14 January, 2000. Nineteen years ago, the whole of India was left spellbound, because of one of the most iconic films of the new millennium, “Kaho na … pyar hai” released on that day. Making his debut as a lead actor was the incredibly talented and handsome Hrithik Roshan, and the whole world was at his feet. He was the new superstar on the block, the most accomplished actor of the new generation, the next Bollywood phenomenon. He was compared with Shah Rukh Khan – the then reigning king Khan. He was the heartthrob of all the young girls and a fitness icon for all the young boys. Nothing could go wrong for Hrithik. The film was a colossal hit and grabbed the maximum number of awards. Hrithik was here to stay, or we felt.
In his career spanning 19 years, he gave us some brilliant performances – like Guzarish, Kaabil, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Jodhaa Akbar, Koi Mil Gaya. But these all can be counted on the fingertips. And we expected a lot more from our perfect man Hrithik – who is blessed with the features of a Greek God and a talent anyone would kill for. When Agneepath released in 2012, we hoped that he would bounce back with all his ability and strength. But, the person who bounced back instead was Kangana Ranaut.
What we have been seeing since then is the fall and fall of our beloved Hrithik. Krrish 3, Bang Bang and Mohenjo Daro were out and out flops and seemed more like desperate attempts to cling on to his fading stardom. Kabil showed a little bit of spark, but that was it.
Since the last three years, we only saw his personal life being discussed more than any kind of art. And his awful interviews, explanations and statements felt more like lame attempts at justifying his image. It pains and hurts so much to see one of our favorite and gifted actors wasting his talent in cleansing his reputation, than investing in anything constructive.
With Super 30 on the verge of a release this year, we earnestly hope that Hrithik gets out of the darkness and shines brightly again. And for that to happen, dear Hrithik, please live up to some of the recommended new year resolutions:
- Get a grip – Of your life, your career, your abilities, your everything.
- Own up – We all know you screwed up the entire Kangana Ranaut episode. Accept it and move on. Digging it up again and again will take you nowhere.
- Focus – Focus more on the films you do, not the interviews you do.
- Get back the shine – By the shine we mean that innocent yet confident and passionate shine in your eyes. You can let go of those dark glasses first and then the confused, restless and dazed look in the eyes.
- Tell the truth – Be it the interviews or the shows or your personal life – say the truth even if it’s bad or ugly. We know you are human and we are not expecting anything divine.
- Transition – Accept that times are changing and content is the star. Value the story, rather than your stardom or your ability to pull off a film only with your acting and dancing.
- Be out there – Gone are the days when stars were treated like Gods. Now actors are nothing more than a Twitter handle, with trolls ready to rip them apart. So be out there and be yourself. The more you connect the more you get.
- Promote “Hrithik Roshan – the Actor”, more than “Hrithik Roshan – the Brand”. Period
- Lastly – As you turn 45 years old, find yourself 45 reasons to smile and give them back to people like us, who love you.