Upala KBR (MID-DAY; October 6, 2017)

The Hrithik Roshan-Kangana Ranaut controversy that broke out in March 2016 witnessed a new chapter yesterday as the actor took to his social media handle and offered his narrative.

In a statement where he questioned the alleged affair between him and Ranaut as it had “no trail left behind” by way of “paparazzi pictures or memento”, Roshan went on to add how he felt compelled to put forth his viewpoint so that he could “defend the truth because when truth suffers, the collective consciousness of society suffers… Closer to home, families suffer. Children suffer.” His revelation surprised many since the actor had maintained a stoic silence on the subject so far.

When mid-day spoke to a member of the Roshan clan, he revealed that the children had a role to play in the actor’s decision to speak up.

His kids, Hrehaan and Hridhaan, are his priority and it broke his heart to see how the controversy — from allegations of an affair to a rumoured engagement in Paris to e-mails being leaked — had taken a toll on them.

The family member revealed, “Hrithik’s family told him that enough was enough and now wasn’t the time to keep silent. They all sat down and decided that Hrithik needed to take charge of the situation. If you read the last line of his statement, it mentions how children suffer if justice is denied. That is a very telling line. Does anybody have any idea what his children have gone through because of this circus?” When Ranaut demanded a “public apology” from the actor on national television, the family convinced him to share his ordeal, lest his silence be misconstrued as his admission of guilt. After having a heart-to-heart with father Rakesh Roshan, the anguished star understood that he had no choice but to react. “Hrithik was insulted on Aap Ki Adalat. That affected him deeply. His family told him that if he doesn’t speak up now, it will mean two things — either he is guilty or he is too weak to respond. Neither was the case, so why shouldn’t he speak up?”

Despite Ranaut’s accusations during Simran promotions, he practised restraint as he did not want to engage in a public spat. “He spoke only after weeks. The intent is not to malign anyone but to save one’s dignity.”