A proud father

From a not-so-successful actor, Rakesh Roshan became a successful producer and director when he started his company Film Kraft Productions in 1980.

But his biggest successes to date have been the two films starring his son Hrithik.

He hopes to repeat the magic with Krrish, his most ambitious project so far. Rakesh Roshan definitely had butterflies in his tummy on the eve of the Dubai premiere, yet exuded confidence in himself, his son and the spirit behind Krrish.

Excerpts:

How do you feel now that the film is ready for release?

For the last three years we have been working hard. A superhero movie is a new genre in India and a sequel is a new concept. I hope audiences will appreciate our ideas and work.

What is it that drives you to take such risks in terms of ideas and exorbitant budgets?

I am a producer-director, Hrithik is an actor and my brother Rajesh is a music director. The four pillars of moviemaking are under one umbrella. If we don't move ahead, who will? I feel that God has given us the strength so we should do films in different genres.

What was the most difficult part of making this film?

The main obstacle was the budget. While Hollywood spends up to $250 million (Dh918 million), we have made a superhero movie with incredible special effects in just $10 million (Dh36.7 million). When they see our film they will be shocked to see how much money they have been wasting.

Was Koi Mil Gaya conceived with sequels in mind?

Not at all. The idea came to me after I saw the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Are you taking an additional risk by marketing film merchandise for the first time in India?

Last year Hollywood's gross collection from films was $8 billion (Dh29 billion) and double from film merchandise. So it is not a risk.

Do you feel that only you have managed to get the best out of Hrithik as an actor?

No. He did a brilliant job in Fiza, Lakshya and Mission Kashmir. But an actor cannot make a film run. It is the script.

Why did you choose to do the red carpet premiere in Dubai rather than Mumbai?

Because it would have been impossible to accommodate all the people who were asking for invitations.