Hazelnut eyes, an impish smile, a body to die for and dancing skills that can sweep any woman off her feet - well that’s Hrithik Roshan for you. But that isn’t all that makes him the actor he is.
Everyone knows how hard it was for Hrithik Roshan to carry forward the legacy of his father, producer-director Rakesh Roshan and that of his grandfather, the great Roshan. But all that matters now is the fact that the scion of the Roshan family has succeeded, no matter what. This strength of his character is pretty much reinforced by each of his portrayals on the 70 mm and Guzaarish’s Ethan Mascarenhas was no exception.
If you thought that it was a cakewalk for Hrithik to sit on that wheelchair and mumble, then you’re certainly mistaken. So, what went into preparing for a role considered one of the most memorable depictions of a disabled person in the history of Indian cinema? We’ve got you the answer, right from the horse’s mouth!
Bollywood’s very own Greek God, Hrithik Roshan is among the lucky five, who have made it to the final voting round in the Abhineta No. 1 category of the country’s most democratic people’s choice awards - Bhaskar Bollywood Awards and we got Hrithik, revealing to us, what all went into pulling off one of the most memorable performances of his career.
Getting even with Ethan
"I lived a paralytic life on a wheel chair, for three months," is Hrithik’s first memory of shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish. Hrithik, who’s known to be a spontaneous actor, had to adopt method acting for the same. And, he was more than successful in portraying a paralytic individual, who has to be on a wheel chair for the rest of his life.Hrithik, who was immobile for three months, during his preparation for the role of Ethan Mascarenhas, says it was all was worth it.
“Pulling off life on a wheel chair is difficult and I salute and admire those who are going through it," says an empathetic Hrithik.Roshan, who’s a fitness freak, had to quit his workouts for more than five months and he also ended up skipping his routine diet for the character.
"I skipped my fitness regime and diet to show a fat belly, I ended up gaining 20-odd kilos for the role," adds Roshan.
Speaking about the look he sported in the film, the actor exclaims, "Growing beard and hair were also the key criterias in the preparing for the role. Mr. Bhansali was too specific and strict about the same."
For this versatile actor, who is also a perfectionist, it was lovely to learn new things for the film, some of them being, learning magic (since he played a magician) and taking a brief training in Radio Jockeying.
Even experienced actors end up being jittery, when they’re preparing for the biggest roles of their careers and so was Hrithik, "I was skeptical about the role because I was evolved enough as an actor and was apprehensive about whether I'd be able to translate Mr Bhansali's creative genius onscreen, but when he narrated the script to me, he made me cry and laugh at the same time, and I couldn't wait to start working," concludes Roshan.
Source: Dailybhaskar.com
