Hrithik Roshan was keen that the Patna-based math wiz break bread with his parents, Rakesh and Pinky Roshan, uncle Rajesh and the extended family
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; November 16, 2019)

Thanksgiving Day came a fortnight early for Hrithik Roshan as he invited Super 30 founder and the muse for his runaway hit by the same name, Anand Kumar, to his Juhu home on Thursday. Since he holds the biopic close to his heart, the superstar was keen that the Patna-based math wiz break bread with his parents, Rakesh and Pinky Roshan, uncle Rajesh and the extended family.

"Hrithik would keep telling me that his folks were keen to meet me. But he got busy with his next film [War], and I, with my classes back home. As a result, the dinner plan did not materialise for long," says Kumar. However, with Thanksgiving Day around the corner, the actor thought it was the perfect occasion to catch up with the man who helped him bounce back in the game.

"It felt like I was with my family. I was touched when Rakesh ji served food to me," says Kumar, who was accompanied by brother Pranav for the meal. His most treasured compliment came from the actor's mother Pinky. "She told me that she had seen the film nine times in the theatre."

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; June 20, 2019)

As an educationist and mathematician, he’s recognised as the man behind the Super 30 programme, which commenced in Patna in 2002. It trains underprivileged students for the entrance examination, for admission in coveted technical institutions. Though his success rate is high, Anand Kumar comes across as a modest teacher, who admits that people laughed out loud when they heard Hrithik Roshan would headline his biopic titled Super 30. Over to the shikshak, who wonders why most parents don’t encourage their children to pursue teaching as a profession, how his faith in director Vikas Bahl was never shaken and why he was confident about Hrithik being the best choice for the film. Excerpts from the chat:

Your biopic has been in the making for a while now. Writer Sanjeev Dutta and you have been working on it since 2014. It’s been a long wait…
Honestly, now I wish that this process just went on for a little longer. Mujhe mazaa aane laga tha intezaar ka, logon se milne ka, aur sab ke saath khaate peete samay guzaarne ka. Ab kuch samay mein woh sab khatam ho jayega.

My life will go back to what it was after Super 30 releases. I enjoyed the process of being on a film set and watching a movie being made from close quarters. My family would get upset with the change in the release date. Actually, they don’t know what happens behind the scenes. Even I don’t know much, but I’ve learnt that when you’re working towards something big and good, you have to face a lot with it. It never comes easy.

Back in the day, Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena and Vikramaditya Motwane’s production house was working on your film. A lot has happened in the last two years. At some point, Akshay Kumar was in discussion, before Hrithik came on board. Director Vikas Bahl was named in the #MeToo controversy, which left everyone wondering how it would impact the film’s prospects. What was really going on behind the scenes?
To this day, of the four people that you mentioned, I only know Madhu Mantena well. He wanted to make the film and he had introduced me to Vikas Bahl. My knowledge of what happened between the partners comes from what I have read in the papers; I’ve never tried to find out more. It’s true that several filmmakers and actors had offered to work on my biopic. Madhu ji’s (Mantena) conviction and the way he wanted to narrate this story, assured me that he would do a great job. While there were several actors who were keen to play my character, and I met a few of them too, I felt Hrithik was the best choice. He was willing to take it up as a challenge and was ready to work hard. His diligence impressed me.

Hrithik looks urban and suave, and is referred to as the Greek God of Bollywood. Just on the basis of his physicality, didn’t you have reservations about him playing your character?
(Laughs!) Yes, I know he’s known as the Greek God of Bollywood. And trust me, whenever I told people that he was going to play me on screen, they would laugh out loud and say, ‘Tum shakal aur bhasha se dehati ho, woh Greek God jaisa hai. Woh kaise kar sakta hai? What if your decision is wrong?’ As a teacher, I felt that Hrithik’s earnestness and his vision for the role was unmatched. I thought to myself, ‘Koi chamatkaar nahi hai agar koi hamare jaisa aam dikhnewala vyakti hamara kirdaar kare. Audience ko zyada engaging tab lagega, jab koi Hrithik Roshan jaisa dikhnewala aadmi hamara kirdaar kare. Uss mein asli challenge hai.’

How involved were you with the project at every stage?
I worked with Sanjeev Dutta and Vikas Bahl on the script. After coming on board, Hrithik involved me in the project to a larger degree. He had many meetings with me, and each one lasted for five-six hours. I had read somewhere that teams generally just meet the subject of a biopic or his family once or twice as part of the process. Then, they make the film the way they want to. But Hrithik handled it differently. He asked for inputs all the time. In fact, he had told me that once the film goes on the floors, I might have to spend more time with him on the sets. With due permission, he had also sent someone over to my house to shoot 150 hours of footage, capturing my every-day life. He would refer to that footage often. At times, he asked me what I’d felt at a certain time in my life, before emoting that part in front of the camera.

