Hrithik Roshan says he can't reach Vijay Sethupathi's 'amazing' Vikram Vedha performance even 'in my dreams'

Hrithik Roshan talks about why comparisons with Vijay Sethupathi in Vikram Vedha don’t bother him, and opens up on his career choices.

Hrithik Roshan is returning to the big screen after quite a while. His upcoming release Vikram Vedha, will be his first in over three years. A lot has changed in the industry’s landscape since then and yet, a lot has stayed the same as well, chiefly that a Hrithik Roshan film still generates a massive buzz. Ahead of the film’s release, Hrithik interacted with the media in Delhi about the expectations from it, his ‘comeback’, and why he has been selective over the course of his career.

Hrithik Roshan in his upcoming film Vikram Vedha, Vijay Sethupathi in the 2017 Tamil original film.

Vikram Vedha is a remake of Pushkar and Gayathri’s 2017 Tamil hit of the same name, which starred R Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi. The director duo has helmed the remake as well and ever since the teaser released, comparisons began. Responding to Hindustan Times about that, Hrithik appears almost zen-like. “There is nothing I can do about it,” he says, adding, “I have done my part. The only thing in my control is to do my best. That’s all. There’s a prayer I say every day: ‘give me the courage to change what things I can, serenity to accept what cannot be changed, and the insight to know the difference’. Once I know that, I am content.”

He does, however, add that he is certain he will not be able to repeat what Vijay Sethupathi managed in his portrayal of the character in the original. “I know how amazingly Vijay Sethupathi did the same part. I can’t in my dreams think that I would achieve that level. Yet, I have done my best and I am happy with what I have done,” says Hrithik.

But that admiration of Vijay’s craft and performance did not influence Hrithik in how he approached the role, the actor clarifies. Talking of the original, he says, “When you approach a character, you can’t just repeat what has been done. If you think ‘he did that so I will also do it’, that’s not a very intelligent way to go about it. The simplest way to go about it is to know that every individual is different. So, if I approach this the way I look at it, it will automatically be different, new, and honest.”

Hrithik’s last release before Vikram Vedha was War, back in October 2019. Has the almost-three-year-gap between releases made Hrithik extra nervous for the fate of this one? “It’s not extraordinary, just the normal jitters I feel whenever a film of mine is releasing that I think should do well. There have been many films for which, at the time of release, I felt very confident because I already knew what people would think of the film. This time, I am nervous because I want this to do well. I think this is one hell of a film,” he says.

Like Vikram Vedha, War was also a two-hero film, also starring Tiger Shroff. While many big stars shy away from sharing the spotlight, Hrithik says he craves it. “I get really excited, to be honest. I love doing two-hero films or ensemble films. It gets very lonely when it’s a solo hero film. I enjoy having someone,” he says with a laugh.

In a career spanning over two decades, Hrithik has acted in only 25 films as a lead hero. Most of his contemporaries have been more prolific. Hrithik chalks down this selectiveness to laziness. He explains, “For me, it’s simple. I just do the films that I can’t say no to. When I hear a script, I will basically just try and say no. But if I can’t, then I do it. I am a very lazy person. I don’t want to act. Mujhe karni hi nahi hain films (I don’t want to do films), but the film that I can’t say no to is the one I do. Something has to click.”

Vikram Vedha, directed by Pushka-Gayathri, also stars Radhika Apte, Yogita Bihani, Rohit Saraf, and Sharib Hashmi. The film will be released in theatres on Friday, September 30.