they are the real heroes for me. They kept me happy and energetic. They shared a lot with me: ideas, jokes and their feelings.

I am just representing one of them. While playing this character, I felt I should not let them down. I will be working for them for the rest of my life. It's sad that we don't have a proper organisation, which can take care of such people.

When you go abroad, you can see so many facilities for paralysed people. They can live life properly and have access to everything, thanks to their advanced wheelchairs and equipment -- they can even watch a movie.


It must have been a difficult job to play this role.

It was difficult. But whenever I felt I couldn't do it anymore, I thought of their faces. That would make me get up and perform my scenes.

Playing this character was like a responsibility. There were real people to inspire me. This is when the 12 years of work experience in the industry came in handy.

Every actor has their own approach. The first two months went in just preparing for the film. I used to meet paraplegic people on a regular basis, feel their emotions and observe how they went about living life. Only after I felt I was ready did I tell Mr Bhansali that we can start shooting.


Does this film send out a message on mercy killing?

The film doesn't take a stand on that. It tells the story of an individual. Ethan's message is to live. For 14 years he lived a paraplegic's life. In these 14 years, he won medals and awards, wrote books, did a daily radio show and many other things. He never gave up. He lived like a magician. A magician always performs in front of audience; he never fails.

Ethan reaches a point in his life when his body cannot function -- his lever, heart and kidneys stop functioning. He realises that the curtains have been drawn and now he needs to go to a place where he can hear the applause. He wants to gallop to the end. The message he sends is very clear -- live your life to the fullest.

If you ask me, I can't take a stand (on mercy killings). But I feel that people should be heard, there must be a forum and each case should be decided on its own merit.


You have changed your look for the film.

I had to make a lot of changes to my looks.

But let me tell you that after 15 years, I had batata vada, samosa and all sorts of junk food, which I was not allowed to have before! I had to look like a person, who was not in the pink of health. So I gained weight, stopped gyming and smoked a lot. Ethan could not have a muscular body so I had tone down that too.


How was your experience working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali?

I truly cherished working with him. Before I started working with him, many people told me that he was eccentric, that he would shout and so on. I was a bit scared because I am a very sensitive actor. If someone yells at me on the sets, I just stop working and leave.

But when I started my work with him, I was spellbound. The way he takes care of his cast is amazing. We clicked right from the beginning.


This is your third film with Aishwarya.

Yeah, when Mr Bhansali was narrating the script to me, he was toying with the idea of taking Ash for this project. The moment I heard that, I asked him to please go ahead. The audience has always liked our pair on screen.


You have also sung in the film.

Yes. I practiced the song for three days before recording it. The situation was very emotional and it was very difficult for me to emote through that song. But when Mr Bhansali explained it to me, I was astonished! He made it so easy and he is such a brilliant singer. Let me tell you -- he dances very well, he edits very well and he directs very well -- he is a multi-faceted genius!

Source: Indian Express
Date: October 13, 2010

Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan, who earned the superhero tag with his dare devil stunts in 'Krissh', says that playing a paraplegic in his upcoming movie 'Guzaarish' is not an image change for him.

"I am a super character in the film. I have interacted with about 20 such patients who suffer from complete paralysis of the lower half of the body, including both legs which is mostly caused by damage of the spinal cord. They are real life superheroes and I am representing their emotions on screen", said Hrithik.

'Guzaarish', directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, releases on November 19. Aishwarya plays the romantic lead opposite Hrithik in this period film.

“The patients with whom I interacted during the making of the film have become my friends for life. They taught me that you are more than just your body. There is a reason to all your problems and in solving them...Instead of crying over problems, focus on how to face them," he says.

Hrithik, whose last film 'Kites' sank at the box office despite huge hype, says he never felt so responsible towards a character he has essayed on movies.

"I am representing the lives of these superheroes on screen. Apart from the fact that Bhansali's script moved me, I felt the responsibility of telling the world the story of such incredible people...my character portrays how to live life despite struggles and problems after meeting with a near-fatal accident during a performance as magician," he said.

The actor says he spent several hours with the patients to understand what they go through, what they think and what are their needs.

Recalling his state of mind when he was going through the 'Guzaarish' script, Hrithik says he was nursing a knee problem and doctors told him that the knee will never be okay.

"My state of mind helped me to identify with the story. The script energised me so much that I was not depressed about my knee problem anymore," he adds.

About his experience of working with Bhansali, Hrithik admits that people had warned him about the maverick filmmaker that he is mad and shouts at people. "However, even the crew was surprised that there was calm and peace on the sets and we bonded so well. I feel our equation worked because of the kind of actor I am and the kind of person he is. When two creative people's minds work towards the same goal, the equation is a happy one," he says.

Hrithik shed his debonair good looks to look unwell and fat for the film, which marks Bhansali's return after the debacle of 'Saawariya' in 2007.

The actor says that for once it was fun to let go of control. "After 15 years of disciplined diet, workout, I decided to live on another extreme. I stopped going to the gym and fed myself batata wadas and samosas, popcorns and other fried stuff for six to seven months."

Hrithik says 'Guzaarish' does not take any stand on mercy killing. "It is an individual story and the audience has to see the issue of mercy killing from the point of view of the character. It is not about mercy killing but the strength of a paraplegic who lives a full life of 14 years after the accident and win accolades. When he finds out that his body is failing, he asks doctors if his organs like liver, kidney and lungs can be saved. He has lived a magician's life. He does not want to watch curtains come down...He wants to gallop to the end with his eyes open," Hrithik says about the role.

Bhansali, who returned to direction after the debacle of 'Saawariya' in 2007, is also debuting as a music director and choreographer with the film. "I was shocked to discover that Bhansali is one of the best dancers we have and the most unbelievable music director," says the actor, who is among the best dancers in the industry.

Hrithik has also sung a song in the movie but says it was challenging. "The song was hard because it is emotional and I had to sound real."

The actor says that he trained the hardest to practise spin in one of the dance sequence. "I trained for a month. It was not a long piece of dance but there was lot of jazz, ballet where I was required to spin as there is a ball in my hand and I am playing with it as well as dancing. None of my songs uptill now have spin because I am very bad at it," he said.

Asked if he saw playback as a parallel to his acting career, he said he enjoyed music and singing. But he would not sing if he feels it is not necessary. "For a film like 'Kaho Na Pyar Hai', you needed a perfect singer and I would not even try. But, I would not mind singing for my character in 'Guzaarish' because it comes from the character's soul and other's voice would not sound real," he said.

When asked about working with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for the third time, he hoped that they could get third time lucky. "But, one can't really foretell what is in store for the film. If the audience had liked our combination in previous movies, I'm sure they will not be disappointed this . She is one of my favourite co-stars because our approach to work is similar," he added.

The actor said when he made friends with real life paraplegic patients, there was little bit of surprise because he did not expect them to be so normal. "My lasting impression about them was pure love, understanding and gratitude," he said.

Hrithik lamented that there is not a single charitable organisation or a specific unit that takes care of such patients. They are surviving as individuals and spread out. "There is one Ashutosh who lives with his ageing mother and is doing well for himself. I know him for the past one year. He has taught me that nothing is impossible," he said.