Tiger Shroff: Watched Hrithik Roshan's song every night before sleeping

Tiger Shroff

"We are at war on and off screen," grins Tiger Shroff, referring to the past fortnight that has seen War co-star Hrithik Roshan and him wearing t-shirts mocking each other. Their equation be what it may in the Siddharth Anand-directed actioner, it's a different story altogether when the camera is not rolling. "I have looked up to him all my life. My equation with him is that of a guru and shishya," gushes Shroff, turning into a fanboy.

The actor discusses that shooting with his childhood idol turned out to be a learning experience, just as he had imagined. "He is an extremist who pushes himself to levels that are unheard of. Besides being a giving actor, Hrithik also has the mind of a director. He thinks of the film in totality. I was lucky to be directed by him in a few scenes as well."

Ask him if he remembers his first meeting with the actor, and he harks back to 2006 when Roshan was a superstar, and he, a star-struck 14-year-old. "A mutual friend took me over to his place to work out at his gym. He was happy to see me because he had known me since King Uncle [1993] - he was an assistant director on the film, and my dad [Jackie Shroff] featured in it. I have little recollection of having met him then because I was a toddler. Our next meeting was at an awards show where he gave me the Best Debutant award. We even danced together on the stage."

Hrithik Roshan. Pic/AFP

A shared love for fitness and dance and an inclination for action-oriented roles bind the two together. Ask if the similarities are coincidental, and Shroff admits that it has been a studied move on his part. "Subconsciously, I made decisions [that made me similar to him]. For instance, I knew I wanted to dance like him. So, I used to watch one song of Hrithik every night before sleeping. I would go to sleep thinking of the steps. The next morning, I would recreate those moves. That was my training."

Also Read: Want to see Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff promoting a film together? Maybe next time!

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