Rohit Roy has managed to impress all with his versatility irrespective of the entertainment mediums. From television serials like Swabhimaan and Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand to mainstream Bollywood films such as Kaabil and Forensic, the actor has been at the forefront of defying conventionalism, by taking up challenges that pushes him to perform his best.
The actor who was also an integral part of Khatron Ke Khiladi’s latest season has made foray into the podcast space with Audible’s horror mystery ‘Woh Kaun Thi’. While speaking exclusively with News18 Showsha, Rohit Roy spoke about the intricacies of acting just with your voice, his character in the series, his equations with Karan Johar, his stint in Khatron Ke Khiladi and more.
Here are the excerpts:
Tell us something about this audio series Woh Kaun Thi? From the synopsis, it reads more than a usual murder mystery.
If you ask me, I will call it a horror-murder-thriller. It has got paranormal, little bit of horror in it. It’s not a horror horror but it starts making you think about whether it is real or not. And it’s also a thriller because there is a chase which ensues between ACP and several other characters through the audio story.
In the story, you play Inspector Vijay Desai. Who is Vijay Desai and how will you describe his psyche? What helped you to strike a connection with this character?
Normally, when we take up a role in cinema or OTT, we are always trying not to get typecast and go against what we have played before. For me, Inspector Vinod is very close to me in real life. I don’t particularly believe in the paranormal. I am a trained shooter. I am as trained as they come. I have gone through a lot of ups and downs in my life. There are a lot of commonalities between us. I felt there was a little bit of me in Inspector Desai and even the first day when I read the script, it seemed like I was actually playing myself. The one thing which is not common is that I have not broken up with my wife.
For those who are planning tune in into the series, what unique and immersive experiences they will witness that would make the whole journey more gripping?
I am a big fan of audiobooks and podcasts. If you realise, in the last three or four odd years, ever since Covid started, we’ve become exceedingly dependent on visual entertainment. And whether you like it or not, it’s very exhausting. You might think that you are relaxing while watching any show or any film in the confines of your home. But it is extremely restrictive, it stops you from growing and visualizing. Because you are seeing and hearing at the same time and it doesn’t let your brain do any thinking at all. Audio medium is immersive as it takes you inside a world. You don’t have visuals to fall back upon. You are creating your own visuals. That journey becomes your journey. And it’s not only Inspector Vijay Desai but also the zamindar, there is Tantra, there is Jyoti, there is Haribai. Anyone listening to this story will firstly get enamoured by the efforts of these actors. Whenever you are listening to an audio or podcast, by the end of it, you’ll stop listening to it as one of the characters. That works on Woh Kaun Thi because there are many twists and turns at the end of every chapter.
Considering that the story has elements of horror, how does one convey a compelling feeling of horror solely through the audio medium? What were some challenges that you faced while recording for it?
This is already been established that an audio storytelling is taking the world by storm. There is a couple of reasons according to me. Because I am a personal consumer of this kind of entertainment, I feel relaxed after I heard a book. Let me tell you why. With Audible, this is my first collaboration as a talent but I have been listening, consuming Audible content for the longest time. Let me tell you a personal story. I go to retreats, I go for Vipasannas, I to to Kerala for two week. What happens is that I am focussed on what I am doing there. But to relax, I listen to audio books. Even If I listen to a fictional content, non-fictional content or Bhagvad Gita, at the end of the chapter, I feel more relaxed because I am not using my vision. I am only using my ears to feel what is going on. This revolution is born out of fatigue of visual entertainment. And if you actually go back in time, India is historically known for audio entertainment. My mother is 80 today but she still tells us stories. Maybe she gets those stories from her Instagram or Whatsapp forwards but it’s a great way of not only bonding but also telling stories. Although later in life, we got Amar Chitra Katha and then we moved over to television and cinema, the charm of audio storytelling is unparalleled. I had to prepare to play Inspector Desai. Normally in my films, I don’t do that. I am a spontaneous actor, I read my lines, I improvise and I go and perform. But for this, I had to really delve into the deep psychosis of this man to understand why he was doing, what he was doing. He is not a quintessential hero. He uses his mind and brain to not only get information but also pass that information to the audience.
Like you said before, it was disheartening to see you go from Khatron Ke Khiladi due to the injury. Having said that, how do you feel about Dino James lifting the trophy? And how would you describe your journey on that show? In what ways did that show helped you?
