I thought I was dying while filming 'War': Hrithik Roshan recalls being on the brink of depression

2022 witnessed a significant opening in the conversations around mental health. Celebrities across the world came forward to share their struggles in an attempt to create awareness on a subject that is more often than not swept under the carpet.

The most recent Bollywood superstar to jump onto the bandwagon is Hrithik Roshan. Talking to fitness trainer Kris Gethin, the action hero opened up about his physical transformation over the years as well as his mental health during the shoot of his film War.

The actor said he thought he 'was dying' while filming for the 2019 movie, reported Hindustan Times. Speaking about how he prepped for the film, Hrithik said he was 'trying to achieve perfection for which he wasn't ready'. Moreover, he recalled being on the ‘verge of depression' and 'completely lost'.

Action-thriller War was released in October 2019 and featured Tiger Shroff and Vaani Kapoor alongside Hrithik. While it is one of the latter’s highest-grossing films ever, he has no qualms in accepting that he had a challenging time filming for it. Hrithik said it was then that he realised he needed to make a change in his life after he almost went into depression.

Speaking with Kris, Hrithik said, "I feel as light and as fast as our last transformation. I thought I was dying when I was doing War. I wasn't prepared for the film and I was up against a really big challenge. I was trying to achieve perfection for which I wasn't ready. After the film, I went into adrenaline fatigue. For three to four months, I couldn't train and I wasn't feeling good. I was almost on the verge of depression. I was completely lost and that's when I knew I needed to make a change in my life."

Kris also recalled training Hrithik in 2013 and said that the actor didn’t take a day off in seven months. He added Hrithik would always hit his targets, eat healthy meals and go to bed early. He further said the actor has been dealing with a lot of injuries since he was a teenager. Hrithik responded, "Maybe, age was one of those factors. Having said that, I know it wasn’t age. It all boiled down to me not living the kind of life I should have – health-wise, body-wise. Somewhere along the way, I started feeling that it is okay to relax. I have to remember that even when I am playing characters like a visually-impaired man (in Kaabil) or a school teacher (Super 30), I cannot no longer let go off the lifestyle I have. This is not a transformation for the film. This is me trying to find the lifestyle that I maintain for the rest of my life. It is for longevity."

Hrithik Roshan was last seen in Vikram Vedha. The film also featured Saif Ali Khan and Radhika Apte. Hrithik will be next seen in Fighter alongside Deepika Padukone and Anil Kapoor. The action film directed by Siddharth Anand is scheduled to be released in January 2024.