11 minutes saved me

On November 20, actor Hrithik Roshan was rushed to the emergency room of Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. He was diagnosed with a severe allergic reaction, and told that he had been saved in the nick of time.

In his first interview since the incident, Roshan says, “I gave people quite a scare. I was driving in my car when I started feeling breathless. I was fortunate enough to be near a hospital, as the doctors later told me that I had just 11 minutes. The congestion was so bad, I couldn’t breathe. The doctor said that any later, and he would have had to slit my throat and put in a pipe to help me breathe.”

The experience, he says, has helped him appreciate life all the more. “I have started valuing my life more. I want to shout from rooftops and explain to people that everything is good; let go of your ego, and enjoy life.”

The actor, who plays a quadriplegic in his latest film, Guzaarish, says that though he has been flooded with compliments for his acting, the one he cherishes the most came from actor Shah Rukh Khan. “Shah Rukh watched the film with friends, and called me over when it ended. He gave me so much love. We stayed up all night till 6am, and talked only about the film. I think this is what makes him Shah Rukh Khan,” Roshan says.

The actor says that he is not after commercial or critical success. “This film is beyond good or bad, five crore or 50 crore. Its success lies in the fact that it has changed the life of everyone who has seen it, for the better.”

“An award is symbolic of all the work that one has gone through, but it is not something one should spend his or her time craving for,” he says.

As for his chemistry with co-star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Roshan says, “She is my best co-star. Our approach to our art is similar, and this is where the comfort lies.”

Party time with Arjun
On Thursday night, Roshan, along with several other Bollywood folks, was in the Capital for actor Arjun Rampal’s birthday party. Held at Rampal’s club, LAP, the party saw Hrithik’s wife Sussanne, Gauri Khan, Chunky Pandey with wife Bhavna, Deepika Padukone with Siddarth Mallya, Rohit Bal and many more. Personalised invites went out to the guests two days before the party, which was a hushed affair.

Arjun even played DJ at the party. Socialite Nalin Gupta, who attended the party, says, “Deepika spent a good part of the evening with Siddarth.” Actor Jackky Bhagnani tweeted, “It was a blast. Arjun is a brilliant DJ. He was playing like a pro.”
-Aaron George