We couldn't afford rent: Hrithik Roshan

You've spent more time meeting people face-to-face in the promos of " ZNMD" and for your dance show than you've probably done ever in your life.
Yes, I had never hit the road earlier for promoting a movie this way, I haven't quite mastered or understood this part. I hope to learn from this experience; I am, after all, still ten years junior to the stars they put my name with. I need to gather a lot more of that before I can be mentioned in the same breath as Aamir, Shah Rukh, Salman. I am on my learning curve right now.

I remember that for my first film, "Kaho Naa... Pyar Hai", the amount of days I spent in publicity was exactly zero. I did not come in front of the camera even once. People had no reference point, they didn't know anything about me. And I've often thought that if just the promos could do as much for my very first movie, do I really need to do this much today? But the times have changed. And the only way to keep up with the times is to not dismiss these questions, but to experience things yourself, see what it is about, and then come to a conclusion.

No cynicism, no regrets after these many years in a competitive industry?
No. I think it's a very foolish thing to look back at your life and have regrets for anything that you do. You should tell yourself that at that time, for that place, I did the best with what my instincts provided me. Now you're wiser. As long as you can attach a reason to your failure, you'll learn, you'll grow wiser. But if you just sit and keep saying, 'arre yaar what did I do,' it's pointless. You have to ask yourself, what is the one thing I can learn from this experience which is a 'failure' in other people's minds? If you can do that, it no longer is a failure. It turns into feedback, and you will grow with it. So eventually, there are no failures.

Films that don't work - like "Kites" and "Guzaarish" - haven't knocked you off some superstar pedestal? Is it because you don't live in the superstar mindspace?
I don't know where that comes from. I get very, very awkward when people refer to me as a superstar - except when I am being introduced on stage where I am supposed to perform as a superstar. That I'm comfortable with, because I have the jacket and the mask of a star on. But if you introduce me, without all that, as a superstar, it unnerves me, it makes me a little uncomfortable.

You don't feel like a superstar? There are people who get your face tattooed on their bodies. Then there are people who come online and tell you to learn to act, in colourful language. How do you, non-superstar, manage these extremes, abuse and affection both?
I need to look at both of these through compassion. If a person has got my face tattooed on his back, I think that is a bit extreme. But there are situations where people may need to look up to an idea, an ideal, or a person to provide them direction in life. And if I can provide that, it's a compliment to me. But if I take it as a sign of my greatness, then I have got it all wrong. I am not a greater guy after the tattoo.

In reverse, when someone says anything bad about you, the way I look at it is - there is no truth, there is only a point of view. It depends on where you are standing. If a person tells me, 'Hey, I don't think you're a great actor, you're an idiot, you over-act,' or whatever, that's his point of view. In such a situation, I feel it's my responsibility to demonstrate that you should never counter an attack with more attack.


That's the essential path to peace. I want to feel good about myself, and so, what I do is, I type back - 'Well, I try, and now I will try harder; thank you for your feedback.' And I feel good about myself. And he relaxes, nothing has hit his ego, and so he's not going to attack any more. I have brought about peace in this war - even if it is the micro level.

This approach is why we've never heard of Hrithik, the hunk, ever getting into a fight?
I think you have to be the most foolish person, and the weakest person, to get into a fight. The only time you have to raise your hand is if there is injustice being done in the present, right there, where I am. If a lady has been wronged, then I will raise my hand. There is no other situation where you need to raise your hand.

You haven't had an ego-damage moment?
No, on the contrary, it's only through damaging the ego completely, and nullifying it, and then realizing that you're still alive, it doesn't mean anything, is when you realize it's not important. I have gone through a battery since I was five or six years old. I used to come home from school and weep through the evening, weep through the homework, because I didn't want to go to school the next day. I didn't want to go through the torment of being the guy who is laughed at all the time. I had nothing working for me. Even the fact that I was a hero's son worked against me, because of the sort of school that I was in. It was looked upon as something a little cheap.
Now, when I join the dots, I see that I had to go through all that to be what I am, to reach where I am today. The hammer that moulds the stone hurts, but it shapes you into something beautiful.

Does your wife subscribe to this no-ego ideology?
Yeah... Now she does (laughs). It's taken a lot of time. Now we are in a state where I think she understands, even looks to me for advice if she is in a situation where she feels like attacking back. I'm the one who calms her down.

But surely she must have at times said to you, 'Why don't you respond to this, why are you not hitting back?' That's the expected male response, isn't it?
Yes, there was a point of time when she felt that way. In fact, there was a particular situation in London. It was just after we'd got married, and we were walking down Leicester Square, and there were some badly behaved boys who were obviously high on something. One of them passed by her and gave her a nudge and then abused her, called her, umm, a b**ch. And instantly, she wanted to attack back, and she was physically inferior, so that infuriated her even more. She wanted me to strike back. But my perspective was different. I consider myself the peaceful warrior. If the guys hadn't passed by so quickly, I would probably have walked up to the boy and spoken to him, and made him feel good about himself so he wouldn't need to attack someone like this again.

People are carrying their own frustrations inside and they are looking for scapegoats to vent out, to get a chance to hit out, to release their own frustrations. He doesn't even know her, I've got nothing to do with him. He calling my wife that doesn't make her a b**ch, and that's the truth. If he'd passed me by and said, 'Hrithik Roshan, you don't have a right arm,' what would I say? People will either say the truth, or a lie. He will say, 'You have a right arm'; yes, I have a right arm, I'll keep walking. Or he will say, 'You don't have a right arm'; he's wrong, he's lying, and I'll keep walking. Same thing - he calls my wife a b**ch, I know she's not, I walk on. I don't need to go and bust his face, that would make me one of them. I'm above all that. I would feel defeated. I didn't give that guy what he wanted; he wanted to get into a fight, and I didn't give him that chance.

