Hrithik Roshan should direct a film soon, says Siddharth Anand; calls actor ‘closet filmmaker’

After the blockbuster success of Pathaan, Siddharth Anand is hard at work on his next, Fighter, starring Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone and Anil Kapoor. The director is already on the fourth schedule of the aerial action film with lead actor Hrithik. Siddharth lauded the actor for his full commitment to the film and spoke about why Hrithik should direct a film himself soon. He also said that Hrithik is a closet filmmaker. (Also read: Siddharth Anand reveals which Pathaan scene made Salman Khan say ‘you are not serious’)

Siddharth has already worked with Hrithik Roshan on Bang Bang (2014) and War (2019). The director shared that he had completed 25 per cent of the film which features Hrithik as a character named Patty as he aims to become India’s best fighter pilot. Singer Talat Aziz also plays Hrithik’s father in the film.

In an interview with Mid-Day, Siddharth spoke about the actor who he believed has a filmmaker inside of him. He said, “Hrithik is a complete Hindi film hero. He is an intricate performer who not only adds nuances to his role, but also encourages the actors in front of him, so that everyone shines in the film. Hrithik doesn’t look at himself alone in a movie. He is a closet filmmaker, and he doesn’t know it. I keep telling him that he should direct a film soon.”

The director also added that he felt vindicated after Pathaan’s release, which brought audiences back to theatres. He shared, “[Before the movie’s release], some sections of the Hindi film industry and public started believing in the Boycott Bollywood trend. They lost confidence in their own films. But Pathaan was an answer to it all — don’t find excuses, make a film with the right intentions, and people will come [to the theatres].”

Incidentally, Hrithik has assisted his father Rakesh Roshan on four of his films, including Khudgarz (1987) and Karan Arjun (1995). Rakesh was also an actor in the 70s before he made his directorial debut with Khudgarz. Hrithik was last seen in the Hindi remake Vikram Vedha last year with Saif Ali Khan. Written and directed by Pushkar–Gayathri, the film was a remake of their 2017 Tamil film of the same name starring R Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi.

Pathaan, which also stars Dimple Kapadia and Ashutosh Rana, will have its digital premiere on Prime Video on March 22.