In his first interview after life's biggest battle, Rakesh Roshan on his ordeal and finding support in his daughter, who also beat cancer
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; October 18, 2019)

In January, Hrithik Roshan sent shockwaves in the industry when he revealed on social media that his filmmaker father Rakesh Roshan had been diagnosed with early-stage squamous cell carcinoma (throat cancer) and was to undergo surgery later that day. Nine months since, Roshan — though frail — is a picture of calm and positivity, his battle with the Big C behind him.

Opening up for the first time since his diagnosis, the veteran filmmaker tells mid-day that it started last September when he noticed a seemingly harmless blister below his tongue. His first thought — "I hope it isn't cancer." After all, the family had faced the demon in 2014 when his daughter Sunaina beat cervical cancer. "I immediately called my family doctor home. He said it was nothing to worry about and gave me some medicines to treat the blister," he recounts. The chapter was forgotten until three months later when he visited Hinduja Hospital to meet a friend. "On a lark, I headed to the ENT specialist. The first thing he told me was to get a biopsy done. I came home and told my family that though the reports would come in four days, I was 100 per cent sure that I had cancer."

A series of meetings with top oncologists in the city brought his worst fears to life. "They described traumatic procedures [that involved] cutting my tongue and taking part of the skin on my wrist to replace the surface on my tongue. Thankfully, Hrithik got in touch with Dr Jatin P Shah (who holds The Elliott W Strong chair at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre) who told us that nothing of the sort was required. He would make an incision on the neck to remove the node where the cancer had spread."

If coming to terms with the disease was tough, the recovery after the surgery would be a test of his mental and physical strength. However, the filmmaker credits his fit lifestyle for holding him in good stead — two days after his operation at the HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, Roshan was home-bound.

"I went to the office the next day," he laughs, adding that he had resolved not to be defeated by the physical exhaustion that the subsequent cycles of chemotherapy brought on. "I had to undergo three cycles of chemo and 45 days of radiation. I became physically weak and would often feel giddy, but I tried to remain mentally strong. I would go to the office because I thought lying down on the bed all day would depress me. That's when negative thoughts come to you. Instead, you work out, meet people and take every day as it comes. There were days when I would get disturbed or have mood swings because of the chemo. Even then, I told myself that this is a part of the recovery."

On March 20, six months since the ordeal began, Roshan completed his treatment. Even as he describes the process as a test of one's endurance — "because it was throat cancer, it was difficult to even drink water post the surgery" — he chooses to maintain an optimistic stance. "The word 'cancer' sounds scary, but it's not. It can be treated. I knew if I harboured negativity, it wouldn't help me recover. So, I never let myself lose hope."

His family was his rock, with daughter Sunaina serving as his source of inspiration. "I got my strength from her. I used to remember how positive she was even though she was [undergoing] chemotherapy and losing her hair. As a family, we have gone through a lot of trauma. Sunaina battled cancer, Hrithik went through brain surgery, I was shot at, and had to get a bypass, my wife Pinky had a heart problem. But we are standing tall and strong, supporting each other."


The director with his family post surgery


Sunaina Roshan and Rakesh Roshan

Kangana Ranaut on ‘nepotism gangs’ launching ‘smear campaigns’ against her, why her sister is on social media with guns blazing while she isn’t, and plans to kick off an action film shortly
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 15, 2019)

After the sartorial rigours of the Cannes Film Festival, Kangana Ranaut headed home in Manali for some downtime. On the work front, the actress is gearing up for the release of Prakash Kovelamudi’s Mental Hai Kya, which reunites her with her Queen co-star Rajkummar Rao. Then, there’s Panga, her first project with Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, which she will resume shooting for next month. In this conversation, the actress opens about work, family and outliving ‘smear campaigns’. Excerpts:

How is it going in Manali?
It’s been a while since I came here. I was here briefly for New Year’s... me directing Manikarnika - The Queen of Jhansi was unexpected and it took time as it was a massive project. Then, I jumped into Mental Hai Kya and Panga. After Cannes, I found myself tired all the time from travelling and the kabaddi matches that I was shooting for Panga in night shifts. The quality of air and water in Manali is so amazing, you recover quickly.

You aren’t on social media but your sister Rangoli Chandel has been making news by standing up for you during controversies…
When Rangoli was in Mumbai, she wanted her social environment to be pleasant, she has a family and her husband was working in the city at the time. Now, she has no f**ks to give and I like that kind of freedom. I don’t sit on her head and tell her what she should say. She is her own person and she has quietly observed all these industry people. Being an ostrich, keeping our eyes shut, has not helped us at all. So now she is completely at it. (laughs)

Any plans to make your own social media debut?
There are so many problematic things in the world and I’m a very conscious person, I’m very aware. I don’t want to be on social media and be bothered about problematic things that social media doesn’t provide solutions for. I can’t invest so much time on something that doesn’t deal with an issue. Rangoli says that people have taken advantage of my absence on the social media. She says that though I have helped people build hospitals and gifted a Rs two-and-half-crore flat to my yoga teacher, nobody knows about these things as I don’t talk about it. Sometimes she makes videos of me to share online. I find it funny, but she feels it’s important. In my past relationships I never made videos and even that went against me... Today, everything must be proved with photos and videos. How do I become a person who records and documents everything, so no one questions me tomorrow? I can’t live like that, it’s strange.

