Capturing Hearts - Rohit Article

Looking back on my Swabhimaan days, I would say I was totally raw. I was this fat guy with a baby face and overgrown hair, trying to deliver dialogues la Bachchan! You see, my only "school of acting" was Amitabh Bachchan's movies. I toddled along for years thinking I was the best. Now those tapes make me squirm.

Age has given me the confidence to develop my own style. Back then, I'd talk first, think later, now it's the reverse. Now, I'm not shy to approach a producer or director and tell him up front, that I want to work with him. I'm happy with what I've achieved on television. I'd like to see the same happen in the movies. I have a long way to go. I want to be remembered as a great actor, to be the Laxmi Mittal or Tiger Woods of celluloid.

Presentation, personality, confidence all count. Being my own PR agent, I had to make up for the lack of grooming with some shrewd but harmless image making. Even when I was knocking at producers' doors for work I refused to look hard up or desperate. Intuitively, I knew this would send the wrong message to those whom I wanted to impress. So I'd drive up in my brother's Honda, while he traveled by public transport. Despite his warnings that I'd never get work that way, I did!

12 years ago, I was planning to do an MBA in the US, and my application for
a student visa was rejected. But when I look on the sorry episode, I see it as a turning point. Some years back I landed a plum role in a film that starred Shilpa Shetty. Unfortunately, after shooting 4 weeks, the producer ran into a cash crunch, and the movie was shelved. Just my luck! But I learned that you shouldn't ask God why, just keep the faith. Focus on planning your next move. When you radiate positiveness, it has the effect of reflecting back on you, so you benefit from it more than anyone else.

But finally humour is the best defense against set backs. I've learnt to lighten up, to take things with a pinch of salt, to laugh at myself and make others laugh as well.

My approach to fitness leans more towards the holistic rather than the aesthetic. I believe the effort should start at home with nutritious food. My workouts boil down to half an hour at the machines and half an hour of cardio daily. I actually love running on the treadmill. I feel its pull, as if I used to be a runner in my previous life. I step onto it at the end of a long, tiring day with zero mental energy, zone out, and come away minus the load of stress. Even on days when I'm squeezed for time, I try to do at least the cardio. It works like a tonic, invigorates and gives me a good nights' sleep.

The difficult bit is getting my butt to the gym. My tactic: Look in the mirror and ask "What is it that you want? To maintain that physique or let it dissolve into flab?"

I've been exercising for 5 to 6 years now, but my interest in heavy weight training developed while shooting with Sanjay Dutt for Plan in 2004. I spent some wonderful evenings working out with him, taking tips from him — he's a real pro. Alas, that was also when I injured my right shoulder during an action sequence. I landed on the ground with my 70 kilos on my right shoulder. Taking a sabbatical from weight lifting for the next six months, I recovered, got my gym routine back on track, but traded the heavy metal in favour of lighter weights.

Thank God for the latest trend towards leaner bodies! A good physique is now defined by strong arms, shoulders, legs and six-pack abs. With my body structure, I wouldn't like to see myself muscle bound. I'm keener on being a Brad Pitt than an Arnold Schwarzenegger. Right now I'm focussing on my legs, which are my weak areas. I'm holding off any shots in shorts till I get them in shape.

I have five to 6 small meals a day. Breakfast is typically a bowl of cornflakes with skim milk, a glass of vegetable juice and one or two egg whites; an apple, pear or any fruit makes a midmorning snack. Lunch and dinner is the usual — 2 rotis; chicken, paneer or soy, bowl of dal; green salad. I ward off 6 pm hunger pangs with a tuna, chicken or egg sandwich. Although this may change in a couple of years. Mansi (my wife) and I are shifting more and more towards vegetarianism — my daughter Kiara is already one.

I do not believe in keeping my stomach empty. The body is just like a steam engine — if there's no fuel it becomes sluggish, the basal metabolic rate drops and you fail to get rid of your fat as well.

I have a sweet tooth that's going crazy these days! Whenever the craving gains the upper hand I satisfy it with some low fat ice cream like Gelato.

When the compliments flow your way, it becomes easier to say no. Not indulging is a small price one has to pay, especially in the field of acting where looking good is so very important. In any case, it's not about saying no all the time; rather, it's knowing what you can eat. There's some great stuff which satisfy my senses and are diet friendly.

This label was slapped on me when I entered Television. I didn't fight it, because at that point I needed the hype to push my budding career. So the image stuck. I have only three Ladies in my life - Mansi, Kiara, and Mom. Mansi knows to look beyond the public image, and that I will never risk my marriage even for the prettiest girl in the world.

Well, it has made me calmer. I think I've found a refuge in this relationship. Marriage and a baby inevitably brings maturity. When your life revolves around a child, you keep striving to be a better parent, a better person. I guess that's what people mean by "settling down."