Rohit in an Explosive ...Interview w pics

" MANNISH (GOEL) SAID A FEW THINGS THAT MAYBE HE SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID"

EVER READ A ROHIT ROY INTERVIEW WITHOUT HIS CASANOVA IMAGE BEING BROUGHT UP? PROBABLY NOT! WELL, THIS ONE'S GOING TO BE A FIRST! INTERVIEWS REGARDING THE ROMANTIC LIAISONS AND 'LADIES MAN' PERSONALITY HAVE BEEN DONE TO DEATH ALREADY. SO WE DECIDED TO GET ROHIT'S VIEWS ON SOME MORE PERTINENT ISSUES FOR A CHANGE. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THIS INTERVIEW IS DEVOID OF THE USUAL DOSE OF CONTROVERSY AND SPICE. BECAUSE WHEN IT'S SHOWTIME AND ROHIT ROY, YOU CAN BE SURE IT'S GOING TO BE ONE HELLUVA READ!

ST: Are you happy with Viraasat proceedings?

RR: Happy in a way, but yeah, I'm not happy about certain things. In spite of viewers liking it, it's not showing in numbers (TRPs), which is really quite confusing. With every project that I do, I expect a lot more. So it's disappointing. But otherwise, it's been great working with Ravi Chopra, who has a great understanding of the medium.

ST: The fact that the show isn't showing the expected TRPs has led many to believe that it might be prematurely pulled off.

RR: I have no idea. I've been told the TRPs have gone up since the last month. I don't think there's any chance of it being pulled off though.

ST: The show going off air is just the tip of the iceberg. Viraasat has been plagued by controversies from the word go. First there were the hot scenes between you and on-screen wife, Sangeeta Ghosh that had the media abuzz.

RR: I think that controversy was quite exaggerated. Whatever we shot and whatever was shown on television was in keeping with the parameters of TV. It was a sensuous scene and you tend to get carried away, just like you get carried away in a fight scene. All that was chopped off, and a couple of tabloids picked up the news and plastered it all over that the scenes were much hotter…etc. The point is they were scenes between a husband and a wife; it was the most natural thing to do. They were newly married so we showed the typical suhaag raat scene. But it was very aesthetically shot, in fact, more then sensual, it was very romantic. People liked it and ultimately the viewer is king.

ST: And how would you defend the walkout and fight stories abounding from the set?

RR: I completely wonder how these stories get concocted. In the ten years of my career, there's no question of me walking off any set. There have been times when I've had heated arguments or discussions, but they're for the benefit of the show. If I was to walk off some set, that would harm the show or the episode or the producer. I've never done it and never will either. My producers have that much faith in me. And anyway, walking off the set is very childish. The only heated discussions we've had on the Viraasat set are healthy debates. No arguments between my director and me, or between Aman (Verma) and me or even Amar (Upadhyay) and me.

ST: There have been stories about an imminent cast walkout doing the rounds too.

RR: I'd rather not comment on hearsay. But I can say for myself, Sangeeta, Aman, Amar and a whole lot of other people doing this show that no one is planning to leave or even contemplating some such thing. For each one of us, as actors and as characters, Viraasat is extremely important.

ST: Viraasat may be very important but there are a whole lot of other television projects keeping you just as busy.

RR: I've just finished Extra Innings for Set Max, which was a mind blowing experience. I was nervous because I knew
I would be talking to the legends of the game that I've grown up watching. For me, it was never about the outcome of the show, I was just happy being part of it. But I broke into it very well and I've got some fantastic appreciation, the kind I had never even hoped for. Forget liking me, they thought I was damn good. Then, I have a wild show called Wild 10 for Zee Music, which is actually a countdown show, but as they say, it's zara hatke. What interested me is the fact that I'll get to connect with the youth based audience across the world that don't watch soaps. I also get a chance to travel, which is great. And I still have Housie for Zee.

ST: With work keeping you so busy, it's a wonder that we still manage to hear stories about you having disagreements with some of his co-stars. Take for instance your Sarrkkar colleague Sandeep Rajora, or even Mandira Bedi.

RR: Why would I have a problem with Sandeep? I don't think the media realizes this, but such reports put a strain on a friendship or a relationship. I've known Mandira for some ten years now, we're part of a quartet, the other two being Sameer Soni and Sudhanshu Pandey. I can understand them pitting me against Charu (Sharma) because I was like the new guy coming in. But why Mandy (Mandira)? It's just so silly.

ST: Has his friendship with Mandira or Sandeep been affected?

