"Post-toddling Hrithik danced for the first time in Delhi for his grandmother,'' reveals Rakesh Roshan.

Yes, it's true. The woman who put on the dancing shoes for the nations heart-throb and the latest dancing sensaition is none other than Hrithik's grandmother, Ira Moitro Roshan.

Rakesh Roshan also said that it was Ira who taught Hrithik the finer nuances of being a fleetfooted entertainer, and how to lift people to dizzy heights of excitement.

An otherwise shy kid, Ira coaxed Hrithik to break the shackles of hesitation. Her persistent motivation turned him into an asset to the Indian film industry.

In fact, the coy Hrithik would not step out to dance for anyone but his grandmother. Today, coyness and Hrithik are poles apart. He dances for millions.

The nation saw the dancing prowess of the star for the first time in his debut film, Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, directed by father Rakesh Roshan.

The Roshans were residents of the Rajendra Nagar area of West Delhi before they shifted to Bombay. And Hrithik will now exhibit his art in the capital, where he picked up the basics of dancing. Sixty thousand-odd Delhiites will witness the magic that is Hrithik Roshan at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium on Friday, February 23.

This will be Hrithik's last show for the next two years. ''He has no dates available for public performances because of his commitments with film producers,'' Rakesh Roshan said.

Asked why Hrithik agreed to perform in the capital despite the postponement of the 'Hrithik -- Live In The Roshan Show' show for 20 days, Rakesh Roshan said that Hrithik was already committed to perform at the show and there was no question of reneging on the promise.

All preparations for the show have been completed and elaborate security arrangements made to ensure that the event is smooth, in view of the growing threats of the underworld against the Roshan family. Rakesh Roshan had already been attacked in Bombay once for not acceeding to the extortionist demands of the underworld mafia.

The deputy Commissioner of Police (South), P Kamaraj said, ''We have made elaborate arrangements for the show keeping in mind the threat perception against Hrithik. Some restrictions have been imposed on the organisers to manage the show smoothly.''

One of the restrictions is to limit the total number of spectators to 60,000 -- about 40,000 less than what the organisers had wished.

Commenting on this, Rakesh Roshan said the capacity of the venue is much less compared to the stadium in Calcutta which accommodated around 1.2 lakh people. For security reasons, the police have directed the organisers to keep the number within manageable limits.

The show, organised by Show Blitz (India) Pvt. Ltd and Fusion Coliseum LLC, and manged by Pinnacle Events and Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, was postponed to February 23 after the Delhi police refused permission for February 3 due to inadequate security.

UNI

Design: Lynette Menezes