Flying Colours

Hrithik Roshan hit a colourful high with 'Holi', the festival of hues, and admittedly his character in 'Kites' starts off on a "colourless" note, but goes from strength to strength in his home production helmed by Anurag Basu. The hunky actor delves into flashback mode…

A colourful festival; a colourless life. Nope, not his own. If tabloid tales were to be given credence, Hrithik Roshan would reportedly come across as leading a rather "colourful" life! Very Very Mori.

Presently, though, Hrithik Roshan aims to draw a cinematic parallel between Holi, the jubilation of hues, and his much hyped portrayal in 'Kites.'

"My character in 'Kites' starts out by seeing his life in monochromes, black and white, and in that sense his life is colourless," says Roshan Jr. "This girl explodes into his life and suddenly it comes alive with the colours of the rainbow. He lets himself go and love conquers him."

Festive tones

Delving into flashback, Hrithik ferrets out his multi toned 'Holi' memories. "It was my favourite festival and I'd look forward to it months in advance," he reveals. "I'd be up at 4 a.m filling up balloons with a household help. I was a little scared of my sister coz' she'd streak me with oil paints which would take hours to wash off."

His fun times with celeb buddies: the Bachchans, Abhishek and Shweta, the Chopras, Aditya and Uday, remain an indelible memory for Hrithik. " I also remember the bashes at Mr Amitabh Bachchan's bungalow and at Yash (Chopra) uncle's; we would meet everyone from the film industry and we'd all have a ball. We'd also have a small 'puja' at home in our small temple and then we'd hit the road with our friends and also go to Holi functions in the neighbourhood."

Citing the significance of smearing 'gulal' (powdered colour) on Holi, Hrithik says, "It's because 'gulal' is at the core of this revelry and is a symbolic way of giving and receiving love. What makes Holi such a beautiful experience is that this is one day when love conquers all."

Soaring Quality

Query him about the whispers surrounding his 'lovely' relationship with Mexican bombshell Barbara Mori, and he swats any further talk stating, "I don't want to comment on this nonsense."

The Anurag Basu helmed flick, though, is rather close to his celeb heart. Asserts Roshan, "It's a film I thoroughly enjoyed doing. Anurag (Basu) has treated each frame with so much love. People can look forward to a beautiful love story that is unlike any stereotypical love story you've seen before."

Explaining the sterling factor which endeared 'Kites' to the hunky actor, he states, "What made Kites different for me, as an actor, was that Anurag let the film take shape without exercising too much control. No one came to the sets with any pre conceived notion."

Adds he, "All of us, Barbara (Mori), Kangana (Ranaut) and me, were allowed plenty of creative liberty under Anurag's guidance. Many of the scenes were improvised on the spot as opposed to following a pre planned blueprint."

In comparison to 'Jodhaa Akbar' where every detail was "minutely graphed out," 'Kites' seemed an exercise in creative freedom. "It was like going from one extreme to another," declares Hrithik, "Acting in 'Kites' was like being in an open field where I could run, jump, open my hands wide and act freely. It was a beautiful experience since I had never been directed like this before. And it helped me evolve as an actor."

Close chapter?

Recent media buzz about "intimate scenes" between Mori and Roshan from 'Kites' being leaked out on the internet, and their subsequently being edited out has been making the rounds; besides, tales about the heated tiffs between the flick's producer Rakesh Roshan and Basu were not in deficit, either…

Hrithik, however, jumps to his dad's defence stating, "I have lost count of all the arguments my dad and I have had while working on 'Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai', 'Koi... Mil Gaya' and 'Krrish'. The point is that when you are working together as a team there will be some differences. The way out is to shrug off egos, fight for the better suggestion and the better choice, and work towards making a beautiful film. I'm proud of the way 'Kites' has shaped up.

Roshan rapport

Elaborating on his father's singular non interference during the canning of 'Kites,' Hrithik states, "My father never visited the sets of 'Kites' even once though it was his film. He's one man who can completely let go of his ego in the interest of a film. I should know. I saw it happen during my debut film, 'Kaho Naa… Pyar Hai', and later during 'Koi... Mil Gaya' and 'Krrish'. He's ready to accept suggestions not just from the directors and lead actors, but also the spotboys. He narrates a working script to my friends Adi (Aditya Chopra) and Farhan (Akhtar). He shows the rushes of his film to his industry friends. Nobody does that!"

Con Game?

Quashing all rumours about his character being a tad similar to the con artist of 'Dhoom 2', the actor asserts, "There is no likeness to 'Dhoom 2'. This character is a real person who has his heroic moments. In one scene he is the quintessential hero, and he's a normal guy in the next. This is the first time I'm playing a hero who is not a hero in the stereotypical sense of the word. It's been a fascinating journey."

Sussane special

On the personal front, fanzines had a field day by releasing rumours that Roshan's marital happiness had struck a discordant note, thanks to Mori. Hrithik, though, is not biting that bitter bait.

Rather, he rewinds to a blissful vignette… of the holy, sorry, 'Holi' time, when Sussane and he were neighbours at the plush locality of Juhu, Mumbai. "I must have been around 15 and was very shy then," states Hrithik. "Sussane would come over to the nearby Kalumal Estate with her friends.I didn't have the guts to walk up to Sussane and greet her. But I always noticed her. (laughs) My friends would catch me staring at her and tease me. Once we started seeing each other, we'd go out together during Holi."

Colours of love, clearly.