Recently, Rangoli also revealed on Twitter that Hrithik Roshan’s sister, Sunaina, has been calling both of you.
It is true that Sunaina and I were always good friends and so was her family. Now they claim differently. Yes, she has been in touch with me, but I don’t want to take advantage of her family dispute. Sunaina is still a friend but I will not hit somebody when they are down.

When do you resume work on Panga?
We will first release Mental Hai Kya. Prakash Kovelamudi is a new director but is good at his job. For Panga, I will be shooting the last of my portions in seven days next month.

What about Jayalalitha biopic Thalaivi?
That film will be in Hindi and Tamil and we begin by the year-end in Chennai. After that I am doing an action film that I will announce soon. Following that I will begin work on my next directorial (first being Manikarnika).

Manikarnika has made it to the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival…
It’s surprising because we never sent any entries to any film festival. We always thought the film is relevant to India, but it resonated with international audiences as well. When it released, I felt there were deliberate campaigns to kill it. Something like this validates the universal appeal of Manikarnika. So many people watched it but were hiding just because they didn’t want to speak about the film. Now, it seems like a sweet Cinderella story that has happened to us.

The film was mired in controversy. Your co-actors Mishti Chakraborty and Sonu Sood spoke negatively about you, and a video of you on a wooden horse was released.
I know who released that video. Two other actors of the nepotism gang were also learning horse-riding at the same place as me. They practised for one day and got so sore that they didn’t return. I was galloping and doing all sorts of stunts. The wooden horse was only used for close-up shots. Just because they cannot ride a horse they got jealous of me and released the video.

I rode a horse in Rangoon too, it’s not new for me. Mishti said she was asked to speak up, but who is making her speak? It’s all about ganging up against me. Sonu and I share a personal trainer. Again, situations were manipulated to force people to speak against me. Some trade experts were forced to show our film’s collections as half of the actual numbers. All the people who pretend that they don’t have PRs send the maximum number of mails against others. One smear campaign was started by Karan Johar’s gang against me by paying reviewers. When I talk about it, people think I sound like a loony character, but what option am I left with?

Hrithik Roshan's sister Sunaina chronicles her battle with depression in an exclusive excerpt from her blog, to be unveiled today
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; June 13, 2018)

In the wake of a series of suicides — including that of DJ Avicii, and more recently, designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain — that shocked Hollywood, discussion around the urgency of tackling Depression has gained momentum. Fittingly, Sunaina Roshan has addressed the subject in her recently launched blog, Zindagi, excerpt of which she has exclusively shared with mid-day.

Those who've charted Hrithik Roshan's journey closely will know that his sister has led a difficult life, battling Depression, a broken marriage, diabetes and hypertension, apart from having undergone bariatric surgery, sought psychiatric help and survived cervical cancer.

Chronicling her battle with depression was crucial, she says, given people's apprehension to seek help. "People refuse to come to terms with it, and, sometimes, commit suicide. Visiting a doctor is taboo. They feel, going to a psychiatrist means [accepting that] they are mad. In India, being treated for it is frowned upon," she says.

Sunaina Roshan adds that with digitization limiting communication between people, few are willing to talk about issues that affect them. "As a result, abroad, people have psychiatrists in schools and offices too. I want to tell people in India that tackling depression in time is important. I still see a counsellor, because you have to talk to an unbiased person who can guide you. I want to reach out to people who suffer from this mental ailment, which needs to be treated like any other physical ailment," she says, adding that a patient's family also plays a vital role in helping him/her emerge from the condition.

Actor Hrithik Roshan’s sister will be documenting her life battles on her blog
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 18, 2018)

Hrithik Roshan’s sister Sunaina has been through a broken marriage, battled depression, diabetes and hypertension, undergone bariatric surgery, sought psychiatric help and survived cervical cancer. And through it all she’s come out strong and smiling, with a willingness to share her experiences through inspirational blogs that she’s penned down.

“My family has always been by my side through everything, but first you need to make up your mind to fight and overcome the difficulties. Nobody can really help you but yourself,” she asserts, adding that in her case she wanted to live for her parents, Rakesh and Pinky Roshan, actor-brother Hrithik and daughter Suranika.

She admits that there are times when she is low too, but quickly bounces back within minutes. “Life is beautiful so why waste it in tears. When your problems become too much for you, just tune into another channel which is airing a happy version of what’s happening,” she philosophises with a smile.