RR: Not with Mandira, but that's only because we know each other since years now. But what if we didn't? Then she would have thought I'm saying something and vice-versa. We were so cocksure about each other that it didn't matter in the least. As far as Sandeep is concerned, he really was like somebody who's doing a cameo in Sarrkkar. I'd worked with him in Kkusum too. I think he's a really good kid; it's just that he's a little lost, because in his heart, he hasn't found the place that he's looking for. The TV industry is like that; you can start of as the hero and then end up with some side role. Other than that, Sandeep's a great guy to work with. In fact, he told me, 'Dude, I call you Big B, why would I have a problem with you?' And I want to believe him.

ST: The Mandira and Sandeep controversies didn't turn out to be half as newsworthy as the one with Mannish Goel. It took all of one quote from Mannish ("I don't want to do character roles like Aman Verma or Rohit Roy" – Showtime August '06) to send all the tabloids into a frenzy and Rohit was all but besieged by calls.

RR: When this interview first came out in Showtime, I hadn't read it obviously. Now there's a difference between what is said and what is meant. I've been in this industry long enough to know that sometimes people say certain things and then feel a little sheepish when it comes out. It could have happened with me too, and I would have probably felt the same way. All I can say is that I have no issues with Mannish Goel. I know he said a few things that maybe he shouldn't have said. I don't know what he meant and what he didn't mean. Sometimes we say a lot of things. When he called me, I told him I wanted to know exactly what he meant. I don't know whether he was talking about Aman and me separately, because I've never done a film where I'm not the main lead. I've never done a five-minute role in my life. The only five-minute role, which was actually a 15-minute role, was LOC Kargil. But then there were 30 other actors doing a 15-minute role there, including Sanjay Dutt and Abhishek Bachchan. So if you're saying you don't want to be part of that, I'm cool with it.

ST: And what's the current status on their friendship?

RR: Presently as things stand, I have no issues with him at all. I never clarified anything because I never said anything in the first place. Had I retaliated, then maybe I could have said something. Innumerable papers called me the day Showtime hit the stands. But I chose to stick with 'No Comments' because there really was nothing to say. Mannish was a friend and still is a friend. I was just surprised that he would say something like that. But eventually I sent him a message saying it's all right. It's water under the bridge. And I'm not saying this because it looks good in print, but a lot of times in life, you end up doing or saying things that you really don't want to say. And I would like to trust Mannish. Trust the fact that he didn't mean anything.

ST: Gauging your answers, one would probably think you are the kind who stays as far away from sweeping statements as possible, but it's actually quite the opposite.

RR: I make sweeping statements quite often. A lot of times, my candidness has been mistaken for arrogance. It doesn't bother me because there's a certain element of honestly in whatever I say. In the ten years that I've been in television, be it any newspaper, tabloid or magazine, there'll be no quote or statement that I won't stand for. If I've said something, then I stand by it. If it's a sweeping statement, so be it. Honestly may be a long path but it's the sure-fire path.

ST: Why, in spite of working with almost all the big production houses, is Rohit not working with Balaji?

RR: They're not giving me any work yaar, why don't you put in a word for me? At this stage of my career, I'm not even making attempts to knock on the doors of film people when I really want to do films. And Ekta (Kapoor) is a friend of mine. She'll be a little perturbed if I call her and say, can I work with you please? Off and on when we meet, we discuss the situation and she's been very candid with me. She tells me, 'Dude, when you have those 20 days in a month for me, we'll work something out'. Let me make this very clear, once and for all, there's never been any problem between Ekta and me. It's just that Ronit is Balaji's blue-eyed man while I've been blue-eyed for a lot of producers. I'm probably the only actor who's worked with all channels at equal footing. But yes, I would love to work with Balaji; in fact, any actor in his right mind would love to work with Balaji. Maybe it hasn't worked out with Balaji in TV but they're producing a film for me, Shootout At Lokhandwala. If they had a problem with me, I doubt they would have cast me in the film.

ST: There's so much on Rohit's plate, television, films, production, and if I'm guessing right, a lot more in the pipeline. There's even a show with wife, Manasi Joshi Roy coming up, which is definitely a first for both. And yet, Rohit feels he can do complete justice to all that he takes up.

RR: I've done double shifts for Extra Innings and Viraasat and managed quite well. You have to extend yourself. You have to be prepared for the crunch. See, the actor is still the same, I'm still the same person, and it's just the time that is good. So might as well get in as much good work as possible.

Makes sense for sure! In any case, the way things are going; the world is your playground Rohit!