My condition was that Tiger Shroff should be part of 'WAR': Hrithik Roshan

After impressing audiences with his turn as a scruffy-looking Maths professor from Bihar in Super 30, Hrithik Roshan is all set to return to action, literally and figuratively. The actor will be seen doing some daredevil stunts in his upcoming action entertainer, War. The trailer has already created a buzz, and his face-off with Tiger Shroff in the film has piqued interest. Here, the superstar tells us how he has always maintained a variety in his roles, sharing screen space with the younger hero and if he will now do more films now or stick to his style of doing a few movies.        

After playing a heartland character with dishevelled hair and shabby beard in Super 30, you will be seen flaunting your physique and muscles in War. Was it deliberate?

Not at all. When I signed Super 30, there was no War or a script for it. Super 30 was an extremely important project for me because there was a lot of talk about me not being able to fit into that kind of a character. People felt that I was too westernised and it was wrong casting. I read that throughout the year. So, having success in Super 30 has reaffirmed my belief in myself in a big way. I do very few films, and because of that, I need to know that my instincts are in the right place. I could lose a lot of years and a long duration on the film if one’s gut feeling goes wrong. So, it’s encouraging that my instincts are going right.  

What did you like about War?

The script. I’m a fan of action and love doing films in this genre. Unfortunately, I haven’t read very intelligent scripts in this genre. Dhoom 2 was one and Bang Bang, which I loved, and now War. I’ve been looking for this kind of action entertainer, but never found one till I read this script. Also, Sid (Siddharth Anand, director) and I have an equation from Bang Bang. I know how he sees the film. So, it became easy for me to know that this is the kind of movie I’d want to do.

But action films have been a regular staple in Bollywood...

Yes, but they are straightforward and boring for me. The kind of action film I desire to do is intelligent and in the James Bond space. For that, you need a lot of focus on the character like the one I played in Dhoom 2, Bang Bang and now War. They are not the same but they are close to that world — intriguing, mysterious, suave and intelligent. I get a lot of positive feedback when I do those. He’s the guy who never gets perplexed, he is always in control, smooth, witty, and composed. That kind of composure and intelligence is hard to come across in a script here.

Tiger Shroff

War is a two-hero film and you are sharing screen space with Tiger Shroff...

(Cuts in) That was my condition. I said I will do this film, but make sure Tiger Shroff stars in it. That was important for me because I was coming from a Bihari space, I was out of shape, I was not conditioned. And the idea of Tiger standing in front of me was something that could drive me to develop that passion again, to get to my best shape, ever. I wanted somebody who was better than me so that I would do and be at my best. 

How challenging was the physical transformation, especially on the back of Super 30?

It was difficult. In fact, that transformation is kind of a film in itself that I have shot. It’s actually become a content piece. I will share that with all my fans at some point. Going from the Bihari world of Super 30 to that of Kabir in War was difficult. They didn’t even give me much time, only about two months. So, I did a lot of crazy things to try and get into shape and finally I managed, but it was painful. The most important thing is to get up and restart — get back to your diet and avoid all the foods that you become used to. Initiative, discipline, sacrifices — those are the hard things. Otherwise, everything else becomes easy. 

How difficult was the action in this film?

It was painful, but I enjoyed it because it looks good. Somehow for some reason, I feel I look good when I do action and, that’s my curse because it hurts. 

How was the experience of working with Tiger?

Tiger is one of the most disciplined actors I’ve worked with. I’ve also developed a lot more fondness and admiration for him. He is somebody who works without any ego. That’s how I like to work. And I think we’ve done well in this film — both of us have helped each other to be honest.

Usually, when there are two-hero films, there are insecurities about the role or the character. Didn’t you have any such problems on or off the set?

I don’t think I will ever have that because I’m not from the school of wanting to be better than somebody else. I just have to do my best. I’m tuned to that. That skill has developed inside me well. I will never have a problem. In fact, my problem is that I have to make sure that others are at their best so that it’ll drive me to do even better. Whenever I am doing a two-hero or three-hero film, I make sure that everybody else is at their best, if I can help them be better I will do that. Then I will see how it drives me to be better for myself. All the actors who work with me will be happy because I make sure they are better than what they can be.

Any anecdote that you can share from the sets?

The only anecdote that I have probably is the fact that Tiger and I were basically starving! Sid is somebody who is interested in food, so, he used to pile a mountain of food on his plate, while Tiger and I would sit with salads. That was sad, but I had company. Normally, I am on that diet starving all by myself but Tiger was there and we shared a lot of tips on diet and exercise. 

Comedy films are in vogue. Will we see you doing any?

I’m extremely keen on doing comedy. I love a certain type of comedy, which is situational and not slapstick. I like straight-faced humour. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to do that as well. I really enjoy Ben Stiller, Steve Martin and Jerry Lewis’ comedy, they are my favourites. In Hindi, Angoor and Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron are the classics that I enjoy. 

There is news about you doing Satte Pe Satta. Is that true?

There are choices on my plate and Satte Pe Satta is one of the options, but I haven’t made up my mind. Once War is out of my way, I will take a call. 

You are known to work on one film at a time and don’t do too many movies. Are you planning to change that since content-driven movies are being made more?

No, this is my style and this is how I do my best work. If it takes someone 10 films to reach somewhere and if I can reach there by doing three good films, it’s fine. As far as content or variety is concerned, you will find it in my trajectory. From playing Akbar (in Jodhaa Akbar) to Koi Mil Gaya or Kaabil, in which I played a visually-impaired guy, Anand sir in Super 30 or War, which has me in a cool, sexy image, there is a variety in my movies and characters.