Fruits of labour
From being a lesser-known actor to making it big on the small screen, Ronit Roy has come a long way. Now, the actor has found his footing in the film industry with several strong projects in his kitty, writes Srabanti Chakrabarti.
It may sound unbelievable, but he has been in the industry for 26 years now. Starting off as an assistant director in 1986, debuting as a hero in 1992, and finally becoming the uncrowned king of television in the new millennium, Ronit Roy has come a long way.
His first film - Jaan Tere Naam - hit the silver jubilee mark in the box office. But unfortunately, Ronit turned out to be a one-hit wonder. However, that did not deter the talented actor from pursuing his goal. He changed tactics, though, and moved to the small screen.
Starting small
This move changed Ronit's fortunes completely. Kasautii Zindagii Ki and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi made him the king of television industry. "Despite completing 26 years in the industry, I think the journey and the struggle are still on. I have seen my debut film Jaan Tere Naam become a superhit, and after that being written off as an actor. Finally being given a fresh lease of life by Ekta Kapoor.
Right now, I am experiencing an interesting phase in my life. I have found a place in the actors' list of good directors. People are considering me for serious and important roles in their films. I would like to do films, which can be archived and studied by the next generation of film students and directors. Success and failure don't bother me much, but at the same time I have learnt several valuable lessons in all these years in the industry," Ronit explains.
Apart from portraying the popular characters of Mr Bajaj in Kasautii Zindagii Ki and Mihir Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Ronit has also done shows like Bandini and Adaalat (currently on air). Moreover, films like Udaan where he played the ruthless and strict father, Student of the Year, where he is a popular professor, and Boss, where he is as a corrupt police officer, go on to prove his versatility. "I believe there is God inside all human beings. And that is what kept me going during my hard times," he says.
Of late, Ronit has been in the news for his portrayal of corrupt cop Ayushman Thakur in the film Boss. As he says, "When I heard the story, I realised that this character had a lot of potential. This film has action, father-son drama and is also a love story. I was given full freedom to essay the role the way I wanted to."
Perseverance matters
Ronit also went through a complete physical makeover for the role. "I trained for 12 weeks. The first three weeks just passed by and nothing happened. I avoided steroids to gain muscles because doctors advised me against it. Finally, I sat with my trainer and we discussed the actual fitness level that was needed for the role.
I used to workout post my shooting schedule and followed a strict diet regime. There were days when I had no carbs, and after a point of time my body ran out of energy. In fact, during the shooting, Akshay used to follow the same diet regime as me, to encourage me. Right now, I don't have a paunch, thanks to my regime, and now I run four days a week. It is not about the age, it is the way you train your body."
Ronit feels he shared one of the best shooting experiences with the action king Akshay. "We shot on hot afternoons, when the mercury levels crossed 47ºc. In fact, a couple of our crew members even fainted. Later, Akshay made a rule that no one will work after 12 pm because that was the time when the temperatures really shot up."
Ask Ronit about his secret of success on small screen, and he will say, "If anybody knew the secret of success, he would have been a millionaire. I have always stuck to my elders'teachings, especially my father's. One should have a clear conscience and heart. One of the important lessons my father taught me was - if you get paid Rs 100, work as if you are getting paid Rs 300, then your employers will automatically raise your salary. I also tried to share whatever knowledge I gained from my experiences, with everyone on the sets."
Meanwhile, Ronit is again set to essay the role of a police officer in Anurag Kashyap's Ugly. Initially, the actor was a little unsure about taking up the role of a police officer again, because this will be his third in a row. He says, "When I was briefed about the role, I was happy that the character was completely different than the one I essayed in Boss. So I am glad that I am not typecast."
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