Hrithik Roshan has come a long way in life, from being a boy with a speech deficiency to one of Bollywood’s biggest superstars. The actor tells The Quint all about his struggles and how he overcame them.
Q: How tough was it for you to tackle and overcome your stammering?
Hrithik Roshan: Well, it was a lonely battle. I struggled alone for a long time but powered on fighting my problem. But in the course of my struggle I learnt so many beautiful and amazing things .
Q: Have the hardships toughened you up?
Hrithik Roshan: I am in gratitude for each and every problem and struggle I have faced. It makes me who I am. I just wish the stigma around such issues was erased from our minds. We all are sufferers in some form and we all are heroes in some form. It's ok. Don’t feel weak about your shortcomings. Use them to grow.
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Q: Today when you look back at those days of struggle, with your stammer what are your thoughts?
Hrithik Roshan: Back then I used to think of myself as weak. Not capable. Not equal, not normal. School and college was hell. And children as sweet as they are, can be quite mean unintentionally. Not having enough information or education was the problem. Not the stutter itself. Awareness is what we need.
Q: How do you look back on your struggle?
Hrithik Roshan: Today I look back and label all those moments as moments of strength and power. It ignited a passion in me that made me invincible. Now I believe I can do anything in life.
Q: You should come out with a book on how you overcame your disability...
Hrithik Roshan: I’ve been thinking about that. I would like to tell all my fellow-stutterers to be proud of who they are and to be unafraid of expressing themselves. It is our character that defines us, not our disabilities. Power ahead!
(This story is from The Quint’s archives and was first published on 22 October 2016 on the occasion of International Stammering Awareness Day. It is being republished to mark Hrithik Roshan’s birthday on 10 January.)
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