But, at that moment, she wouldn't have been too happy?
Yes, that is true. But now she understands that it was the right thing to do. Instinctive aggravation is what creates most of our warring, whether in the four walls of our house or at the world-level.

Machismo is a coveted trait in Bollywood. People must needle you over this pacifist approach?
Yes, I'm considered a pushover, I guess. I'm considered to be someone who's not strong enough. There was this one situation that I had to laugh at. We were at Shirdi, with my family inside the temple, trying to find our two minutes to pray. And there were these people from the media, simply refusing to heed my requests to give us some space, some peace. And I had to take them by the neck and simply push them out - and even as I did it, I kept saying, 'I'm sorry, but I just have to do this.' I pushed them out. And by the time I came back home, I had twenty thousand people telling me what a hero I was because I did that, because I stood up for my family - and I laughed at that. I didn't need to do that, it's not right, and you don't need to compliment that.

And there was another instance - my father had just shaved his head, and coincidentally, we were again at Shirdi. We were just entering the temple and this guy shouted, 'ai taklu', to my father. You'd expect a good son to turn around and bash up the guy. But what is he saying? He's stating the truth. My father is bald; he's calling my father bald. I love my father bald, he looks handsome! So why do I need to react to that? What's he saying? It's the tone that I'm reacting to; it's the tone that aggravates. Don't react to the tone. It's reflecting his frustration, he needs some more attention. He needs a look back from Hrithik Roshan, he needs that one moment of attention and glory - and I don't need to give that to him.

And the industry, yes, is filled with a lot of people who know more than me, in a lot of ways. But in this department, I find a lot of them behaving like schoolkids, fighting with each other - I said this to him, he said this to me - I feel that should be left back in school.

This sort of thinking is part of you?
I need these kind of thoughts. The most important thing in life is necessity. With me, with the kind of struggle I had to face, I needed these thoughts, to keep me afloat. I often felt I was in deep waters, where my feet didn't touch the ground, and there was just no support, I was drowning. So this is something that carried me, made me think of life in a different perspective. We all want to be happy but nobody is willing to do the things that will bring them happiness.

Among the things that bring happiness in today's world is money - and as a superstar you would have no deficit of it. Doesn't it make it easier to have a philosophical take on things?
I have a good understanding of how important money is. And now that I have children, I want to gather as much of it as I can, yes. But I know what it means. Money is a means to an end. For me, it is also a means to help people. I can never say no to anyone, and if I am in a position to help, I help. I have seen my father struggle for 20 years. I know what it is like to have no money at all. I have slept for four nights on the floor in a house with no furniture and not even a fan, and I remember crying to my mother that I couldn't sleep without a fan.

How old were you?
I must have been about nine. We were thrown out of our building because we couldn't pay the rent. And then for about six months, we lived at my nani's house. My father was too embarrassed to live there, and so he stayed with a friend. And as soon as he got some money, he got this place, and he just had to get us into our own place. So, for the first four nights, I slept on the floor with my family in a house without any furniture and without fans. Those are the memories that keep me grounded.

What sort of memories would your kids have? What do you share with them?
I think the poison of our world are the fairy tales that are taught to our children. There is not one fairy tale that speaks of how beautiful real life is, where there is no happy ending. It's just a journey filled with sadness, happiness - it's all there - and you have to live that and know that that's your fairy tale, how you're going to overcome every little obstacle and how it'll never end. The End is something that is a poison; the Prince Charming comes, he and the girl fall in love, The End. The End is something that never happens in real life. Even in death, there is no The End. How do you know if that's the end? You don't, really.

I personally have built a fairy tale for my children which I narrate at their bedtime. It is on a character called the Blue Light Kid. He is as old as my sons, who are three and five. I talk about all the things that my sons go through. My son came last in a race, and so I created a chapter on that, about how the Blue Light Kid came last in a race. He was in his room and a Blue Light appeared and spoke to him; he asked why he came last, though he worked hard, and the Blue Light told him that he didn't work hard enough. So he works really hard for the next race, and he again comes last, and gets really angry and says to the Blue Light that it's not fair because he worked really hard. And the Blue Light says, 'As I said, you didn't work hard enough.'

I have these chapters and talk to them about things like losing toys. I tell them that you will get excited about your toys and at some point you will also lose interest in many of them. I talk about these little things; hopefully it'll continue till I can compile it all and release it as a real life fairy tale about this Blue Light Kid.
After all, fairy tales are about a world of fantasy, but none of us live in such a world.

We couldn't afford rent: Hrithik Roshan

You've spent more time meeting people face-to-face in the promos of " ZNMD" and for your dance show than you've probably done ever in your life.
Yes, I had never hit the road earlier for promoting a movie this way, I haven't quite mastered or understood this part. I hope to learn from this experience; I am, after all, still ten years junior to the stars they put my name with. I need to gather a lot more of that before I can be mentioned in the same breath as Aamir, Shah Rukh, Salman. I am on my learning curve right now.

I remember that for my first film, "Kaho Naa... Pyar Hai", the amount of days I spent in publicity was exactly zero. I did not come in front of the camera even once. People had no reference point, they didn't know anything about me. And I've often thought that if just the promos could do as much for my very first movie, do I really need to do this much today? But the times have changed. And the only way to keep up with the times is to not dismiss these questions, but to experience things yourself, see what it is about, and then come to a conclusion.

No cynicism, no regrets after these many years in a competitive industry?
No. I think it's a very foolish thing to look back at your life and have regrets for anything that you do. You should tell yourself that at that time, for that place, I did the best with what my instincts provided me. Now you're wiser. As long as you can attach a reason to your failure, you'll learn, you'll grow wiser. But if you just sit and keep saying, 'arre yaar what did I do,' it's pointless. You have to ask yourself, what is the one thing I can learn from this experience which is a 'failure' in other people's minds? If you can do that, it no longer is a failure. It turns into feedback, and you will grow with it. So eventually, there are no failures.

