Superhero stunts are only make believe, Roshan tells kids

Mumbai, Sep 1 (IANS) That a young boy in Patna tried to do a Krrish act and landed in ICU has shocked director Rakesh Roshan, who has repeatedly warned children against imitating stunts from his sci-fi thriller.

" 'Krrish' was made with the noblest of intentions. Even the film's harshest critic cannot deny that. How were we to know there would be this tragic side effect? I'm aware this is the fourth or fifth incident of a child hurting himself while imitating Krrish. It's always the very small children in the five-10 age group who get influenced by super-heroic stunts," Roshan told IANS.

Eight-year-old Shivam in Patna jumped down from the fifth floor of a high-rise apartment Monday. Luckily, he escaped death but now recovering in the ICU of a local nursing home.

Shivam's friends are convinced it was the "Krrish" effect at work. His teacher has been quoted as saying: "Shivam was obsessed with becoming like Krrish ever since he saw the film."

A neighbour told reporters that Shivam imitated Krrish all the time.

The director feels that parents should take extra care in such matters.

"It's up to parents and the responsible member of the family to let the child know that what he's watching on screen is make-believe and the stunts mustn't be attempted by the kids.

"Even when the 'Superman' series started kids got carried away. Christopher Reeve had to come on television to serve a warning for impressionable minds. Hrithik has come on television to tell kids to not try the stunts."

Roshan, who has just returned from a weeklong holiday in London, is sure about the moral feasibility of his "Krrish" series.

"We're definitely going ahead with the next superhero film, though it may not be my next film. We're holding brainstorming sessions. And if an idea for the next superhero comes up we're going ahead with it. Otherwise, I'll go into another project and then return to this one."

Hugely relieved and impressed by the box office performance of "Krrish", its director says, "The superhero series is here to stay. I never imagined such an impact when I made 'Krrish'."

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