Recently there were reports that Krrish 4 would be directed by filmmaker Sanjay Gupta and not Rakesh Roshan who has directed the other three parts of the franchise. This put Bollywood in a flutter trying to find the correct answer in the guessing game.
However, Rakesh Roshan tells us laughingly, “Even I am reading the same rumours as you and I don’t know who is writing it. Of course, I will direct it. Sanjay Gupta is with me writing the script with me and with me all the time. We both discuss things as our thoughts are very similar and we are working together in this. Even Sanjay is a very fine director, did a very good job with Kaabil and I am very proud of him. Right now, he is busy with his Mumbai Saga shoot.”
When I tell him, we are waiting for the Krrish 4 announcement to happen, he says, “I will only announce it once I am sure about the script. When I am 100 per cent sure about the script, I will make the announcement as a director. The day I decide to make it, it will take me one more year to start the film. Being a big film in terms of vision and VFX, the preproduction will take a lot of time. Mine is the only franchise which is going from story to story. It’s not just the names I am using to make into another film. While Hollywood can afford budgets, we can score on emotions. Three breath-taking emotional action scenes will score over 10 mindless action sequences.”
Roshan Sr says he is completely involved in the production of all his movies. “Not even a needle can pass in front of me without catching my eye. I am passionate about my work and I want to see that the money I am spending is what I am seeing on screen and not seen outside. I hate wasting money. The movie has to be so well-planned that not even a paise should be wasted. A 7 am shift means you have to be on location at 6.30 so the shot can be taken. That was the first condition I would out to any actor before I signed him. If the unit and hundreds of technicians can come, why cannot one actor come on time? When I can be there why cannot the actors be there?
The lion-hearted filmmaker, who is always cool and calm, and a tower of strength for his family, is recovering from early stage squamous cell carcinoma (throat cancer). He had to undergo a surgery in January at the Hurkisondas Hospital. “Hrithik and I were working out in the gym till the day I went into surgery. He posted a pic of us on social media in the morning on January 7, drove me to the Hurkisondas Hospital in Mumbai at 3 pm and got me admitted for my surgery. The surgery took five hours, carried out by Dr Vijay V Haribhakti and Dr Jatin Shah, who was with him. But I recovered very fast. One hour after my surgery when I gained consciousness, the doctors were shocked to see me walk. In two days, they let me go home and went to office the next day. Since then, I never stopped attending office. I would take chemo or radiation treatment and come to the office.”
The chemotherapy was a strong one which could have made a strong man weak but not Rakesh Roshan. “They gave me an anti-cancer chemotherapy drug to take it in three cycles, every three weeks. The doctors thought that if I pass through the second one, it is more than enough. The third cycle was extremely strong and weakened people completely. They were surprised that I completed all three cycles with very little discomfort. I don’t know how I managed – maybe because I used to work out or I am mentally strong I managed. Even my radiation strength was more, 67, when usually it is 60. God has been kind and I have recovered, almost about 90 per cent now. I have started working out from last couple of months, not very heavy but at least five days a week.”
Rakesh Roshan says that while the Cancer word is not easy to accept, he decided to tackle it in a positive way. “Yes, there were days when I would get disturbed sometimes because the chemos and treatments give you mood swings… I used to get bit angry and irritated sometimes, which I usually don’t get, but then I thought that this is a part of the process of recovery and is going to happen. When I would angry, I tell myself that this is not me, but is the medicine which is doing that, and it is a part of the treatment process. The journey taught me that anything can happen at any moment in life, without expecting it so live happily and be happy with whatever you have. Illness is one thing where nobody can help you. You have to help yourself only and though, you have your entire family with you as your support system, yet you are still alone. They are not suffering but only helping you heal.”
Rakesh Roshan breathes in and says reflectively, “There was a moment in my life when I thought what is money? Nothing is of use. We cannot take anything with us so let’s enjoy and live every moment. You can’t rejoice in your success or get demoralized by your failure. Life has its ups and downs and we have to live with it. I would like to say that the word cancer sounds very horrifying and scary but it’s not. It can be treated. Everything can be treated today, if you take care of your health. One should not get depressed or scared when he or she has got this disease.”