Films that don't work - like "Kites" and "Guzaarish" - haven't knocked you off some superstar pedestal? Is it because you don't live in the superstar mindspace?
I don't know where that comes from. I get very, very awkward when people refer to me as a superstar - except when I am being introduced on stage where I am supposed to perform as a superstar. That I'm comfortable with, because I have the jacket and the mask of a star on. But if you introduce me, without all that, as a superstar, it unnerves me, it makes me a little uncomfortable.

You don't feel like a superstar? There are people who get your face tattooed on their bodies. Then there are people who come online and tell you to learn to act, in colourful language. How do you, non-superstar, manage these extremes, abuse and affection both?
I need to look at both of these through compassion. If a person has got my face tattooed on his back, I think that is a bit extreme. But there are situations where people may need to look up to an idea, an ideal, or a person to provide them direction in life. And if I can provide that, it's a compliment to me. But if I take it as a sign of my greatness, then I have got it all wrong. I am not a greater guy after the tattoo.

In reverse, when someone says anything bad about you, the way I look at it is - there is no truth, there is only a point of view. It depends on where you are standing. If a person tells me, 'Hey, I don't think you're a great actor, you're an idiot, you over-act,' or whatever, that's his point of view. In such a situation, I feel it's my responsibility to demonstrate that you should never counter an attack with more attack.


That's the essential path to peace. I want to feel good about myself, and so, what I do is, I type back - 'Well, I try, and now I will try harder; thank you for your feedback.' And I feel good about myself. And he relaxes, nothing has hit his ego, and so he's not going to attack any more. I have brought about peace in this war - even if it is the micro level.

This approach is why we've never heard of Hrithik, the hunk, ever getting into a fight?
I think you have to be the most foolish person, and the weakest person, to get into a fight. The only time you have to raise your hand is if there is injustice being done in the present, right there, where I am. If a lady has been wronged, then I will raise my hand. There is no other situation where you need to raise your hand.

You haven't had an ego-damage moment?
No, on the contrary, it's only through damaging the ego completely, and nullifying it, and then realizing that you're still alive, it doesn't mean anything, is when you realize it's not important. I have gone through a battery since I was five or six years old. I used to come home from school and weep through the evening, weep through the homework, because I didn't want to go to school the next day. I didn't want to go through the torment of being the guy who is laughed at all the time. I had nothing working for me. Even the fact that I was a hero's son worked against me, because of the sort of school that I was in. It was looked upon as something a little cheap.
Now, when I join the dots, I see that I had to go through all that to be what I am, to reach where I am today. The hammer that moulds the stone hurts, but it shapes you into something beautiful.

Does your wife subscribe to this no-ego ideology?
Yeah... Now she does (laughs). It's taken a lot of time. Now we are in a state where I think she understands, even looks to me for advice if she is in a situation where she feels like attacking back. I'm the one who calms her down.

But surely she must have at times said to you, 'Why don't you respond to this, why are you not hitting back?' That's the expected male response, isn't it?
Yes, there was a point of time when she felt that way. In fact, there was a particular situation in London. It was just after we'd got married, and we were walking down Leicester Square, and there were some badly behaved boys who were obviously high on something. One of them passed by her and gave her a nudge and then abused her, called her, umm, a b**ch. And instantly, she wanted to attack back, and she was physically inferior, so that infuriated her even more. She wanted me to strike back. But my perspective was different. I consider myself the peaceful warrior. If the guys hadn't passed by so quickly, I would probably have walked up to the boy and spoken to him, and made him feel good about himself so he wouldn't need to attack someone like this again.

People are carrying their own frustrations inside and they are looking for scapegoats to vent out, to get a chance to hit out, to release their own frustrations. He doesn't even know her, I've got nothing to do with him. He calling my wife that doesn't make her a b**ch, and that's the truth. If he'd passed me by and said, 'Hrithik Roshan, you don't have a right arm,' what would I say? People will either say the truth, or a lie. He will say, 'You have a right arm'; yes, I have a right arm, I'll keep walking. Or he will say, 'You don't have a right arm'; he's wrong, he's lying, and I'll keep walking. Same thing - he calls my wife a b**ch, I know she's not, I walk on. I don't need to go and bust his face, that would make me one of them. I'm above all that. I would feel defeated. I didn't give that guy what he wanted; he wanted to get into a fight, and I didn't give him that chance.

But, at that moment, she wouldn't have been too happy?
Yes, that is true. But now she understands that it was the right thing to do. Instinctive aggravation is what creates most of our warring, whether in the four walls of our house or at the world-level.

Machismo is a coveted trait in Bollywood. People must needle you over this pacifist approach?
Yes, I'm considered a pushover, I guess. I'm considered to be someone who's not strong enough. There was this one situation that I had to laugh at. We were at Shirdi, with my family inside the temple, trying to find our two minutes to pray. And there were these people from the media, simply refusing to heed my requests to give us some space, some peace. And I had to take them by the neck and simply push them out - and even as I did it, I kept saying, 'I'm sorry, but I just have to do this.' I pushed them out. And by the time I came back home, I had twenty thousand people telling me what a hero I was because I did that, because I stood up for my family - and I laughed at that. I didn't need to do that, it's not right, and you don't need to compliment that.

And there was another instance - my father had just shaved his head, and coincidentally, we were again at Shirdi. We were just entering the temple and this guy shouted, 'ai taklu', to my father. You'd expect a good son to turn around and bash up the guy. But what is he saying? He's stating the truth. My father is bald; he's calling my father bald. I love my father bald, he looks handsome! So why do I need to react to that? What's he saying? It's the tone that I'm reacting to; it's the tone that aggravates. Don't react to the tone. It's reflecting his frustration, he needs some more attention. He needs a look back from Hrithik Roshan, he needs that one moment of attention and glory - and I don't need to give that to him.