When we started the actual show, we were all sitting together. I quietly told everybody that If I had to bet on somebody on the top 3, it would be Dino James, Arijit and Aishwarya. There was no doubt in my mind. Because this is a show where there is no hanky panky, you cannot script it. On the day, it’s the stunt that you get to do and you either fail or succeed. But Dino was the strongest contestant according to me and he proved it. He might have faltered in the couple of stunts but 95% of the time, he did very well. Same with Arijit. And I am happy that both of them came into the Top 3. I am very happy that the right guy has won because sometimes when you are part of these shows, like I have been for so many years as a host. But the first time I was in front of the camera and the excitement was unbelievable. A lot of people asked me that at this stage of your life, why are you going for a show like Khatron Ke Khiladi? I said firstly they didn’t call me as a host because that is Rohit Shetty and I was very excited to be a part of this journey. Unfortunately, the injury happened very early in the game and I had to return. And it’s not something that would have healed in a short time. It’s been four months and I am still healing. That was unfortunate but the stint in Khatron Ke Khiladi was amazing since I aced everything that they gave me. That was good.
You also recently shared that you had called Karan Johar asking for work. What actually led to that phone call and why specifically him? And whether you felt the response from his side was fruitful?
It was taken out of context. What I wanted to say was Karan and me have been talking about a script that I have written. I wanted to direct it for Dharma. I was in touch with him and I had known him for a better part of 25 years. So what I wanted to say was that I don’t shy away from calling people whom I know for work and there is no ego involved there. A lot of people say that they won’t call as it is about their self-respect. But it’s not about self-respect. I am a commodity that needs to be sold so I am my own salesman and the best way around that is by knocking at the doors of people who can. It’s very simple. But they just used the word Karan Johar because it sounds good right?
You have been very selective with your roles. Has that been a conscious decision on your end? Or is it because you haven’t got the kind of scripts or offers that attracts you?
Always. Right from Day 1 of my television career, while I was doing Swabhiman, I must have been offered a minimum of 100 shows in the span of four years. Maybe I am counting less since with time, the memory dims. However, I decided to do only one show. While I was doing Swabhiman, I did Baat Ban Jaye which was a completely different concept and genre. It was comedy. But it’s not only about being conscious but being selective and not exclusive. I’ve been selective as an actor and the reason why I did Audible’s Woh Kaun Thi because I wanted to explore another facet of Rohit Roy-the actor. Lots have been said about me being the good looking guy and that I dance well. But can I translate that charm into the audio medium? Once people hear Woh Kaun Thi and I get feedback, I’ll realise whether I have failed or succeeded. But if I don’t try, I will never know. That’s been my thought process whether it’s television, OTT or cinema. In fact, I have done a few films for friends which I did not want to do and they really did not pan out well. So I have decided and learnt to say No.
We hear a lot about nepotism in Bollywood but do you feel the television space is also nepotistic? And not much is spoken about the same in media and among the masses
Suppose I am a businessman and I have a son. Do you think I should name him as my heir or go to my neighbour and appoint his kid instead? This whole nepotism debate bullshit started from that one show and it got flared because everybody wanted to comment on it. If I am in a position of power to further my own offspring, why would I not do that? It is the most logical thing to do. As far as television is concerned, I don’t know about any nepotism. In television, all I have been privy to is favouritism, which happens everywhere. Television is in fact more difficult to crack than films. In films, there is a certain amount of goodwill that the actor has and his son or daughter will get that goodwill. But on television, the first show you do, you have to prove yourself. If you show works and your character works, you become a Rishab Malhotra and it becomes a Swabhiman. So nepotism doesn’t really work in television. Nepotism would definitely not work in an audio medium unless you have a great voice and a great command over the language you are dubbing in. There is no chance that your father’s name can help you.
What are some of your upcoming projects? And whether we’ll get to see you and Ronit Roy together in a single project?
This is a perfect question and I don’t know whether I can answer it yet. But I have been working on a show for Applause, which is a show based in Mumbai and it’s a show that I am writing, producing and directing. And if you ask me what would be my dream cast, it would be Ronit Roy and Rohit Roy. Because both the protagonists of the show are brothers. That really depends on the production house Applause how they want to position the show. But if you ask me, very shortly you’ll see Ronit Roy and Rohit Roy together. If not this then something else. We are working on multiple projects. Yes hopefully, you’ll see me and Ronit Roy together in 2024.
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