Hrithik Roshan shared why he decided to opt out of films such as Hum Tum and Dil Chahta Hai in this old chat from Karan Johar’s show. He turns 51 years old today.
📹: Disney+Hotstar
📹: Disney+Hotstar
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00:00What happens when you kind of say no to a film that goes on and becomes successful?
00:04For example, you did decline Hum Tum.
00:07I would like to think that I helped them get that push in the right direction.
00:18After Laksh, you haven't signed on a single film. It's been what, a year and a half now?
00:22What are you doing?
00:24I took my first break after five years of working.
00:27I started with that and of course the award functions and all that.
00:32My world tour, which took about three months.
00:35Besides that, I'm working with dad on his film and listening to other subjects.
00:41It's going on.
00:43Is there a particular reason why you haven't signed on anything?
00:46Is the writing department and the talent out there that bad that it's not worthy of Hrithik Roshan?
00:51I do realize I've stretched my break a bit too far.
00:54I think I need a break from my break now.
00:56But on a more serious note, I don't think there's anything wrong with the industry and talent out there.
01:01There is, of course. You're just being polite.
01:04There's certainly nothing wrong with me either.
01:06But really, to talk about the talent level out there, it is kind of not up to the mark.
01:11As we have discussed, you've been hearing a whole lot of scripts and you haven't liked any recently, have you?
01:17Well, I think I'm at a stage where I can afford to work by choice.
01:22As in pick the film that I think is up to a level that would raise my excitement to a certain level.
01:30What happens when you kind of say no to a film that goes on and becomes successful?
01:34For example, you did decline Hamtham, which went on to become a success.
01:39Do you look back and regret that decision?
01:42Not at all.
01:44In fact, the fact that Hamtham went on to become a success just proves that they followed the right path.
01:53They took the right direction towards success.
01:56And you would have been the wrong direction?
01:58And I think, I would like to think that I helped them get that push in the right direction.
02:04This is an amazing scenario that you not doing the film was the right push in the right direction.
02:08I mean, of course. I mean, you can't say if I was in the film, it would have been the same or not.
02:14But it's a success and I'm happy for them.
02:17It's a very predominant way of thinking in our industry that as an actor,
02:24when a big director or a big banner comes to you, you must do the film or you're stupid.
02:29I think that takes a lot of guts not to, which is what I admire about you.
02:33Well, I have done that and I've experienced that side.
02:36But to give you an example, a Jim Carrey would not do what a Stallone does.
02:41A Stallone would not do what a Tom Cruise does.
02:43So I think the character should come from the person you are.
02:50And sometimes you don't identify with the person.
02:53Sometimes the film doesn't identify with you.
02:55So there are various reasons.
02:57But basically, it's instinct. Simply put, it's instinct.
03:00It does take a lot. I mean, you know, that's why I said I admire you.
03:04Because when Ashutosh Gawarekar comes to you with a film after a film like Lagaan,
03:09you decline it, like you said no to Swades.
03:11Not too many people know this, but he did come to you with Swades, which Nashalu Khan has done.
03:16Yeah, that was for a different reason. I was doing Laksh at the time.
03:18I didn't have the dates and sort of went out of my hands.
03:23So well, okay.
03:24Maybe sometime in the future.
03:26Very few people know this, that you were one of the initial choices for Dil Chahta Hai.
03:30You had approached Hrithik to do one of the roles.
03:32Yes, I had approached him.
03:33And of course, which you politely declined.
03:35No, not politely. I was…
03:37You impolitely declined.
03:38No, no. It was a genuine problem of dates and stuff.
03:42You seem to be having a lot of date problems, I must say.
03:45I ought to do now.