And the industry, yes, is filled with a lot of people who know more than me, in a lot of ways. But in this department, I find a lot of them behaving like schoolkids, fighting with each other - I said this to him, he said this to me - I feel that should be left back in school.

This sort of thinking is part of you?
I need these kind of thoughts. The most important thing in life is necessity. With me, with the kind of struggle I had to face, I needed these thoughts, to keep me afloat. I often felt I was in deep waters, where my feet didn't touch the ground, and there was just no support, I was drowning. So this is something that carried me, made me think of life in a different perspective. We all want to be happy but nobody is willing to do the things that will bring them happiness.

Among the things that bring happiness in today's world is money - and as a superstar you would have no deficit of it. Doesn't it make it easier to have a philosophical take on things?
I have a good understanding of how important money is. And now that I have children, I want to gather as much of it as I can, yes. But I know what it means. Money is a means to an end. For me, it is also a means to help people. I can never say no to anyone, and if I am in a position to help, I help. I have seen my father struggle for 20 years. I know what it is like to have no money at all. I have slept for four nights on the floor in a house with no furniture and not even a fan, and I remember crying to my mother that I couldn't sleep without a fan.

How old were you?
I must have been about nine. We were thrown out of our building because we couldn't pay the rent. And then for about six months, we lived at my nani's house. My father was too embarrassed to live there, and so he stayed with a friend. And as soon as he got some money, he got this place, and he just had to get us into our own place. So, for the first four nights, I slept on the floor with my family in a house without any furniture and without fans. Those are the memories that keep me grounded.

What sort of memories would your kids have? What do you share with them?
I think the poison of our world are the fairy tales that are taught to our children. There is not one fairy tale that speaks of how beautiful real life is, where there is no happy ending. It's just a journey filled with sadness, happiness - it's all there - and you have to live that and know that that's your fairy tale, how you're going to overcome every little obstacle and how it'll never end. The End is something that is a poison; the Prince Charming comes, he and the girl fall in love, The End. The End is something that never happens in real life. Even in death, there is no The End. How do you know if that's the end? You don't, really.

I personally have built a fairy tale for my children which I narrate at their bedtime. It is on a character called the Blue Light Kid. He is as old as my sons, who are three and five. I talk about all the things that my sons go through. My son came last in a race, and so I created a chapter on that, about how the Blue Light Kid came last in a race. He was in his room and a Blue Light appeared and spoke to him; he asked why he came last, though he worked hard, and the Blue Light told him that he didn't work hard enough. So he works really hard for the next race, and he again comes last, and gets really angry and says to the Blue Light that it's not fair because he worked really hard. And the Blue Light says, 'As I said, you didn't work hard enough.'

I have these chapters and talk to them about things like losing toys. I tell them that you will get excited about your toys and at some point you will also lose interest in many of them. I talk about these little things; hopefully it'll continue till I can compile it all and release it as a real life fairy tale about this Blue Light Kid.
After all, fairy tales are about a world of fantasy, but none of us live in such a world.

Hrithik Roshan named brand ambassador for Liberty

New Delhi, Aug 2: Hrithik Roshan has been made the brand ambassador for shoe giant Liberty and the makers say that they zeroed in on the Bollywood heartthrob because he connects with the youth

"Hrithik has an immense sense of style and connection with the youth that complements Liberty which is trying to revamp the brand by adding youthful and vibrant feel to it. Hrithik is a complete family person; he has strong family values and thus he is an apt personification of Liberty's ideology," Anupam Bansal, director, Liberty Shoes Ltd, said in a statement.

The company hopes the superstar will give the brand a vibrant and youthful makeover.

"It feels great to be part of a home-grown brand which has been constantly serving the worldwide audience since more than 50 years. Besides, the collection is superbly stylish yet comfortable, just how we all like it. I am really enjoying being associated with the Liberty family," Hrithik said in a press statement Tuesday.

Liberty has plans to introduce innovative and stylish products towards the end of the month.

Hrithik Roshan named brand ambassador for Liberty

New Delhi, Aug 2: Hrithik Roshan has been made the brand ambassador for shoe giant Liberty and the makers say that they zeroed in on the Bollywood heartthrob because he connects with the youth

"Hrithik has an immense sense of style and connection with the youth that complements Liberty which is trying to revamp the brand by adding youthful and vibrant feel to it. Hrithik is a complete family person; he has strong family values and thus he is an apt personification of Liberty's ideology," Anupam Bansal, director, Liberty Shoes Ltd, said in a statement.

The company hopes the superstar will give the brand a vibrant and youthful makeover.

"It feels great to be part of a home-grown brand which has been constantly serving the worldwide audience since more than 50 years. Besides, the collection is superbly stylish yet comfortable, just how we all like it. I am really enjoying being associated with the Liberty family," Hrithik said in a press statement Tuesday.

Liberty has plans to introduce innovative and stylish products towards the end of the month.

Hrithik high on ZNMD sequel

Zoya Akhtar's much appreciated Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara might have a sequel and along with the rest of the cast, Hrithik too is keen on working in it.

The director sounding unsure yet ambitious stated, "You never know, I might or may not make a sequel. It all depends on the right content."

Hrithik who happens to be Zoya's favourite actor added, "Only one guy gets married in ZNMD and we still have two bachelors left, so a sequel would be a good idea. Why not Zoya?"

The fans too are asking for more since most have enjoyed and liked the roadtrip movie thoroughly.

The lead cast has struck a chord with the audience so no surprises there if the cast remains the same, just like Hangover. Although Hangover sequel was disastrous, lets hope the desi film works its magic yet again.

Hrithik high on ZNMD sequel

Zoya Akhtar's much appreciated Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara might have a sequel and along with the rest of the cast, Hrithik too is keen on working in it.

The director sounding unsure yet ambitious stated, "You never know, I might or may not make a sequel. It all depends on the right content."

