I share a high comfort level with Ekta: Ronit

He's the original dude of television who went on to woo the couch potatoes with his macho looks, understated style and charisma as affable Mr Bajaj and Mihir Virani.

Ronit Roy's onscreen chemistry with Shweta Tiwari nee Prerna endeared him some more to his fans. Then rumours of their estrangement started. But now, grapevine has it that the two estranged friends have patched up after seven years of cold war. NT speaks to Ronit to check out the latest on this front.

The moment you ask him to give the details of his patch up with Shweta, he says, "These rumours are amazing! It is true that Shweta and I had a small friction when she punched me in the stomach because I had smeared a lot of gulal on her face for a Holi scene. When you are working with somebody for years, the ups and downs certainly happen. But, despite that we have always bonded well, exchanged smiles and shared jokes with each other. Shweta has gone through a lot in life, and everyone has their off days. I understand and respect that."

Did Shweta share her marital problems with Ronit, especially when she was allegedly being harassed by her husband Raja Tiwari? To this Ronit says, "There were times when she did share some of her problems. There were also times when she withdrew in a shell, and we left her alone to sort out the issues within. But, I am glad that she has left that extra baggage behind and is more relaxed these days. Both of us are together in a reality show as judges and the friendship is there for all to see."

With his acting acumen and screen aura, does he plan to look beyond Ekta Kapoor's serials? To this Ronit says, "I share a high comfort level with Ekta because I know her inside-out. She's very concerned about her actors and their welfare, hence, it is only natural for her to be so possessive about them. It's a give-and-take process after all. Sometime back she and I also had a minor spat and then she sent me an SMS saying that over the years we have come to know of each other's strengths and weaknesses and let's remain friends always. Naturally, I have a fine equation with her."

When other television actors like Rajeev Khandelwal have veered into Bollywood, does he also plan to tread this path again? "I started my career from films, but television is like my mother. It has given me name, fame and individuality. So, I am not losing any sleep over films. In the past couple of months, I have read more than 35 scripts, but only one script has excited me enough. Let it mature in my mind and you will soon hear something on this front."