If
success
starts
from
the
alphabet
'S',
Rakesh
Roshan
would
deny
it
hands
down.
For
him
though,
'K'
has
always
been
the
word
which
would
define
success
ever
since
his
Khudgarz
days.
Thanks
to
a
fan
who
wrote
a
letter
to
Rakesh
while
he
was
an
actor
and
suggested
him
to
make
films
as
a
producer
and
a
director
starting
with
'K'.
There
was
no
looking
back
for
Roshan
after
he
read
the
letter.
Then
followed
hits
and
only
hits,
blockbusters
and
only
blockbusters
and
Hrithik
Roshan
and
only
Hrithik
Roshan.
With
his
new
film
Kites
being
the
talk
of
the
town,
Rakesh
relishes
some
good
memories
about
the
alphabet
'K',
talks
about
his
star
son,
his
conviction
in
Anurag
Basu,
the
new
find
Barbara
Mori,
the
talented
Kangna
Ranaut
and
why
Bollywood
is
still
a
small
pond
where
our
industry
is
happy
being
in.
All
this
with
UK's
Harrow
Observer
columnist
and
a
correspondent
-
Devansh
Patel.
Oh!
I
forgot
something...and
his
big
quote
-
"I
can
vouch
for
Kites
that
not
a
single
film
in
India
is
made
up
to
the
standard
of
this
film."
(V)ouch!
Hrithik
Roshan
-
The
star
son
Hrithik's
goal
is
not
to
cross
over
and
do
Hollywood
films.
No.
That
is
not
his
goal.
Our
goal
is
to
show
to
the
world
market
that
India
can
make
good
films
too
because
we
too
have
good
actors
and
good
technicians.
If
we
succeed
in
Kites,
and
if
there
is
an
offer
for
Hrithik
from
the
West,
he
isn't
going
to
leave
India
and
settle
down
there.
He
might
do
one
film
to
work
with
some
better
filmmakers
out
there.
It
will
be
a
big
pride
for
me
and
my
family
if
Hrithik
does
a
Hollywood
film
and
with
Kites,
I
am
pushing
him
into
the
world
market.
If
we
succeed
in
Kites,
and
if
there
is
an
offer
for
Hrithik
from
the
West,
he
isn't
going
to
leave
India
and
settle
down
there
K
-
The
superstition.
It's
not
about
being
superstitious.
As
a
producer,
the
first
film
I
made
was
Aap
Ke
Deewane.
Then
I
made
Kaamchor
and
the
third
film
was
Jaag
Utha
Insaan
and
the
fourth
film
was
Bhagwaan
Dada
as
a
producer.
Once
a
fan
wrote
to
me
that
I
should
only
start
my
films
with
the
alphabet
'K'
because
all
my
films
as
an
actor
have
done
well.
Like
Khatta
Meetha,
Khubsoorat,
Khel
Khel
Mein
and
Kaamchor
and
Khandaan.
Then
I
made
a
film
called
Khudgarz
and
the
same
fan
wrote
to
me
saying
that
the
film
worked
because
I
titled
it
with
'K'.
That's
how
this
fan
mail
stayed
into
my
head
for
a
long
time,
even
till
today.
Director
v/s
Director
Rakesh
Roshan
Kites
was
first
planned
to
be
directed
by
me.
I
happened
to
be
in
some
of
the
award
functions
and
four
names
popped
up
every
time
I
saw
the
best
film
categories
-
Munnabhai,
Rang
De
Basanti,
Krissh
and
Gangster.
But
somehow
I
was
a
little
curious
to
know
why
a
film
like
Gangster
would
fit
into
such
nominations.
So
I
saw
the
film
and
loved
it.
I
was
completely
blown
by
Anurag
Basu's
direction.
He
deserves
a
good
break.
I
called
him
and
asked
him,
"I
want
Hrithik
to
work
with
you.
Have
you
got
any
good
story?" Anurag
said,
"No
Rakeshji.
I
make
small
films
with
small
budgets.
With
Hrithik,
I'll
need
a
bigger
canvas."
Seeing
his
honesty,
I
told
him,
"I
have
a
story,
and
if
it
touches
you,
and
you
think
that
you
will
do
full
justice
to
the
film,
then
I
want
you
to
direct
it."
Anurag
wasn't
sure
if
I
was
willing
to
give
him
Kites
to
direct.
