Superheroes need a break every once in a while. But Hindi cinema’s favourite superhero, Krrish, has been missing from the big screen for almost a decade. After Hrithik Roshan last reprised the titular role in Krrish 3 (2013), rumours abounded in 2020 that filmmaker Rakesh Roshan and his actor-son were gearing up for the fourth instalment of the sci-fi film franchise.

Three years on, the director reveals that scripting is underway. “Krrish 4 will not begin before the end of next year. We are working on the script, and pre-production will begin only after that,” states Rakesh.

Currently, Hrithik is busy shooting for Siddharth Anand’s aerial action thriller, Fighter, after which he is expected to move on to War 2 with director Ayan Mukerji in November. Unperturbed about the delay, Rakesh is utilizing the months to develop a script that, he hopes, will be a fitting follow-up.

“I like to take my time while making a film, and am not in a hurry to complete Krrish 4. Even the earlier instalments were spaced [many] years apart. Such a concept has barely been attempted before in international movies, let alone in India. I have not attempted this kind of a story before where I have no reference point, and hence, it is taking time. There is an emotional core [the father-son track] too.”

In 2020, rumours suggested that the fourth edition would revolve around Hrithik’s superhero travelling in time to bring back his scientist-father Rohit Mehra, who was presumed dead, with the help of Jadoo. It apparently explores the idea of intergalactic space travel, with a battalion of super villains thrown in. 

The filmmaker clams up on the topic, only saying that the script is nearly ready in his head, as is his practice with all his movies. “I do everything, from scripting to editing and action, in my head. That is why I have no hair,” he laughs. “Every scene and page is in my head. My writers and I sit down once a month to discuss it. After it is written down, it is given to the team and actors.”