In Koi Mil Gaya, he wowed audiences with his consummate performance as the mentally challenged Rohit, who is given magical powers by 'Jadoo', an alien.

Hrithik Roshan is back in a totally different avatar as a gifted super hero in Krrish, the much awaited sequel to Koi Mil Gaya.

The actor along with his leading lady Priyanaka Chopra and father/producer/director Rakesh Roshan was in Dubai for the premiere of Krrish.

The stars interacted with fans, which included hundreds of children wearing Krrish masks, at the red carpet event at Grand Cineplex organised by Star Middle East Limited and Damas in association with Hum FM and Adlabs.

Hrithik plays Krishna in the movie who is born with magical powers - a legacy from his father, Rohit Mehra. Priya (Priyanka Chopra) comes into his life and becomes his world. When she beckons him to Singapore, he follows.

Here, Dr Siddhant Arya (Naseeruddin Shah), a megalomanic scientist, is on the verge of changing the future forever.

Only one man stands between Dr Arya and his destructive dreams - Krishna must become KRRISH! Rekha stars as Krrish's grandmother.

Hrithik spent a month in Hong Kong and trained with Chinese martial arts expert Tony Ching Su-tung to do the stunts and make the huge leaps required from the superhero Krrish. He sustained several injuries during the shooting. His hair was singed in a fire, he broke a thumb and a toe and he continued to shoot despite a torn hamstring.

Tabloid spoke to the stars on the eve of the premiere.

Excerpts:

Since his dream debut with Kaho Na Pyaar Hai in 2000, Hrithik Roshan has experienced the euphoria of superstardom and the extreme lows of a string of flops. But the talented and good looking actor has managed to keep his feet on the ground and remain focussed on his work.

Hrithik is known to work extremely hard on everything he does whether it is a film or a stage performance. He was equally well prepared for this interview.

Looking great in a black jacket, fashionably ripped jeans and white sneakers, he was courteous, articulate and modest about his achievements - and his looks.

Though his answers sounded well rehearsed and his eyes were hidden behind dark shades, there was sincerity and passion in his voice.
 
How do you manage to remain level headed amid the adulation of your fans?

You have to be really stupid to succumb to the notion that it is all about you or to start believing the superlatives written about you. I think I am gifted with a certain amount of intelligence to understand that this is just a luxury of my job. When fans scream and the crowd roars out my name, I know that all they want to do is to compliment me on my work. I can remain unaffected because I come from a film background I know the up and downs and the cycles of this business. I know the truth.

Do you believe in superheroes?

Of course I do. My idea of a super hero is someone who uses all the powers that they are gifted with to do good or to save people. You don't have to jump across buildings or fly through the clouds; as long as you use the powers you are gifted with in the right manner you are a superhero. And in that regard all of us have the potential to be a super hero.

There are many breathtaking stunts in the film. Which was the most difficult for you to do?

The most challenging aspect of this role was to try and make the character endearing, innocent and somehow give him the simple charm that Rohit had in Koi Mil Gaya. Unlike Rohit, here you have someone who is super intelligent, super good looking and smart.

So how do you give him that quality of a have-not?

That was the biggest challenge.

You suffered injuries during the shooting of Krrish. Did you have to put yourself through that rather than using a stuntman?

Another kind of magic is to have passion in your heart. It can turn insurmountable mountains into small pebbles that you can walk over easily. I was faced with humungous, intimidating stunts but my passion, vision and dream to see it on the big screen helped me to do them. It had to be me because I had developed a kind of style for Krrish, which a stuntman could not duplicate.

Why do you push yourself so hard even for a stage show at an award function when others get away by rehearsing only for a few minutes?

In my five-year career I have realised that the one true magic that exists on this planet is 'practice'.

On day one my performance is zero, but it's the magic of practice that gets me all the compliments.

Does being so good looking in some way limit your choice of roles?

Thank you for that compliment. But honestly I cannot agree with it, because there is so much that goes into making someone look great on the screen. Acting is not about looks. What is important is how well you express yourself.

Do you have strong disagreements on the sets with your father?

If you don't have disagreements then it means that there is only one mind thinking and the rest are just puppets. It is the duty of an actor to express himself and put forward his ideas, however ridiculous they may be.

Your message to fans in Dubai?

Krrish is the biggest challenge my dad and I have taken up in life. It is our effort to take Hindi cinema to the next level. I hope it is successful so that others are motivated to try and explore new themes and go where no one has gone before.

About Hrithik

Hrithik Roshan lost 7 kilos for his role in Koi Mil Gaya and put on a similar amount for Krrish.

Hrithik's first screen appearance was at the age of 13 in his father's film Bhagwan Dada.
 
He assisted his father producer/ director Rakesh Roshan for five years before making his debut in his father's film Kaho Na Pyaar Hai in 2000.

He won every major award for best actor in 2003 for his performance as the mentally challenged Rohit in Koi Mil Gaya, again directed by his father.

His forthcoming films include Dhoom II, Jodha Akbar and Zoya Akhtar's as yet untitled film.