The film is being described as, ‘based on true incidents. Any reason why it’s not being called a biopic?
I can’t explain why that has been done. People have different ways of technically compartmentalizing a film, and they have their reasons for doing that. I know that Hrithik’s name in the film is Anand and it’s my story. My friends had suggested that I have a legal agreement with the makers that the script will be finalised with my nod. The makers upheld my word. Also, I was on the set on so many occasions. Of course, I never interfered with Vikas’ work, because he can’t teach me math and I definitely can’t teach him the art of filmmaking. I’ve seen rushes and I am happy with the outcome. I want to watch the film with my family.

The last eight months have been challenging for your film, given the #MeToo allegations against Vikas Bahl. How did you bide that time?
I trusted Vikas and never lost faith in his abilities. I know how emotional and sensitive he is as a person. I also waited to know what the internal complaints committee had to say. They’ve given him a clean chit and I’m very happy about that.

There are contrasting reports about you in the news space. Some articles have been published criticizing the Super 30 programme and reportedly, the education mafia had attacked you physically. What’s the truth?
(Cuts in…) I’ve been attacked a few times by the education mafia. I’ve been given protection by the government authorities. The trailer of Super 30 shows maar-dhaad, but I’ve never done it. My brother Pranav had done it on a few occasions to protect my students and me. He got into trouble for doing that. It’s strange that all kinds of negative stories about me have started making the rounds only after the film was announced. Uske pehle Anand kya kar raha tha kisiko pata nahi tha. People have tried every trick to demotivate me and derail the biopic. No one raises an eyebrow if you are a rich man’s son and you become a successful businessman. Kisi gareeb ka beta agar padh-likh kar bada ban jaaye, to logon ko badi dikkat hoti hai. People who have failed in their lives are the ones who pull others down. My father had once told me that as you grow in stature, your problems, too, shall increase. Jitnaa bada hero banoge, utna hi bada villain bhi aayega. A lot of people, some who don’t even know me, have levelled allegations against me, moved court on occasions and have caused me distress. Thanks to my father’s teachings, I don’t get rattled. I am tackling my share of problems, but today, I have a lot of support from people who appreciate my efforts. To this day, no matter what people say, I support my family and students with the tuition I provide.

You’ve spent most of your career teaching underprivileged students. What’s your take on India’s educational system? Lately, films have highlighted the education mafia and system loopholes...
Education should not be used to pressurise children. While there has been a lot of development in every field, education needs to evolve. It’s surprising that everyone wants a good teacher, but most people don’t encourage their children to pursue teaching as a profession. No one sees teachers as an instrument of change. Also, in our country, there’s such a huge divide in the education space. Some schools look like five-star hotels aur kahin schools mein chhat aur darwaza nahi hai. Our film underlines the fact that we need teachers who can bridge that gap and not let it affect the prospects of a child.

As controversies plague him, Anand Kumar says Hrithik’s Super 30 will silence detractors
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; June 19, 2019)

“People want to take selfies with me now, but I will always remain a tutor,” begins mathematician Anand Kumar, whose success story has led to the creation of Hrithik Roshan-starrer Super 30. No sooner was the film announced than the Patna-based tutor — who founded the institute that provides free coaching to 30 underprivileged students — was dogged with allegations of fraud and litigations.

“I am under attack only because a film is being made on my life,” he defends, adding, “The Bihar government has given me security cover. My brother Pranav was hit by a heavy vehicle last year; it was not an accident, it was deliberate. There are a handful of people with feudal mindset who are hell-bent on pulling me down. But the film will silence my detractors.”

It is easy to see why his journey may have caught the attention of many a filmmaker. Writer Sanjeev Dutta approached him eight years ago, keen to adapt his story for the big screen. “Anurag Basu showed interest then, but nothing moved. Things took off when producer Madhu Mantena came into the picture. It was through him that I met Hrithik Roshan. He told me he needed a year to prep for the role.”

Quiz him if Roshan is an unlikely choice for the part since he doesn’t physically resemble him, and Kumar retorts, “Isn’t acting all about diving into the character? I admire him as an actor.”

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; July 26, 2018)

A majority of people in Mumbai are unaware of it, but a strong movement around mathematician Anand Kumar has been playing out in Bihar over the last few days. A controversy has erupted against the Super 30 founder and several students. According to their parents, Anand has allegedly made some false claims. Reportedly, he had started the Super 30 programme in 2002 along with IPS officer Abhayanand in order to help and teach underprivileged kids, free of cost, to crack the IIT-JEE examinations. But in the wake of recent events and some media reports, which have been circulating on social media, it turns out that Anand is being accused of deceit. While the mathematician is yet to tell us his side of the story, his detractors say that a scam may be unearthed.

We reached out to Abhayanand, who originally started the Super 30 coaching classes with Anand, as he has been vocal on social media. He told us, “From what I have read and heard, there are children who are distraught and concerned. Students, who were part of the Super 30 programme, are coming out and talking. The media has opened a channel of communication now and they are sending out their messages and opinions.”