Hrithik who happens to be Zoya's favourite actor added, "Only one guy gets married in ZNMD and we still have two bachelors left, so a sequel would be a good idea. Why not Zoya?"

The fans too are asking for more since most have enjoyed and liked the roadtrip movie thoroughly.

The lead cast has struck a chord with the audience so no surprises there if the cast remains the same, just like Hangover. Although Hangover sequel was disastrous, lets hope the desi film works its magic yet again.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara review

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin

Directed by Zoya Akhtar

Rating: ***

Films dealing with life-altering epiphanies are always shot in stunning locations. And Hindi films dealing with the same, need a stunning cast as well. A possible rationale: beautiful places relieve stress and bring things into perspective. And beautiful people experiencing divine realizations can hold your perspective on the screen, often resulting in a 'ka-ching' sound at the box office. 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' (ZNMD) is one such film.

In true 'Hangover' meets Vikas-Krishna-Barcelona spirit, the film deals with a bachelor adventure marinated with stories of finding, losing and forgetting love. Kabir (Abhay Deol), an affluent construction tycoon is about to take the marital plunge. But not before he completes a much-postponed trip with school buddies, investment banker (and constantly grumpy) Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) and freestyle flirt Imraan (Farhan Akhtar).

So, the boys with biceps shoot off to Spain, a land where sunny means a summery glow and not sweaty and stinky, much like an AC studio in Mahalaxmi. Now, the deal is that each would pick a secret adventure sport and the others would have to join him at it.

The problem arises when Kabir's fiancé, poisonously possessive Natasha (Kalki Koechlin) lands up in Spain suspecting a wild orgy (don't get your hopes up, there aren't any). Soon, Kabir takes over as grumpy and Arjun finds hope underwater, as spunky skiing instructor Laila (Katrina Kaif) shows him corals and also offers morals like 'seize the day' and 'live in the moment for you could die tomorrow'. These prophetic pearls of wisdom (from the rough draft of Guzaarish 2?) pierce through Kabir and he realizes how he cherishes things besides money. On Arjun's exaggerated revelations, Imraan remarks, "Ek hi dubki mein zindagi ke saarein raaz khul gaye? Tujhe toh underwater hi rehna chahiye." But then Imraan only spends his screen presence saying and doing things that would be considered unacceptable or just down-right silly in adult society.

The film isn't as simplistic as it seems and each character has a back story and internal conflicts that surface intermittently between thrill-seeking stunts, sugary love, drunk talking and some seriously childish pranks. What is aesthetic in this film apart from the charming Spanish countryside is that scenes which would usually be served with heightened melodrama are quite well contained and subtle, yet convey the emotion.

The music is hummable but the choreography usually finds Abay Deol playing the part of 'Senorita'. Farhan's comic timing is immaculate but his shayari is cocaine-infused and like a soft murmuring background score it could lull you to sleep. Kalki is deliciously annoying as her character required her to be and Katrina's performance doesn't make or break this film. The film's overall humour quotient is not very high and is mostly situational and there are usually more people laughing on the screen than in the audience.

In a tasteful manner, ZNMD has managed to do for Spain, what 'Dil Chahta Hai' did for Goa, beautifully selling the beaches, babes, tomatoes, tortillas and thrilling adventure sports. Spaniards should only be cautious that this tourism AV doesn't do to their country what the malls did to the mills of Lower Parel. Do I hear McTacos?

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara review

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin

Directed by Zoya Akhtar

Rating: ***

Films dealing with life-altering epiphanies are always shot in stunning locations. And Hindi films dealing with the same, need a stunning cast as well. A possible rationale: beautiful places relieve stress and bring things into perspective. And beautiful people experiencing divine realizations can hold your perspective on the screen, often resulting in a 'ka-ching' sound at the box office. 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' (ZNMD) is one such film.

In true 'Hangover' meets Vikas-Krishna-Barcelona spirit, the film deals with a bachelor adventure marinated with stories of finding, losing and forgetting love. Kabir (Abhay Deol), an affluent construction tycoon is about to take the marital plunge. But not before he completes a much-postponed trip with school buddies, investment banker (and constantly grumpy) Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) and freestyle flirt Imraan (Farhan Akhtar).

So, the boys with biceps shoot off to Spain, a land where sunny means a summery glow and not sweaty and stinky, much like an AC studio in Mahalaxmi. Now, the deal is that each would pick a secret adventure sport and the others would have to join him at it.

The problem arises when Kabir's fiancé, poisonously possessive Natasha (Kalki Koechlin) lands up in Spain suspecting a wild orgy (don't get your hopes up, there aren't any). Soon, Kabir takes over as grumpy and Arjun finds hope underwater, as spunky skiing instructor Laila (Katrina Kaif) shows him corals and also offers morals like 'seize the day' and 'live in the moment for you could die tomorrow'. These prophetic pearls of wisdom (from the rough draft of Guzaarish 2?) pierce through Kabir and he realizes how he cherishes things besides money. On Arjun's exaggerated revelations, Imraan remarks, "Ek hi dubki mein zindagi ke saarein raaz khul gaye? Tujhe toh underwater hi rehna chahiye." But then Imraan only spends his screen presence saying and doing things that would be considered unacceptable or just down-right silly in adult society.

The film isn't as simplistic as it seems and each character has a back story and internal conflicts that surface intermittently between thrill-seeking stunts, sugary love, drunk talking and some seriously childish pranks. What is aesthetic in this film apart from the charming Spanish countryside is that scenes which would usually be served with heightened melodrama are quite well contained and subtle, yet convey the emotion.

The music is hummable but the choreography usually finds Abay Deol playing the part of 'Senorita'. Farhan's comic timing is immaculate but his shayari is cocaine-infused and like a soft murmuring background score it could lull you to sleep. Kalki is deliciously annoying as her character required her to be and Katrina's performance doesn't make or break this film. The film's overall humour quotient is not very high and is mostly situational and there are usually more people laughing on the screen than in the audience.

