In a string of tell-all interviews before the release of her film Simran, Kangana Ranaut revealed all the details about her alleged romantic past-turned-ugly present with Hrithik Roshan. All this while, Kangana was making explosive statements and there was not a word from the Roshans. Until now, when Hrithik finally broke his silence on Arnab Goswami‘s news channel, Republic.
Here are a few excerpts:
1. “I am not a victim”
First of all, I am not a victim. I don’t think there is anything in my life that will make me think that way about myself. I know, and I have always known, that whatever I say can and will be used against me and I have to be honest that I am very, very uncomfortable right now.
2. “I was afraid”
I was also very afraid. I’m afraid that my words would be misconstrued. If I come across as strong they might term me as aggressive, if I show emotion they might term me as weak, if I show that I am vulnerable, they say he’s looking for sympathy.
3. Was there ever a relationship between him and Kangana?
No. I wonder if my need to please my actors led her on in some way? I’m just wondering. Maybe sending a smiley face… and if she was doing something on a beach, she used to send that to me and I used to compliment her, so I don’t know if that has caused all of this? This was it, there was no relationship.
4. “I’ve had enough”
It’s been four years, and I’ve had enough. I need to say what I want to say, but I have to live up to this star thing of mine. I have to be cool and not give any attention to something that is not important, but after a while I realised I was pretending. It was affecting me, it was affecting my community, it was affecting my sense of well being. That’s not being a hero, that’s being fake.
5. Why didn’t he come out and talk?
I was advised to stop. I’m usually very stable, but in that state of mind, to come out and talk, was not advisable – not that I am totally comfortable right now – but one has to grow and realise that some things need to be done.
6. Why didn’t he speak to the media then?
I didn’t give interviews because it’s disgraceful. It was a hostile environment. Who would give me a platform? Anything I did was used against me. I wanted to talk so badly, I’ve written 20 blogs. I shared with some friends and they said you just can’t do this, you’re a huge star. But what does being a star have to do with the human being that I am?
7. When did the notion of an imposter being involved surface for the first time?
On 25th May 2014, the day after Karan Johar’s birthday party, I woke up to abusive messages in Hindi from Kangana. There was no sentence, just abuses. I thought someone got her phone and is playing a prank. I never imagined she or her sister could write that. Then there was a mail from Rangoli accusing me of hacking into her account and sharing some explicit videos and images. I was completely disoriented.
8. “Then I hear ‘rape’ and that was it for me.”
When I was blamed for emotionally and psychologically raping her, that’s when I shut down. I told myself that I’ve done my bit as a friend and a professional, now I will not engage with any of it. I passed on every possible solution to them. Then I hear ‘rape’ and that was it for me. There are a lot of things we deal with on a daily basis, I wasn’t going to take this on additionally. I chose not to get involved.
9. Who stopped him from talking to Kangana?
I spoke to Javed Ahmed, the Commissionerof Police at the time. I told him that I want to meet this girl, with her sister and parents, and simply want to ask them all if they knew what’s happening. He said that that’s not an intelligent thing to do. ‘You don’t know how this person will tell the story to the world’. I even called Sajid Nadiadwala, I requested for some time with her on his set, I said I will send my manager to meet Rangoli and her sister too. I was told very strictly not to call directly. I don’t know the mechanism of law, or the media. I’m very media shy person and I have to rely on their advice. So I did.
10. Hrithik thought Kangana was innocent.
There’s no point in judging or accusing. The focus now should be on a solution, learning something from this about cyber crime. No longer will thieves enter through your door. They’ll come through thin air and create havoc in your bedroom. All this time I was still blaming the impostor. Rangoli’s mails say that she’s been communicating with some guy on an email ID that is not mine. Then she sends emails to my right email ID. I think she’s extending her relationship. I think she’s innocent. Unfortunately it was one of the primary thoughts in my mind. When I went to cyber crime, the complaint was against the impostor, she was only a witness. I have tried to analyse this in a million ways. I don’t know what the truth is.
11. I was really, really proud of her.
I first met her in 2008-2009. We did not become good friends. I found her to be extremely, extremely professional, not just in Kites, but through Krrish as well, to the extent that I was really, really proud of her. She came with her dialogues, and she was giving everything she had for my movies, and for an actor to give so much to my movies meant a lot. I was extremely proud of her, and I told her that several times. She said that she was inspired by me after seeing me in a film in Manali. I took that as a compliment.
12. Were there any hints?
We were at a wrap party in Jordan, and I was ready to retire for the night, and she wanted to talk, and I was very, very tired, so I told her we should talk in the morning. I ordered for room service, and there was a loud knock on my door, so I went to check – this was 2012, and everyone was really happy – and it was her through the keyhole. She didn’t appear to be in the right state. It was a party so you’ve had a few drinks, so I called my assistant, and he came down to her room and asked her sister to come get her. Rangoli (Kangana’s sister) came and told me not to think badly of her, and that she is a good girl and I said of course, I’m not for a moment judging her.
13. “There were about 3-4000 mails”
It started with ten then fifteen mails and I was afraid. If I send you an email right now, how would you stop the email from entering your inbox? If you have a MacBook Pro, there is no option to block people. Believe me I hunted for this blocking option. You can only spam it or junk it, and I did that immediately. I must have read 40-50 of them. There were about 3-4000.
14. “I didn’t want to associate with this at all”
All this time, the harassment was limited to my laptop, then she made it public. And that is when I got afraid. I didn’t want to name her. I could have replied, I could have made a phone call, I could have sent an SMS saying ‘come over’, but thank God I didn’t. I didn’t want to associate with this at all. I am a creative person. I have kids. I had no interest in this. Until it started manifesting in the outside world. I can handle things in my inbox. I deal with my problems. I can just brush it aside and move on.
15. “I never want to be in a he-said-she-said situation”
I think if I do get a chance to speak with her I will tell her what my thoughts are, but not here. This is national TV. I’m not here to fight. For once I wanted to say my truth and that’s it. What else can I do? I never want to be in a he-said-she-said situation, it’s disgraceful. I’ve been prodded on to give you a narrative. But do not trust me, just go by the evidences. If people believe me, great! If they don’t, great! I know where my journey will lead me. I will manifest what I am exactly about.
16. “This had the power to turn me into a very cynical, bitter man”
They called me a superstar, then a megalomaniac, then they’ll call me a victim… I have to know what I am. This had the power to turn me into a very cynical, bitter man, but I knew in my heart that I can’t afford that. I can’t teach my children the beauty of life like this.