How Hrithik Roshan has overcome Stammering

Among the current lot of Bollywood actors, Hrithik Roshan, is certainly, the most complete one- phenomenal dancing skills, jaw dripping muscular body, dashing looks and versatile acting- he got everything. Acting runs in his blood- his father is a famous actor and director and both of his grandfathers (paternal and maternal) were involved in film making. Hence, anyone can say that to become an actor is quite an obvious thing for Hrithik. But, it is not that simple as it looks. He has overcome many challenges to fulfill his dream of making big in the Indian film industry. In this post, we are going to discuss the challenge that he encountered at the age of 6- stammering. Hrithik had a terrible stammer in his childhood which he has overcome by tremendous hard work and dedication.

As quoted in various personal interviews, he used to skip classes to avoid speaking situations such as oral tests. He would make fake excuses like stomach pain, headache and even sometimes, he used to injure his hands intentionally to bunk classes.

Everything seems normal until you start talking. You get stuck and you don’t know why? Right from the toes to the ends of your hair strands, you are in complete shock. Your heartbeat runs like anything and everyone is looking at you. Your schoolmates would laugh at you, but you can’t blame them because it looks funny. Stammering is hell- Hrithik remembering his childhood struggle

How Hrithik Roshan has overcome Stammering

He started speech therapy at the age of 14.

Effective guidance and supervision of a speech therapist helped him to re-establish the proper co-ordination between all the speech organs and brain.

He would read aloud in front of the mirror for hours. He would practice all the alphabets, from A to Z in different possible manners to develop a firm grip on the articulation and pronunciation. Above all, he embraced his speech imperfection. He understood the fact very well that hiding or denying it was not taking him anywhere. It was only making the things worse. So, better accept it and work hard to improve it.

Once, he had to practice for almost 36 hours so that he could tell his cook what he wanted to eat.
In another incident, he was nominated to get the best debut actor award at a function in Dubai. He wanted to say ” I love Dubai” while receiving the award, but, he was doubtful if he would be able to utter the word “Dubai” without stammering. The night before the award function, he wanted to scream “Dubai” many times to get the confidence. It was not possible either in the hotel room or the bathroom as the voice was going outside. So, he locked himself in the big cupboard and practiced to say “Dubai” many times. Finally, he delivered a flawless speech at the award function.
He remembers- once I visited hotel Leela with Suzanne (his love interest whom he married later on). When the waiter came, I couldn’t utter a single word and Suzanne rescued me by ordering.

Imperfections other than Stammering

He was born with an extra thumb on his right hand. During his childhood, it used to repel other kids in the school. Imagine a kid with severe stammering and an extra thumb- it was a double trouble for him. Even during the initial years of adulthood, he used to hide his extra thumb. But, now, he has accepted it proudly as a gift of God.

My extra thumb makes me beautifully imperfect. Thanks you God for this beautiful life. We are all beautiful. Trust me- Hrithik Roshan

At the age of 21, when he had gained enough control on his speech and he was confident to speak normally, he got diagnosed with scoliosis. Scoliosis is a health condition where the spine would get curved. He got bed-ridden for few months and doctors told him that he would never be able to dance or perform any stunts. It was an end to his dream of becoming an actor. But, one day, while walking on the Juhu beach, he realized that this is not the way he wants to live his life. How can he slaughter his dream without even giving it a try? So, he decided to take a chance against the doctor’s advice. He gradually started brisk walking and to his own surprise, he didn’t feel any pain. He was ecstatic. Within a few weeks, as the confidence grew, he was able to run without any problem. It infused so much confidence that now he wanted to become a complete actor before making him on screen debut. He learnt dancing, horse riding, fencing, singing and of course, spent a lot of time in the gym. His hard work and dedication paid him well. He became an overnight sensation with the grand success of his debut movie Kaho Naa Pyar hai.

You finally realize that you don’t have a choice. You have one life. Are you going to do something about it or die trying- Hrithik Roshan.

Struggles are stepping stone for Success

Some people would portray him as a real life hero who achieved the stardom in spite of all his life hurdles. But, Hrithik has a different opinion on this. He owes all this success to the struggles he has faced.

According to Hrithik, your struggles can expose you to the unlimited stock of inner strength that you already possess. Struggles doesn’t stop you. Just change your perception towards them and they would be your wings to fly higher.

It’s his single minded approach, his madness that keeps him going. His passion for excellence has made him what he is today- Uday Chopra, his childhood friend and a fellow Bollywood actor.

Message to People who Stammer

Stammering is frustrating. There is neither any proper definition nor any established reason for it. But, luckily, there is a way out of it. I got it, so will you.

Hrithik has accepted all his imperfections, including stammering as a part of life. It is worth mentioning here that he still practices one hour a day to manage his stammering and avoid any relapse. His doctors told him that he would never be able to dance. His school friends used to tease that he would never be able to become an actor. But, he proved everyone wrong. He ignored their comments and today he has reached the pinnacle of success.

Defeat is the doubt in your mind that feeds on your fear. This demon tries to stop you from trying by giving negative feedback. Don’t succumb to this demon. You can achieve anything that you wish for. Go get up and give your best- Hrithik Roshan.

Creating awareness about Stammering

Today, he is a big Bollywood star with millions of fans across the world. Still, he openly accepts that he still stammers and he is pretty fine with it. You see, it needs a lot of courage to accept a personal imperfection which you can hide otherwise.

On several occasions, Hrithik has openly talked about his childhood struggles due to stammering. It has definitely brought this less talked speech impediment in the limelight. Now, every single person who stammers in India can relate to Hrithik in one way or the other because Hrithik’s struggles are so familiar to them as well. He is a role model for many of them.

In November, 2008, Hrithik donated 2 million Indian Rupees to Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai to start a new audio and speech therapy wing.

Advice to the Parents

You want your kid to talk perfectly just like other kids. You love him, adore him and motivate him. You want to help him. But, you know, it is not that easy for him. Sometimes, only the love is not enough. You have to understand that he also wants to speak flawlessly. But, it is not happening and he is clueless. So, you have to listen to him patiently. Give him time. Never compare him to other kids in terms of speech.

Empower yourself with knowledge so that you can help him in the proper way.

The earlier you take a professional help, the better it is. Personal practice sessions with a capable speech therapist can really help in this matter.

Lesson to Learn

In my opinion, it is not the speech techniques, but his own determination to become the best version of himself that has done the trick here. Personally, I have been to a few speech therapists and I can conclude that more or less, all of them teach the same thing- take proper breath, speak slow, focus on the articulation and most importantly, get out of the shame and guilt associated with stammering. So, why only a few people like Hrithik get out of it and others (including me) keep on hanging in the roller coaster ride of good days (when you stammer less) and bad days (when you stammer more). The reason lies in our efforts that we make. Most of us do consider stammering a big hurdle in our personal and professional growth, but, we don’t do much to overcome it. So, let us reverse this trend. Let us become proactive and take charge of our speech (and our life). Let us make efforts instead of giving excuses.

One more thing- we should adopt the holistic approach- it means that we would be focusing on every single aspect of our life to become a better person. It would automatically improve our confidence to speak well. Remember the days when we look handsome, we stammer less as well.

I want to tell every single child in this world that there is nothing to afraid of. There is always a way out of every struggle. If I have been able to do it, you can do as well.