Heartthrobs and More

Bang Bang! I've Just Re-discovered Hrithik Roshan

I’m not a big fan of Indian movies. Not after the era of Amitabh Bachchan ended, that is. Only a few actors appeal to me including Aamir Khan, who always dares to be different, and Shahrukh Khan who has been vastly entertaining in his Don movies. Apart from that, I haven’t found much entertainment from Bollywood.

A few days ago, I saw Bang Bang starring Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif. Before that, I did not even know who Katrina Kaif was :-) But it’s actually Hrithik Roshan who took me by surprise.

Hrithik Roshan is the winner of six Filmfare awards, is considered to be one of the most attractive male actors in the Bollywood film industry and has been crowned for the second year in a row as the Sexiest Asian Man in the world by the Eastern Eye Weekly. He became an overnight superstar back in 2000 with the release of his first film, Kaho Naa Pyar Hai.

                                           Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Like all girls back in 2000, I also went gaga over him. His chiselled face cut, his perfect body and his drop-dead gorgeous smile (not to mention those eyes), were definitely appealing back then. However, I didn't think much of him after that. I thought Krish was very childish and Mission Kashmir was quite boring and I basically never turned around and saw another one of his films ... till Bang Bang which was released in 2014.

I wasn't expecting the movie to be good. I assumed it was going to be another boring action film which makes no sense and has nothing to offer. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.

Now, I have to admit he looks damn hot in the movie. I’m a romance novelist and the looks of the hero make or break a movie (and more or less everything else) for me. That's what motivated me to see it to the end but what surprised me most was that I actually enjoyed the movie.

Bang Bang is a remake of a Hollywood movie Knight and Day starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. I never thought I'd live to see the day when I would say that Hrithik looked as good (if not better) then Tom Cruise and Katrina Kaif definitely looked way better than Cameron Diaz. What's more, rip-off or no rip-off, I think Bang Bang was overall a much better movie then Knight and Day. Wonders never cease now, do they?

Hrithik Roshan not only looks awesome in the movie but his acting is great, his dancing's even better and those stunts... are amazing. What's even more amazing is the fact that he did those stunts himself. Andy Armstrong, Hollywood's famous stunt director said that Hrithik's action scenes are better than Tom Cruise's stunts in Knight and Day. He also said that he has never worked with any actor in Hollywood who is more accomplished than Hrithik when it comes to action scenes. Andy considers Hrithik to be a "dream for any action director". Well he's a dream alright :-)

Much respect for the actor because he did all those stunts himself and actually injured himself during one of the action scenes. He had to go through a near-fatal brain surgery. Not only did he survive, he came back with a bang and completed the movie.  I also did not know that Hrithik had a speech disorder. He overcame stammering through speech therapy and he still has to go through therapy to sustain it. Respect indeed.

The reason for writing this is not to just sing praises for Hrithik Roshan. I mean, I am singing his praises but it's actually for myself – because I was so quick to judge.  I dismissed him after a few bad movies (which to some may not have been bad at all). I'm glad I rediscovered not only a good actor but also a person who has overcome several obstacles - speech issues, gunshot wound, sister's cancer, divorce and injuries. Yet, Hrithik calls his life a fairy tale. Well, you sure define optimism and you sure have my respect.