Her brother Hrithik, she acknowledges, is her biggest muse. Despite a near-fatal accident on the sets of Siddharth Anand’s action-thriller Bang Bang that necessitated a life-threatening surgery, he is fighting fit today and Sunaina aspires to follow in his footsteps where diet and gymming is concerned. “My parents also work out but I need a little bit of push to go into the gym and start training. I’ve started Zumba which I really enjoy and a walk for an hour every day. I’d love to lose a couple more kilos and tone up a bit. But that will happen soon,” she says confidently.

Sunaina has broken down her journey into chapters which include the role that each member of her family has played while she was facing trying times. “I want to inspire people across the globe. If the blog is a success maybe, I’ll think of a book and go on a show like Ted Talks. I want to tell people that I am a survivor, and not a victim,” says Sunaina, adding that there are times when she is writing that tears still blind her, but now they are tears of victory.

Upala KBR (MID-DAY; February 23, 2018)

Taking the Roshan family's love for fitness to a new level, Hrithik's niece Suranika Soni has launched a food delivery service, offering healthy meals on order. Rakesh Roshan's granddaughter has been creating home-cooked meals under the banner Suranika's Healthy Kitchen, which hopes to offer those watching their weight "all the flavours, without the guilt".

She is daughter to Sunaina Roshan, who recently came under the spotlight for shedding oodles of weight. Her line has burgers, grilled foods and even desserts. Sunarika, 21, a student of Whistling Woods International, tells mid-day, "I cook the meals after returning from college, I come from classes. As of today, I cook meals from a set menu, which I keep adding to. Most people feel healthy food is boring and bland. I want to break that notion. Dieting need not be boring, restricting and tasteless. You can enjoy healthy food too."

Sunarika has tied up with select food delivery services to deliver her meals. Hrithik, evidently proud of his niece's endeavours, says, "Fitness enthusiasts are constantly searching for healthy, but tasty options. I had no idea that Suranika was working so hard. I am proud of her."

The star’s sister is in love, their parents approve; marriage is on the cards
Upala KBR (DNA; January 15, 2016)


Sunaina tells us, “Yes I have found love again. These last few years have been very traumatic. My life went haywire for a bit but now it’s on track once again. Bharat and I met almost 10 months ago, when we were at a pathology lab where we had gone for some tests. I have known him since my college days. We kept meeting after that and then we started dating for almost a year. Our families have met each other and approve. My family adores him. Hrithik is very happy for me. Bharat is a very strong man dedicated to his work.”

She adds that contrary to her past relationships, this one is here to stay. “I am very confident about him and our relationship. Bharat is an amazing man. For me, he is the complete man. What attracted me to him is that we always have lots to talk about. He stays in Juhu close to my home, so I meet him every day. We have both been divorced and know what relationships and marriage mean to us. We’ve both gone through a lot in life and are not in this for a casual fling. We have known each other for 20-odd years. Once we started dating, we knew it would go somewhere. Our relationship is here to stay.”

Is marriage next on the cards? She laughs, “Well, I am hoping he will propose on my birthday (January 22) this year!”

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 19, 2015)

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 17, 2015)

BOMBAY TIMES (May 17, 2014)

Reza Noorani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 1, 2014)

It is known that Hrithik Roshan will occupy the third floor of a building where Akshay Kumar resides. The actor is said to have leased it out and will stay away from his parents’ home, Il Palazzo.

The most recent news is that his sister Sunaina Roshan has also left the family home. Sunaina and her daughter Suranika were staying with Rakesh, Pinky and Hrithik Roshan for the past few years.

After Sunaina separated from her first husband, she was in and out of her father’s house. When she married a second time, her family is said to have bought her an apartment. However, that marriage too didn’t last, and she was back in her parents’ home.

Of late, the entire Roshan household has had an upheaval. In December 2013, Hrithik’s wife Sussanne Roshan moved out with her two sons to an apartment in Seven Bungalows, Andheri. Then Hrithik decided to move out to the address we’ve mentioned above.

Sunaina has reportedly been advised by a life coach, whom the Roshans consult, to start staying on her own. Our source says, “This advice comes from a good place. It is meant to help Sunaina, who has had a couple of failed relationships, find her own feet. The coach reportedly told her that moving out of her parents’ home will help her take charge of her life.”

The source adds, “Sunaina now stays in a three-bedroom apartment that is around 10 minutes away from Il Palazzo. Of course, she is in regular touch with her family. In fact, she is very close to Pinky and the mother-daughter even go on shopping trips.”

Her father and brother also dote on Sunaina, who is a cancer survivor. The family may be living in three separate addresses, but they are very much one. When we contacted Sunaina, she told us she would call back, but she hadn’t by the time we went to press.