By Subhash K. Jha
Mumbai, May 15 (IANS) Hrithik Roshan has made news for a lip-lock again, this time with Latin co-star Barbara Mori in “Kites”. But the actor says she helped him discard his inhibitions and they kissed like real-life couples.

“Why are we even talking about kissing? Is that such a big deal? Hasn’t our cinema grown up? Yes, there’re kissing scenes in the film, but nothing to make me squirm. In fact, I’d be more than happy and completely comfortable watching those kissing scenes with my wife, son and parents when the film is released,” Hrithik told IANS.

The star had scorched the headlines when he locked lips with Aishwarya Rai in “Dhoom 2″ and “Jodhaa Akbar”.

Rationalising the need to look at lip-locking, Hrithik said: ” ‘Kites’ is a love story. It’s about people in love. And what do people in love do to express their mutual feelings? In fact, it was Barbara Mori who made me realise how silly we look on screen while shying away from expressing love naturally.”

It happened while Hrithik and Barbara were shooting a tough and dangerous action sequence in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the US..

“We were both supposed to jump off from a rooftop at an impossible height. Before we did so our director Anurag Basu suggested I kiss Barbara since we were doing something death-defying and dangerous and potentially lethal. I reached out and kissed her on the cheeks.

“Barbara turned around to ask why I had kissed her on the cheek. ‘Given the same situation with your real-life wife, Suzanne, would you kiss her on the cheek?’ I was floored by her logic,” said Hrithik.

The take was repeated. “And this time I kissed her the way real-life couples would in the situation. On the lips,” said Hrithik.

(Subhash K. Jha can be contacted at jhasubh@gmail.com)