Violence is not the way: Hrithik on CAA

Starting his career in cinema with appearances as a child actor right from the 1980s followed by several award-winning films, Bollywood A-lister Hrithik Roshan is still constantly looking to push the boundaries. After a series of box-office hits like War and Super 30 last year, the actor is upping his game to ensure he pushes the envelope. As per the latest reports, Hrithik is now eyeing Hollywood and has signed with a US-based agency to find himself a suitable role.

Having spent over two decades in the film industry in a wide variety of roles, beginning with winning millions of hearts for his debut film Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (2000), Hrithik admits to being under the pressure of giving his best in each performance. “The expectations become a burden, but at the same time, they are also the driving force. I am at a stage in my life where I have to decide what makes me happy. I now decide whether I judge myself based on what people think of me, or what makes me happy. I think I have worked hard and proven enough, so I can take risks now,” the 46-year-old actor tells DT Next in an interview.

Appreciating the changing trends in the film industry, Hrithik says that there has been a dramatic change because the stories are “more real” now. “A lot unarticulated things are being said now through films. More than the geography, it is the nuances of the films that has changed. There was an ideal image of the hero earlier, but now the hero is the protagonist with a multi-dimensional personality. The content is more interesting nowadays,” asserts Hrithik, who was in Chennai as the ambassador of luxury watch brand Rado.

The actor says that a lot of hard work was put in for the movies Super 30 and War, which became the highest Hindi grossing film in 2019. “I gave a lot and received a lot in return for the efforts I had put in. I was fortunate to have worked with the amazing team of both the films. I think actors are just colours in the painting and if you are used well, you can make a mark. I think I was lucky to have worked in Super 30 and War,” he said.

Hrithik was also one among the actors who spoke up against the violence during the ongoing nation-wide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) through his social media, which has over 27 million followers. Asked about the issue, he says, violence is not the way out. “I represent that spectrum of people who don’t know much on the issue. But, I do know that violence is not the way out for anything. There is a lot varying information on the issue,” he admits. Known as the ‘Greek God’ of the industry, the actor also spoke about his physical transformations from one film to another. “I don’t really cling to my on-screen persona. I am not really the person that you see on the screen in my personal life. I work on my physique for the film, but also my love my desserts at the same time,” Hrithik laughs, signing off.