In a tasteful manner, ZNMD has managed to do for Spain, what 'Dil Chahta Hai' did for Goa, beautifully selling the beaches, babes, tomatoes, tortillas and thrilling adventure sports. Spaniards should only be cautious that this tourism AV doesn't do to their country what the malls did to the mills of Lower Parel. Do I hear McTacos?

'Krrish2' to be shot in Hyderabad

Logistical problems of shooting in the city forces Rakesh Roshan to recreate a Mumbai set at Ramoji Film City.

Rakesh Roshan ambitious sequel to ‘Krrish’ will be shot in Hyderabad. A set will be recreated depicting Mumbai at Ramoji Film City. This was decided so that the logistical problems of shooting in the streets of Mumbai are resolved.

The set, designed to resemble a business hub in Mumbai will be completed by late September. “The script required Hrithik Roshan to perform some death defying stunts on the streets of Mumbai. However the star didn’t want to shoot in crowded locations as he was wary of crowds hounding him during the shoot,” said a source.

However, it wasn’t economically feasible to recreate the set in Mumbai due to space crunch. “The action sequence would need a location like the Bandra Kurla Complex. So Rakesh Roshan first went to ND studio in Karjat but decided it was not possible to go ahead because of production costs,” added the source.

Art director Sabu Cyril who has earlier worked on films like Raavan and Enthiran is recreating the Bandra Kurla Complex in Ramoji Rao Filmcity in Hyderabad. The set will be spread over an area of almost 2 kilometers and will have around 65 buildings with detailed work.

'Krrish2' to be shot in Hyderabad

Logistical problems of shooting in the city forces Rakesh Roshan to recreate a Mumbai set at Ramoji Film City.

Rakesh Roshan ambitious sequel to ‘Krrish’ will be shot in Hyderabad. A set will be recreated depicting Mumbai at Ramoji Film City. This was decided so that the logistical problems of shooting in the streets of Mumbai are resolved.

The set, designed to resemble a business hub in Mumbai will be completed by late September. “The script required Hrithik Roshan to perform some death defying stunts on the streets of Mumbai. However the star didn’t want to shoot in crowded locations as he was wary of crowds hounding him during the shoot,” said a source.

However, it wasn’t economically feasible to recreate the set in Mumbai due to space crunch. “The action sequence would need a location like the Bandra Kurla Complex. So Rakesh Roshan first went to ND studio in Karjat but decided it was not possible to go ahead because of production costs,” added the source.

Art director Sabu Cyril who has earlier worked on films like Raavan and Enthiran is recreating the Bandra Kurla Complex in Ramoji Rao Filmcity in Hyderabad. The set will be spread over an area of almost 2 kilometers and will have around 65 buildings with detailed work.

Karan Johar plans Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham sequel...

A sequel to the 2001 blockbuster starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan is in the pipeline, confirms Karan Johar

Ten years after its release the multistarrer blockbuster Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham, finally gears up for a sequel.

Though Amitabh Bachchan had been blogging about the possibility of a venture that takes the travails of the Raichand family forward, for some time now, director and producer Karan Johar confirmed to Mumbai Mirror that he would indeed like to recreate the magic of K3G, soon.

Admitting to the fact that K3G 2 is indeed in the pipeline, Karan said, "It's a workable idea. I am no longer averse to it. It would be a bold step if I make it."

Also, the fact that the six key cast members of the film - Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor are all gung-ho about the sequel makes the project a certainty.

"It's very strange. But all the six main members of the cast are as dear to me now as they were 10 years ago when I made the film. I'm sure they're as charged about the sequel as I am," said Karan, who had already revealed his plans about the sequel to the concerned members of the cast.

In fact, the seed of the idea for a sequel was planted by one of them.

"At first, when his friends suggested a sequel, KJo just laughed it off saying that it was financially impractical to attempt something so big in this day and age.

However, Big B made him realise that a sequel was not only possible but also desirable. Mr Bachchan also said that only Karan could pull it off," informed a source.

Talking about the sequel, Big B even revealed on his blog, "It would be a story on the growth of the brothers and the problems that arise because of their independent understanding and working of the business empire of the father, a split within them and so on..."

The recent success of sequels added to Karan's conviction. With the Golmaal, Dhamaal and Murder franchises doing better than most first time films this year, the idea for a multistarrer sequel gained ground.

With Dostana 2 failing to take off, a sequel to the Raichand family saga might be what Dharma Productions needs to join the trend.

Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham in 2001 was nominated across fifteen categories at the Filmfare Awards.

It won five, making this one of the 'tallest family films' by Dharma Productions. And if all goes well, we may soon be seeing the Raichands repeat their success on screen, ten years after they first made an appearance.

Karan Johar plans Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham sequel...

A sequel to the 2001 blockbuster starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan is in the pipeline, confirms Karan Johar

Ten years after its release the multistarrer blockbuster Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham, finally gears up for a sequel.

Though Amitabh Bachchan had been blogging about the possibility of a venture that takes the travails of the Raichand family forward, for some time now, director and producer Karan Johar confirmed to Mumbai Mirror that he would indeed like to recreate the magic of K3G, soon.

Admitting to the fact that K3G 2 is indeed in the pipeline, Karan said, "It's a workable idea. I am no longer averse to it. It would be a bold step if I make it."

Also, the fact that the six key cast members of the film - Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor are all gung-ho about the sequel makes the project a certainty.

"It's very strange. But all the six main members of the cast are as dear to me now as they were 10 years ago when I made the film. I'm sure they're as charged about the sequel as I am," said Karan, who had already revealed his plans about the sequel to the concerned members of the cast.

In fact, the seed of the idea for a sequel was planted by one of them.

