South American-born, Mexican actress Barbara said that she actually baulked when Rakesh Roshan showed her Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Jodhaa Akbar in Los Angeles. “Hrithik was so stiff. I thought, ‘I don’t want to do a film with an actor like that.’ I hated Hrithik in it,” said the actress whose magical green eyes have a searing honesty in them. But Barbara told Rakesh and director Anurag Basu that she would give Kites a serious thought because she loved the script. And she was excited about a prospect in Bollywood.
Like most love stories that start with indifference and go on to passion, the Barbara-Hrithik saga, too, took a similar route.
When she saw DVDs of his Kaho Na... Pyar Hai, Koi Mil Gaya, Lakshya and Dhoom2, she fell in love with his screen persona. “Those are movies I could relate to,” she admitted. “I couldn’t take my eyes off Hrithik and I was excited about doing a film with him.” And now that Kites is all set to soar, Barbara said everything about the film is exciting to her. “I have my fingers crossed the film becomes a huge hit,” she said.
Does Hrithik believe Kites is the most passionate Bollywood film ever made? “This is the result of two-and-ahalf years of my heart and soul’s investment,” he said. “Physically, too, a lot of my blood and sweat has gone into this film. I am sure everyone will take back something from the film.’’ Thanking Anurag, he added, “I had seen his films. They are my kind of films and I knew he had a vision that I would connect with.’’
And, of course, Kites wouldn’t be the enjoyable journey had it not been for Barbara, Hrithik admitted, “Barbara’s conditioning has been from another world. And her approach to her art is different. There is no manipulation when she caters to the camera or to the audience concerned. I think Barbara is such a mature performer. She is the best actor I have worked with.’’
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