Thaindian News

By Robin Bansal
New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS) It took him 18 years to make his presence felt on the big screen. Seasoned TV actor Ronit Roy, who has found critical acclaim with the film “Udaan” and bagged a Hollywood project, reveals he still doesn’t have a portfolio to circulate and has never gone to a studio asking for work.

“I personally never eyed anything. In my entire career, I have not gone to any studio and asked for work. Till date, I don’t have a portfolio and I have never circulated one,” Ronit told IANS in a telephonic interview from Mumbai.

The 44-year-old has no problem with his late acceptance in the Hindi film industry.

“I am not a strategist. I don’t think of things whether I have got my due or not. I don’t think Bollywood owes me anything. Neither success nor failure affects me. What affects me is doing mediocre work,” said the actor, who got kudos for his role as an authoritarian father in “Udaan”.

“I would not do a film just for the sake of doing a film. I have not done that in the past decade. Rather than going the superstar way, I would take the road less travelled. I would rather go the way Abhay Deol has - by doing things differently where there is a story to tell,” he added.

Ronit started his career with the movie “Jaan Tere Naam” in 1992 and later did films like “Hulchul”, “Sainik” and “Dosti Ki Saugandh”, but couldn’t make it big in Bollywood.

He then moved on to the small screen and became a household name after featuring in TV mogul Ekta Kapoor’s serials like “Kasautii Zindagii Kay” and “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thhi”.

“TV has given everything that I have. Whatever I have today, I have built it all because of TV. But like I will not do a film for the sake of doing one, I will not do television either just for the sake of doing it,” he said.

So what is the Hollywood project in his kitty?

“It’s a mainstream Hollywood film and not a crossover or a bilingual by a mainstream Hollywood director with a mainstream Hollywood superstar. I am playing an extremely legendary Indian character in it,” Ronit revealed.

Probed a little more on the subject, he said: “Things have to be concretised first… This is not the right time for it.”

The actor is also contemplating wielding the megaphone some day.

“I might make a film but that is way into the future. If I have a story that I really want to tell, then I will do that. There is a thought that I have but it’s still a thought,” he said.

Known for providing security to the who’s who of the film industry, Ronit is now going to start a training agency.

“I started my security business in 1997. I got myself trained and trained my people. There are 400-odd families that are connected to it. My business is my baby and it will go on,” he said.

“We are now building a training centre for amateurs who want to pursue the course. It’ll take about a year’s time from now. I cannot disclose the location, but our main facility is in South Africa; so we are trying to get it in India,” he added.

So does Ronit Roy also carry a gun to bed a la James Bond?

“I take my babies to bed. My four-year-old daughter Aadur has been sleeping beside me since two-three years and now my son Agasthya sleeps with me,” the doting father said.

These days he is seen on daily soap “Bandini” and as a host on cookery show “Kitchen Champion”.

Asked about his future plans, he said: “Ronit Roy doesn’t look at the future. He looks at the present. We will cross the bridge when we come to it.”

(Robin Bansal can be contacted at robin.b@ians.in)