"At first, when his friends suggested a sequel, KJo just laughed it off saying that it was financially impractical to attempt something so big in this day and age.

However, Big B made him realise that a sequel was not only possible but also desirable. Mr Bachchan also said that only Karan could pull it off," informed a source.

Talking about the sequel, Big B even revealed on his blog, "It would be a story on the growth of the brothers and the problems that arise because of their independent understanding and working of the business empire of the father, a split within them and so on..."

The recent success of sequels added to Karan's conviction. With the Golmaal, Dhamaal and Murder franchises doing better than most first time films this year, the idea for a multistarrer sequel gained ground.

With Dostana 2 failing to take off, a sequel to the Raichand family saga might be what Dharma Productions needs to join the trend.

Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham in 2001 was nominated across fifteen categories at the Filmfare Awards.

It won five, making this one of the 'tallest family films' by Dharma Productions. And if all goes well, we may soon be seeing the Raichands repeat their success on screen, ten years after they first made an appearance.

Initially, Hrehaan was a bit slow but eventually swam showing an excited papa Hrithik that he can

Mumbai, July 12 -- Farzad Billimoria started his aquatic training centre, Aqua Personal, in 1994. He specialises in introducing children to basic swimming and dealing with aqua phobia. Over the years, the ace swimmer has become famous for training celebrity kids as well as their parents and teaching new techniques to the rich and the famous.

"It was very exciting to meet Akshay Kumar, better still when he mentioned that he wanted come to me to brush up on his technique. His wife Twinkle was very involved in their son Aarav's training too," he says. Farzad's other celebrity clients include Mohinder Amarnath, Sonali Bendre, Tanya Deol, Diandra Soares, Mia, Hrehaan (Hrithik Roshan's son), Ranveer (Sonali Bendre's son), Zidanne (Zayed Khan's son), Maiesha (Rani Mukerjee's niece), Abrez (Akbar Khan's Son), Neevan (Sonu Niigaam's son), Azaan and Fizaa (Farah Khan Ali's children), Dharam (Bobby Deol's son) and Naomi (Twinkle Khanna's niece).

Talking about his start pupils, Farzad says, "Hrehaan, initially, was a bit slow but eventually swam showing an exited papa Hrithik that he can. Zidanne was an underwater swimmer. The moment you left him, he would go under water and start shouting out to his mom Malika to see him. Dharam was a bit scared initially, but after learning to swim, gave me a peck on my cheek and said I'm his best teacher. Tanya Deol was a fast learner. On the other hand, Sonali Bendre took some time but both were very interested in perfecting their strokes."

Cricketer Mohinder Amarnath was the first celeb to train under Farzad: "Because of regular exercising, Mohinder was a bit stiff. I had to completely relax him. Once he started swimming there was no stopping him."

Recently, Farzad trained, Diandra Soares and Mia for Khatron Ke Khiladi 4. The duo trained for underwater breathing techniques, stamina building exercises, diving, how to focus and not panicking and facing obstacles. He says, "Both Diandra and Mia were very focused and would work hard towards achieving their goals."

Initially, Hrehaan was a bit slow but eventually swam showing an excited papa Hrithik that he can

Mumbai, July 12 -- Farzad Billimoria started his aquatic training centre, Aqua Personal, in 1994. He specialises in introducing children to basic swimming and dealing with aqua phobia. Over the years, the ace swimmer has become famous for training celebrity kids as well as their parents and teaching new techniques to the rich and the famous.

"It was very exciting to meet Akshay Kumar, better still when he mentioned that he wanted come to me to brush up on his technique. His wife Twinkle was very involved in their son Aarav's training too," he says. Farzad's other celebrity clients include Mohinder Amarnath, Sonali Bendre, Tanya Deol, Diandra Soares, Mia, Hrehaan (Hrithik Roshan's son), Ranveer (Sonali Bendre's son), Zidanne (Zayed Khan's son), Maiesha (Rani Mukerjee's niece), Abrez (Akbar Khan's Son), Neevan (Sonu Niigaam's son), Azaan and Fizaa (Farah Khan Ali's children), Dharam (Bobby Deol's son) and Naomi (Twinkle Khanna's niece).

Talking about his start pupils, Farzad says, "Hrehaan, initially, was a bit slow but eventually swam showing an exited papa Hrithik that he can. Zidanne was an underwater swimmer. The moment you left him, he would go under water and start shouting out to his mom Malika to see him. Dharam was a bit scared initially, but after learning to swim, gave me a peck on my cheek and said I'm his best teacher. Tanya Deol was a fast learner. On the other hand, Sonali Bendre took some time but both were very interested in perfecting their strokes."

Cricketer Mohinder Amarnath was the first celeb to train under Farzad: "Because of regular exercising, Mohinder was a bit stiff. I had to completely relax him. Once he started swimming there was no stopping him."

Recently, Farzad trained, Diandra Soares and Mia for Khatron Ke Khiladi 4. The duo trained for underwater breathing techniques, stamina building exercises, diving, how to focus and not panicking and facing obstacles. He says, "Both Diandra and Mia were very focused and would work hard towards achieving their goals."

'Zindagi Na Milegi...' - about love, life, friendship

New Delhi, July 11 : After enjoying a madcap image of youth in "Delhi Belly", it's time to take a fun-filled trip with another bunch of guys - Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol in the exotic locales of Spain in "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", which releases Friday.

If city-centric "Delhi Belly" took a peep into the lives of a section of youngsters through three friends, "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" too is an urban drama where three friends venture out to have some fun time together.


Directed by Farhan's sister Zoya Akhtar and produced under the banner Excel Entertainment, "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" is about a holiday that changes the lives of three best friends - Arjun (Hrithik), Imraan (Farhan) and Kabir's (Abhay) forever.


The film was previously titled "Running With The Bulls" but the name was later changed to the present one. It is the second directorial venture of Zoya after critically acclaimed "Luck By Chance".


