Hrithik Roshan to make directorial debut with 'Krrish 4', YRF comes on board as producer

MUMBAI: Superstar Hrithik Roshan is set to make his directorial debut with "Krrish 4", the next installment in his blockbuster superhero franchise, the makers announced on Friday.

The much-anticipated film will be produced by Yash Raj Films (YRF) in association with Rakesh Roshan’s Filmkraft Productions and is scheduled to go on floors early next year.

Hrithik, who has headlined all three previous films in the franchise, takes over the directing duties from his father Rakesh Roshan.

“I’m passing the baton of the director of 'Krrish 4' to my son, Hrithik Roshan, who has lived, breathed and dreamt about this franchise since its inception with me! Hrithik has a clear and a very ambitious vision of taking Krrish’s journey forward with the audience for the next decades. I couldn’t be more prouder to see him wear the director’s hat for a film that means the world to us as a family.

"'Krrish' has entertained audiences the world over and Hrithik will now reveal the next chapters of this superhero saga and take the vision I created so many years ago to greater heights," Rakesh Roshan said in a statement.

The director, also known for directing several successful films including "Khoon Bhari Maang", "Karan Arjun" and "Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai", welcomed Yash Raj Films' head Aditya Chopra to the franchise.

"It was he who convinced Hrithik to sit in the director’s chair. Adi and Yash Raj Films have the knowledge, understanding and technological might to produce this film and add great value to this project.

"Hrithik and Adi coming together as a producer-director pair with me behind them is a rare and deliciously creative combination! I’m sure they will turn 'Krrish 4' into a theatrical experience that has never been made in India. The dream is to make India proud globally with a larger than life experience like 'Krrish 4'," he added.

The franchise began with 2003's "Koi... Mil Gaya", which followed Rohit Mehra (Hrithik), a young man with cognitive disabilities who gains superhuman intelligence and strength after befriending an alien named Jadoo.

The film was a major success and laid the foundation for India’s first superhero universe that began with its follow-up "Krrish" in 2006. It followed Rohit’s son, Krishna Mehra, who inherits superhuman abilities and takes on the superhero identity of Krrish.

The third chapter, "Krrish 3", was released in 2013 and also turned out to be a box office success.