Rohit Roy: ‘I Still Struggle To Find The Right Kind Of Work And I Never Lie About It’- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO
Rohit Roy talks about his latest short film Broken Frame, what makes a marriage work, his views on infidelity, going on a throwback spree and more
Rohit Bose Roy has proven his versatility as an actor in films like Kaabil, Shootout At Lokhandwala and Mumbai Saga, as well as in TV with shows like Swaabhiman and Sanjivani. His journey of physical transformation last year took everyone by surprise and he was recently seen in the short film Broken Frame, directed by Ram Kamal Mukherjee, also starring Bengali actress Ritabhari Chakraborty.
In an exclusive chat with Spotboye.com, the actor gets candid about the film, his marriage, his relationships with his ex-colleagues and more. Read excerpts from the interview:
Rohit, what appealed to you about Broken Frame?
I had read the story written by my friend Ram Kamal, and I got a great creative vibe from him. He is a great writer and an honest, earnest human being and I knew it would be the same with his work. My co-star Ritu wasn’t a factor to say yes to the film, but I am glad now that I got to work with her.
The film touches the concept of marriage and infidelity. What can you tell us about the film?
It’s a film about reality, interpersonal relationships and a human-interest drama. It’s about a happy couple who, due to a series of circumstances, go from being very happy to very unhappy, and that’s the world we live in now.
How was it working with Ram Kamal Mukherjee?
He is the easiest guy to work with, so unpretentious. I didn’t even realise when the shoot ended with him. I feel a director who has his edit clear in his mind, works more efficiently, and it was the case with Ram. I am extremely comfortable with him, and as soon as we finished the shoot, I started badgering him about when we will shoot our next. I want to do a Bengali film with him now.
The film talks about marriage and you have been in a happy one for 22 years now with Manasi Joshi Roy. What do you think makes a marriage work?
There is no marriage that doesn’t go through its ups and downs. Especially in the world today, there are so many stresses to be dealt with, so many targets to be met, so every relationship goes through a roller coaster. With Mansi and I, we have had our fair share of struggle, but our intrinsic relationship is so strong that we have never entertained the thought that one day we might look at the opposite sides of the coin.
I say this with a lot of conviction because I feel today’s youth gives up on a relationship too early. Even in your work, you keep on trying till you succeed. It’s all about resilience, so is marriage. When someone says there is no love anymore, it’s bullshit. Marriage is about commitment and love is something that keeps fluctuating. But intrinsically if you are fond of your partner. Love will always be around. It’s just because of layers and layers of turmoil and stress, sometimes we don’t look through them, but love is always there. But eventually if you fall out of love, then there is no point in staying in a relationship.
Fortunately for me and Mansi, she is the better one and I am the more difficult one to live with. I have made my fair share of mistakes in our relationship but she is always the right one. As an actor, I feel you have certain quirks but then to that she replies that even though she is also an actor, she doesn’t, so I never have an answer to that. So, I always tell her that you are from another planet.
The concept of infidelity lies in a grey area. What are your thoughts about it?
Honestly, it is wrong. Society has made certain rules and regulations, so that human beings can have a system. So, if you ask me, it is wrong, but if you ask me if it happens, then yes. There are various factors that go into it. Scientific research has proved that human beings are polygamous by nature. But if we don’t adhere to the rules set by society, it will be a mad world. I want to make a film about this and I have been working on it for a long time.
How did the success of Mumbai Saga this year affect your career?
I never have had such successes affect my career. I still struggle to find the right kind of work and I never lie about it. People still remember Fattoo from Shootout at Lokhandwala. If I go into the bylanes on my bike in a helmet, people still recognise me as Fattoo bhai. Did all this success translate into fantastic work for me? No. What did I do wrong? Nothing. Do I have any answers? No. But I am extremely content with people appreciating my work.
However, I still get work that I enjoy doing, and I am still relevant after 25 years. I am still an outsider but I don’t cry about it. My brother and I have survived very well in society. And if tomorrow my daughter wants to be in the industry, I’ll do whatever I can to help her reach there.
You recently went on a throwback spree on social media, including your ad with Sushmita Sen. What prompted that?
I was reaching out to a lot of my friends during this pandemic. One thing which all of us have realised during this time is that we don’t spend enough time with our closed ones. I have not been in touch with half the people I have worked with or known closely. So, I decided to start sharing my memories. I connected with Fardeen Khan after 10 years. We did Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena together. I put out a gratitude post for Abhishek Bachchan as he is one of the nicest guys I have known. Someone sent me my ad with Sushmita and all memories came flooding back. She had just returned from her Miss Universe coronation and was the star while I had just started with Swaabhiman. That time, companies had pre-release market surveys and in that one question everyone asked was if I was her real boyfriend as I think I was very convincing. I am sure Manasi didn’t like it then and neither does she like it now, but fortunately for Manasi I wasn’t her boyfriend (Laughs).
So, do you still stay in touch with Sushmita?
We met last two and a half years back but we keep in touch on calls and messages. If there is someone that I am still in solid touch with from my past work, it is my Swaabhiman family. We all address each other by our characters and I still call Anju Mahendru maa, and Deepak ji Chachu.
What projects do you have in the pipeline?
I am working on Vikram Bhatt’s Maaya 4. I love Vikram’s writing and the space that he explores, the dark side of the human mind, and he does it really well. It’s an added responsibility for two reasons as firstly, his daughter Krishna is directing it and secondly, the first three seasons of the show have been massive hits.
After that hopefully, I’ll reunite with Sanjay Gupta and this time you will see a very new Rohit Roy. Also, 2022 will definitely see me as a film director. I am also working on a production for an OTT project that will see us brothers, me and Ronit Roy coming together.
Will you consider directing Manasi too?
It’s very difficult for me to work with Manasi as I have to listen to her at home as well and she also hates being directed by me. We made five short films during the pandemic at home, starring me and Manasi, and they were received well, but it was a nightmare directing her. She is a fantastic actor and I learnt a lot from him but I am not going to direct her anytime soon. I’d love to act with her, but someone else would have to cast us together.
Image source: SpotboyE archives, Instagram/rohitboseroy
