Hrithik Roshan: Strength is not always "being Rambo"!

Writer: Heidi Hsia

Hrithik Roshan on crutches after muscle pull

16 Feb – Who knew that a pulled muscle can turn one into a thinker and philosopher?

Hrithik Roshan seemed to have had time to dwell on the meaning of masculinity and the notion of strength recently, after he injured himself (and not explaining what actually occurred).

In the post where he shared a photo of himself with crutches and a lumbar brace, Hrithik shared a story about his grandfather, saying how the latter refused to sit on a wheelchair at the airport after getting injured as it did not align with his own definition of being "strong".

"It made me so sad to see how strong he needed to be just to hide the fear and embarrassment on the inside. I couldn't make sense of it. Made me feel helpless. I argued that the age factor is not applicable because he needs the wheelchair for an injury and not his old age. He refused and kept the strong image on display for strangers (who literally didn't care). It worsened his pain and delayed the healing," he shared.

The actor plays a fighter pilot in "Fighter"

Hrithik said that there is definitely merit in that kind of conditioning that even his father had adopted.

"It's the mentality of a soldier... But if you say soldiers never need crutches and even when they medically do, they must refuse, just for the sake of keeping the illusion of strong intact, then I just think that the virtue has been stretched so far that it borders on plain stupidity," he added.

Hrithik said that true strength is being composed and fully aware that nothing, not crutches, not a wheelchair, not any inability or vulnerability - and certainly not any sitting position can lessen or alter the image of that giant that you are on the inside.

"Strength is not always being Rambo against all odds with a machine gun saying "f*** em!" That's applicable sure. Sometimes. And it's the kind we all aspire for. Even me. But the more coveted one is strength when there is no one to fight on the outside. It's that quiet fight on the inside between you and the "image" of you. If you come out of that one feeling like wanting to do a slow dance by yourself , then you're my hero," he added.