Actor Ronit Roy: ‘My character in Bloody Daddy is a layered, suave gentleman’

The trailer of Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bloody Daddy dropped a few days ago and it is a pleasure to watch Ronit Roy play a menacing drug lord who is out to make things difficult for the protagonist played by Shahid Kapoor. Ahead of the action thriller's release on June 9 on JioCinema, Roy spoke to us about his role and if a return to television is on the cards anytime soon. Edited excerpts from an inetrview:

You have been playing negative characters for a while now. Did you enjoy the baddie act in Bloody Daddy? 

Yes, I have been doing negative characters for a long time. Having said that, filmmaking has progressed over the years and villains don’t wear space suits any more. They are real people. My character in Bloody Daddy is a suave gentleman and there are many layers to him. Ali Abbas Zafar has a knack for creating marvellous worlds and everyone seems to rise above the script in his films. People who have seen the film have told me that I have hit the ball out of the park. All these comments make me feel great but I can’t take the entire credit. It’s a great piece of work which has fallen together really well with Ali, a hands-on production team and, of course, my co-stars, including Shahid Kapoor, Rajeev Khandelwal, Sanjay Kapoor and Diana Penty. Most of my scenes were with Shahid and Sanjay. They are great actors who have been there for a long time and have their own style. A script like this gives you the chance to blend in with them and stand out as needed.

How was the working equation with Ali Abbas Zafar?

To start with, Ali is the sweetest guy in the world. Plus, he is really focussed and dedicated to his work. Not even for a moment is he ever in any kind of doubt and that confidence reflects in the actors as well. Having said that, there is no rigidity in him. If you feel strongly about something and if it holds water, he will accept it and make the necessary change. He has shot this film in record time. When you’re shooting at that pace and have a director who has clarity, is open and immediately understands what you’re saying — there’s nothing better than that. On the other hand, I know that when I make a mistake, he will pull me up and tell me about it. It’s a workplace of mutual respect and great fun.

Shahid Kapoor and Ronit Roy in a still from 'Bloody Daddy'.

Last year, you returned to television with Swaran Ghar after a gap of five years. After doing so many films and web-series, do you still find television scripts exciting?

That was not really my return. It was more of a cameo and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Returning to television is not something on the cards right now because there is a time issue. I cannot commit for long periods of time because my films are lined up for the next one year or so. There is a zone on television called the finite series which nobody is really giving much of a thought to at present. It can be a limited series of, say, 50-60 episodes where you write a story, do workshops, shoot and come back with another show. You can call it a long format of OTT. I see that happening soon and I think it makes perfect sense. Right now, the math does not work for the producer to hire me and the time factor doesn’t work for me. When that (finite series) happens, I see myself in that space. That will probably be my return to TV.

In your earlier interviews, you have mentioned not getting good work after your hit debut film Jaan Tere Naam (1992) and your financial struggles. How have things changed for you in the last few years? 

I read this line on Instagram recently which was ‘hum itni door sirf itni door aane ke liye nahi aaye hain’, which means I haven’t come this far, just to come this far. I feel that I have a lot to give. I feel like a student. If you take off the 10 years of television stardom, as an actor I feel I have a lot of scope to learn and grow and my best performances are yet to come. Where I stand currently, I am really happy. I have some beautiful relationships in the industry and I get a lot of respect and love from my audience. I am really grateful for that.

Ronit Roy plays a drug lord in 'Bloody Daddy'.

From Jaan Tere Naam to Bloody Daddy, what is the one thing that has remained the same for you?

Everything has changed. I am a completely different human being. Today, I stand spiritually advanced. I am unaffected by those petty egoistic issues that actors have in the nascent stages of their career. As an actor and as a human being, I am a much more honest person now. My current lifestyle is the cleanest I have ever led. My body and my mind are in the greatest shape ever and I have so much energy in me. I am raring to go. I am up by 5 in the morning and sleep by 9.30 pm. Earlier it was different. I would wake up by 9.30 am and sleep by 5! (Laughs). So, it’s a complete reversal.

Somewhere about two decades ago, there was this realisation that if the industry does not want me then the fault lies in me, not the industry. We must bring about the change in ourselves. It’s taken me a long time to get here but the road to dedication is not easy. There are a lot of sacrifices and learnings on the way. I have built a family and I am nurturing two children. I am a completely different person and my fans can see that as well. I’m really happy to have inspired some of them towards a cleaner and brighter lifestyle. It’s been years since I partied, so I’m kind of a recluse now. That helps me stay focussed. The audience-actor relationship is the most important because without my audience, I am a nobody. If they are placing that trust in me, I can’t go around running like an oaf. I have to stand up to the standards they place me on. That’s the end game. We are not making films to watch as home videos. I am doing whatever it takes to deliver good work and I will do whatever is needed. That is the most important thing for me.