Kabir, a wealthy young man who works with his father's construction company in Mumbai, is engaged to Natasha (Kalki Koechlin), daughter of a hotelier. Kabir wants to go on an extended bachelor party with his best friends Arjun, and Imraan, before he ties the knot with her and invites them to join him.


London-based Arjun is a financial trader who works at a huge firm. As he grew up without a father and lived a tough life, so his entire focus is to get bigger, better and faster, while Imraan is a copywriter who works at an advertising agency in Delhi.


When Kabir offers to take them on a vacation, Imraan readily agrees, but Arjun is reluctant as he is too tied up in his work. However, after much cajoling he agrees and thus starts their Spain sojourn.


All three meet up in Barcelona and set off on an adventure that helps them iron out their differences, get rid of their fears and alter their perception about various things in life. The holiday turns out to be a lesson in life for them and force them to break out of the box. The three-week journey changes their lives forever.


As luck would have it, Laila, played by Katrina Kaif, a bohemian fashion student from London is also there. She takes time off to teach diving every year and this time she decided to do it in Spain, where she meets Arjun, Imraan and Kabir.


The mega-budget film has been extensively shot in Barcelona, Pamplona, Bunyol, Andalucia, Egypt and Mumbai.


The La Tomatina festival of Spain was re-created for the shoot of the song "Ik Junoon". It was shot in Bunyol, Valenci, in Spain. Almost 16 tons of tomatoes were used for the shoot and were flown in from Portugal. The film has already created a lot of buzz with its songs and promos.


After a long time Abhay got an opportunity to work in a mainstream commercial film and it also gave him a chance to make good friends with his co-stars Farhan and Hrithik in real-life. While shooting for the film, the three did some adventure sports like skydiving and scuba-diving.


Zoya has also made the three lead actors of the film sing a song "Senorita", composed by trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, is a rage among people.

'Zindagi Na Milegi...' - about love, life, friendship

New Delhi, July 11 : After enjoying a madcap image of youth in "Delhi Belly", it's time to take a fun-filled trip with another bunch of guys - Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol in the exotic locales of Spain in "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", which releases Friday.

If city-centric "Delhi Belly" took a peep into the lives of a section of youngsters through three friends, "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" too is an urban drama where three friends venture out to have some fun time together.


Directed by Farhan's sister Zoya Akhtar and produced under the banner Excel Entertainment, "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" is about a holiday that changes the lives of three best friends - Arjun (Hrithik), Imraan (Farhan) and Kabir's (Abhay) forever.


The film was previously titled "Running With The Bulls" but the name was later changed to the present one. It is the second directorial venture of Zoya after critically acclaimed "Luck By Chance".


Kabir, a wealthy young man who works with his father's construction company in Mumbai, is engaged to Natasha (Kalki Koechlin), daughter of a hotelier. Kabir wants to go on an extended bachelor party with his best friends Arjun, and Imraan, before he ties the knot with her and invites them to join him.


London-based Arjun is a financial trader who works at a huge firm. As he grew up without a father and lived a tough life, so his entire focus is to get bigger, better and faster, while Imraan is a copywriter who works at an advertising agency in Delhi.


When Kabir offers to take them on a vacation, Imraan readily agrees, but Arjun is reluctant as he is too tied up in his work. However, after much cajoling he agrees and thus starts their Spain sojourn.


All three meet up in Barcelona and set off on an adventure that helps them iron out their differences, get rid of their fears and alter their perception about various things in life. The holiday turns out to be a lesson in life for them and force them to break out of the box. The three-week journey changes their lives forever.


As luck would have it, Laila, played by Katrina Kaif, a bohemian fashion student from London is also there. She takes time off to teach diving every year and this time she decided to do it in Spain, where she meets Arjun, Imraan and Kabir.


The mega-budget film has been extensively shot in Barcelona, Pamplona, Bunyol, Andalucia, Egypt and Mumbai.


The La Tomatina festival of Spain was re-created for the shoot of the song "Ik Junoon". It was shot in Bunyol, Valenci, in Spain. Almost 16 tons of tomatoes were used for the shoot and were flown in from Portugal. The film has already created a lot of buzz with its songs and promos.


After a long time Abhay got an opportunity to work in a mainstream commercial film and it also gave him a chance to make good friends with his co-stars Farhan and Hrithik in real-life. While shooting for the film, the three did some adventure sports like skydiving and scuba-diving.


Zoya has also made the three lead actors of the film sing a song "Senorita", composed by trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, is a rage among people.

Hrithik turns choreographer

When it comes to dancing, no one can match up to Hrithik Roshan. The actor actually choreographed the ‘Khwabon Ke Parindey’ from the film ‘Zindagi na Milegi Dobara’. Not only that, the director Zoya Akhtar handed over the reigns to her brother Farhan for the song who was glad to go behind the camera for a change.

The song has Hrithik singing about freedom and breaking away from the drudgery of life, so Zoya insisted that the boys do more than just act. The boys landed up at the sets an planned the song. Though Zoya was a little skeptical about the whole thing, she was thrilled to see the end result.

The film is about a bachelor trip taken by three friends and how their life changes after the journey.

Hrithik turns choreographer

When it comes to dancing, no one can match up to Hrithik Roshan. The actor actually choreographed the ‘Khwabon Ke Parindey’ from the film ‘Zindagi na Milegi Dobara’. Not only that, the director Zoya Akhtar handed over the reigns to her brother Farhan for the song who was glad to go behind the camera for a change.

The song has Hrithik singing about freedom and breaking away from the drudgery of life, so Zoya insisted that the boys do more than just act. The boys landed up at the sets an planned the song. Though Zoya was a little skeptical about the whole thing, she was thrilled to see the end result.

The film is about a bachelor trip taken by three friends and how their life changes after the journey.

Hrithik Roshan

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