Hrithik Roshan says he deliberately chooses difficult roles such as the Mongol emperor in the new historical romance "Jodha Akbar'' because they challenge him to excel as an actor.

"Jodha Akbar," scheduled to debut later this month, is based on a 16th century romance between the emperor and Hindu princess Jodha Bai, played by Aishwarya Rai.

"I really want to do films that scare me so much that I won't be able to afford it if they don't fare well," Roshan said in an interview in the latest issue of a Bollywood magazine.

"It is only when it seems to threaten the value of my job would I be consciously giving it my best,'' he said.

But Roshan said what he loathed most playing Akbar was wearing a lot of heavy jewelry and armor. He said it was awkward to wear earrings and chunky necklaces that were needed to reflect the royalty of the 16th century.

"How will you fight when you cannot even stand up? What if you fall with all that weight on you?'' he asked.

Roshan has enjoyed several blockbuster successes. Over the past two years he has played a superhero who glides over water in "Krrish,'' and a smooth-talking thief in "Dhoom 2."