After
a
month,
Anurag
came
back
with
his
own
thoughts
and
a
few
changes
and
I
was
convinced
that
he
will
be
the
man
to
direct
Kites.
Canvas
There
are
two
things.
When
I
was
making
Kaho
Naa
Pyaar
Hai,
I
could've
shot
the
same
thing
in
Madh
Island
too.
But
I
didn't.
The
content
would've
been
the
same
but
what
about
the
canvas?
Canvas
is
not
that
I'm
putting
thousand
dancers
instead
of
ten
dancers.
That's
throwing
away
money.
If
it's
a
desert,
it
has
to
be
different.
We
have
seen
the
Thar
desert,
but
what
if
we
get
the
desert
from
Mexico.
That
stays
in
your
mind.
The
ambience
has
a
local
flavour.
Barbara
Mori
We
were
looking
out
for
a
lot
of
girls
who
could
speak
Spanish.
We
were
sure
that
we
didn't
want
any
Indian
actress
because
it
would
look
fake.
So
I
went
to
Los
Angeles
and
met
two
to
three
actresses
out
there.
But
then
I
thought,
I
wouldn't
be
comfortable
to
make
Kites
with
such
big
names
too.
A
friend
of
mine
called
me
on
my
return
to
Mumbai
and
urged
me
to
watch
a
Spanish
film.
There
was
Barbara
Mori
in
the
film.
In
the
very
first
instinct,
I
liked
her.
She
had
to
be
my
heroine.
I
showed
it
to
Anurag
and
he
too
approved
of
her.
Even
Hrithik
said,
"This
is
the
girl
for
Kites." I
flew
from
Mumbai
to
Los
Angeles
with
Anurag
Basu
and
she
flew
down
from
Mexico
to
Los
Angeles.
We
narrated
the
script
to
her.
She
liked
it
initially.
What
we
wanted
was
right
in
front
of
us.
She
didn't
know
English
at
all
and
that's
what
we
wanted.
An
hour's
narration
took
me
four
hours
to
narrate
to
Barbara
Mori.
She
was
a
keen
listener
and
had
tears
in
her
eyes
in-between
the
narration.
Then
she
would
laugh.
Barbara
immediately
said
'Yes'
to
Kites.
Bankable
Our
Indian
Film
Industry
has
become
stagnant.
We
don't
want
to
grow.
I
was
never
sure
how
Koi
Mil
Gaya,
Krrish,
or
Kaho
Naa
Pyaar
Hai
would
fare.
But
I
was
very
sure
that
people
will
see
all
these
films
and
quote,
"Rakesh
Roshan
has
made
a
good
film." With
Kites,
I
expect
the
same,
and
that
is
the
best
compliment
I
get
every
time
I
make
a
good
film.
Success
is
not
in
our
hands.
Success
is
in
our
audiences
hands.
We
have
put
our
best
foot
forward
with
Kites
and
today
I
can
vouch
for
this
that
no
Indian
film
has
been
made
on
this
standard.
Kangna
Ranaut
Rakesh
Roshan
I
am
thankful
to
Kangna
Ranaut
for
accepting
the
role
in
Kites.
She
is
a
very
honest
girl,
a
thorough
professional
and
would
come
up
to
me
and
say,
"Rakeshji,
Anurag
ko
bulao.
Kya
karna
hain,
kaise
karna
hain."
(Rakesh,
please
call
Anurag
and
tell
me
what
am
I
to
do
and
how)
Kangna's
English
accent
isn't
good.
So
we
kept
a
tutor
for
her
as
her
role
is
of
a
girl
born
and
brought
up
in
the
United
States
of
America.
Kangna
religiously
learned
how
to
speak
English
with
an
American
accent.
Bollywood
-
A
small
pond
Our
Indian
Film
Industry
has
become
stagnant.
We
don't
want
to
grow.
We
want
to
use
the
same
comedy
formula
in
all
our
films,
the
same
thriller
angle
in
all
our
films.
Yes,
there
are
some
good
films
coming
out
since
a
few
years
like
Dev
D,
Love
Sex
Aur
Dhoka,
etc
which
are
a
good
start.
We
are
trying
to
change
lanes
and
that's
very
promising.
But
maybe
we
are
not
getting
the
success
we
want.
Not
to
forget,
we
are
changing
the
audiences
mind
too.
If
we
give
them
all
bikini
girls,
those
days
are
gone.