“The film’s success is a great vindication for my father” – Hrithik Roshan on Kaabil entering 100 Crore Club

By Joginder Tuteja -

February 6, 2017 - 10:39 AM IST

Rakesh Roshan produced Kaabil has entered the Rs. 100 Crore Club. While this is a testimony to the fact that the Sanjay Gupta directed film has managed good business going for it, Hrithik Roshan is happy that his film has been loved by a large section of audience who have been further spreading good word of mouth around its content and the entertainment quotient. We get into an exclusive chat with the star of the moment.

“The film’s success is a great vindication for my father” – Hrithik Roshan on Kaabil entering 100 Crore Club

Kaabil has scored a century in 11 days and is still counting. That must indeed be a high for you, right?
Well yes, a number like this definitely signifies something. It shows how the film has been showered with love and affection. It is also an indication of how the film has been received by a large section of the audience. I have always said that Kaabil is a very small film with a very large heart. It has been made at a budget of only 40 crore. It has been loved so much that our tender heart has become gigantic (smiles).

The manner in which Kaabil has grown from strength to strength must be gladdening.
While the film has been appreciated and has seen claps and cheers coming its way, there is also a kind of respectability which has come in, something which is rare. You know, as an actor it takes years and years for you to earn that kind of respect and this is the reason why Kaabil is beyond anything, be it numbers or anything else.

As an actor, you must have also braced up for the positive word of mouth before its release, isn't it?
Actually that wasn't the thought in my mind. I was only concentrating on doing my best. After seeing the first copy of the film, I knew in my head and heart what this film is. See, here due to clash there was uncertainty factor. In case of a solo release I would have been more relaxed and certain but something like what happened to Kaabil was a new experience for me. So even though I knew that Kaabil was a good film and we would get good response, I was still keeping myself a tad disconnected. I wanted to gauge audience response. As it happened, this has turned out to be best reviewed film of my career!

So when the film eventually turned out to be a success, what did you have to say to your dad Rakesh Roshan?
This is a great vindication for my father. He is a producer who nurtured the film and took it to its release. There was a lot of struggle in there. Every producer and team thinks that they deserve a peaceful solo release. However, when that was taken away from him, he was very stressed. However, as he only says, you can’t stop destiny and good content and in that sense the film's success is a great relief and victory for us all.

For you too, it must have been a different experience to shoot one of your quickest films ever and that too with a director (Sanjay Gupta) with whom you have never worked before.
It is not one of the quickest films ever, it is THE quickest film ever. It was entirely made in a span of 77 days and I shot for only 60 days. That credit goes to Sanjay and my father because in no regard does this look like a small film. It has all its scale and visual impact. It is Sanjay's expertise that made it happen. He is very intelligent maker and very sensitive too. His technical brilliance is fantastic.

Guess he stuck to his vision and lived up to that.
Yes, right from the beginning when Sanjay narrated the film, we knew that he is the man who would truly transfer his vision. Whatever he was talking about, he could see in his head. Now that was a very good sign because we were sure that this is the director who knows what he wants. Kaabil was pretty much in his blood.

Meanwhile, with the kind of all-around positivity coming for the film, you too seem to be a lot connected with your fans on social media and other platforms.
One thing that has really touched is that how these people are picking some minor details about Rohan and Su. They are complimenting small things like me breaking down during that dubbing scene. Now you get things like these only when you watch a film in great detail. Audiences have picked up these 5-6 moments really silent moments in the film which is great. They have taken Rohan and Su home with them. When they clap for the blind simple guy who is saying his dialogues in an absolutely simple manner with no swagger or style, it says a lot about how they have connected with the character. That's a true win!