‘Super 30 can’t be a biopic’
Anand’s life is being made into a Hindi film, titled Super 30, with Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan playing the mathematician. The biopic has largely been shot and one hears just 20 per cent of the shoot is left. The movie will hit the screens on January 25 next year. Talking about it, Abhayanand says, “I don’t know what’s there in the film. Even if it is based on the biography written by Anand, it can’t be a biopic. I’m aware of the window between 1992-2008 in his life. I have read the book partly, but in my opinion, a lot of it is just fiction. He cannot deny my presence and contribution to Super 30. If he can claim it was solely his thought, I can also say it was my brainchild. It makes little difference to anyone as long as it’s a thought to help the society. But that hasn’t happened.”

‘Anand has made tall claims’
Reports floating around in Bihar suggest that while Anand claimed 26 out of 30 students from his programme made the cut this year, he failed to show their credentials when asked to do so.

Instead, apparently only three students from his team have actually cleared the examination. The mathematician allegedly got 10-12 students from Kota and introduced them to the media stating that they were his students. Abhayanand further adds that Anand had ‘made tall claims about his success rate’, on the basis of which ‘students used to come to study under him’. “Now, his claims are turning out to be highly suspicious. He’s not adhering to transparency. He can call it a ‘coaching institute’ and nobody will say anything. But don’t claim to be a champion of social causes when you are just taking money from people. It has suddenly become a controversy because the truth’s coming out now. If the producers had done their homework, they would have known it all along,” he adds.

When asked whether Abhayanand had reached out to the filmmaker or the actor and informed them about the controversy, the IPS officer says, “It’s not my job to show Hrithik Roshan the truth. Why should I reach out to him or the makers of the film? Mujhe kisi ko gyaan nahi dena hai, I’m not their teacher.”

Abhayanand feels the makers “should have done proper research on him”, before announcing the biopic. “Whatever basic knowledge we have about biopics, it teaches us that when you make a film on someone’s life, you need to find out a lot more about that person from others around him. Look at Hollywood — they do such detailed research on someone’s life before making a movie on the person. For a film like Super 30, at least six-seven years of research needed to be done,” he says before adding, “How many times have they come to Patna and how many people have they spoken to before announcing the film? People take biopics seriously. The internet can be a place where you begin your research, but it can’t be the end of it. This is not ancient Indian history where there can be lack of clarity.”

Although Abhayanand doesn’t want to jump to conclusions just as yet, a few pictures of Hrithik from the sets (where he is selling papad) have surprised him. He avers, “I heard they are showing that Anand Kumar had a poor background and used to sell papads! His neighbour, who also happens to be his first cousin and worked with him, has gone ahead and told everyone how these reports are false. They have told news channels that Anand’s father had 20 bighas (acres) of land and they all used to stay together. Patna mein makaan garib aadmi ka nahin hota hai. His father was doing government service. Yes, his mother would make papads but they were for the family. Woh bikta nahin tha! So how can they show a different story altogether?”

Responding to reports that suggested that Abhayanand was planning to take legal action against Anand, the erstwhile partner of Super 30 states hesitatingly, “I can’t tell you this right now. I don’t know because I haven’t watched the film yet. It will depend on what they show in the movie. If they omit me or show me in a bad light, it’s their prerogative. Until it comes out, I can’t do anything because the court will question me.”

We called Anand Kumar and his brother Pranav Kumar, and followed up our phone calls with text messages to both siblings, asking them for their side of the story. We texted filmmaker Vikas Bahl seeking his comment on the matter. Lastly, we sent out text messages and a mail to a representative of the film corporation which is bankrolling Super 30; we got no response from any of the concerned parties till the time of going to press.

DNA (February 9, 2018)

While the hunt to play Anand Kumar ended at Hrithik Roshan’s doorstep, the makers of Super 30 are yet to cast an actor for the role of Anand’s brother Pranav, which is an important part in the film. The biopic focuses on Anand’s venture Super 30, which provides 30 students from poor families free-of-cost education to help them get into coveted technical institutions including the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). While fresh faces were being considered to play the students, Pranav wanted a known actor to essay his part on the big screen. After all, his bade bhaiyya on screen is Hrithik!

ROLE CALL
Pranav had suggested the names of Tiger Shroff and Sidharth Malhotra for his part. A source says, “Pranav had told the makers that he would give them an NOC only if they get someone who is a well-known face. He was keen that Tiger or Sidharth should be approached to play Hrithik’s younger sibling on celluloid.”

CAN’T BE TIGER
Tiger is already sharing screen space with the Kaabil actor in a Yash Raj production, which also features Vaani Kapoor. While Super 30 will release on January 25, 2019, the Hrithik-Tiger action flick will hit the screens on October 2, 2019. Its main USP is that it will bring Hrithik and Tiger on-screen for the first time. So, it’s unlikely that they will do another movie before that.

WHAT ABOUT SID?
As for Sidharth, after his upcoming release Aiyaary, he will be seen in the Vikram Batra biopic, which will require him to dedicate some time for prep. The actor had also indicated that he may take up a romantic film in between Aiyaary and the Vikram Batra biopic. Sid is yet to be approached for the part in Super 30.