Hrithik Roshan's career trajectory is quite strange. On one hand, he has overcome so many hurdles to become the star that he is. He was diagnosed with scoliosis at a young age, but that didn't deter him from realising his dreams. He persevered and overcame every obstacle, including stammering, to become a bonafide star.
Yet, there is a constant feeling that he hasn't done justice to his immense talent, as I sincerely believe he had the potential to reach the zenith of Bollywood, considering his capability. People primarily focus more on his looks, charm, and impeccable dance moves. These attributes perhaps make people overlook the fact that Hrithik has been an equally good actor. Some of the roles he chose were risky, yet he pulled them off with conviction. His versatility often goes unnoticed as people still associate him with his Greek God image.
He made a smashing debut in the year 2000 with Kaho Na Pyar Hai and became an overnight sensation. Post KNPH, he gave a string of flops and was written off as a one-hit wonder. But he made a memorable comeback with Koi Mill Gaya and reached his peak in 2006, delivering the top 2 grossers of the year. It was assumed that he would consolidate his position at the top, but a couple of misfires in the subsequent years and long gaps between his films meant that he was playing catch-up to his contemporaries (especially Khans) in the next 2 decades. Still, he remains one of the most bankable stars in Bollywood and has a loyal fan base to date.
Beyond his stardom and acting prowess, what stands out about Hrithik has been the grace with which he has conducted himself off-screen. In that sense, he has been somewhat of an oddity in Bollywood.
No insecurity: Unlike other Bollywood stars, Hrithik has hardly been involved in any controversy. You'd never find him talking ill of any of his contemporaries. On the contrary, he has promoted and praised almost every big Bollywood film on his social media. In 2016, Rustom makers, out of nowhere, decided to clash their film with Hrithik's magnum opus Mohenjo-Daro. The next year, SRK's Raees clashed with Kaabil despite Rakesh Roshan having announced Kaabil’s release date well in advance. Any other actor would have expressed his displeasure through PR articles, yet Hrithik hardly seemed perturbed by these events and never made any fuss about it. He continues to maintain a good relationship with both Srk and Akshay.
Kangana fiasco: The entire controversy surrounding Hrithik's alleged affair with Kangana was also handled with grace. Kangana went on a rampage during Simran’s promotions, accusing him of cheating without a single piece of evidence to back her claims. She gave one interview after another, belittling Hrithik and even his family. Despite multiple provocations, Hrithik shared his side of the story without getting personal or saying anything nasty about anyone. He hardly found any support from his fraternity, yet stood his ground. He was brave enough to face the media and voiced the plight of every man wrongly accused by women in a dignified manner.
Family Man: Hrithik parted ways with his ex-wife, Suzanne, amicably. They continue to be cordial with each other. There were no attempts to gain sympathy through curated interviews. In fact, during the Kangana controversy, he found an unlikely ally in Suzanne. He seems to be a doting father and a responsible son, too. He has tried to keep his personal matters as private as possible.
He is one of the rare stars who has handled his stardom with humility and continues to give his all in every movie that he does. While some of his recent movies may have underperformed, you could never doubt his sincerity and dedication towards his work.
