Three decades after his screen debut, Rohit Roy is clearing the air about a phrase that overtook the point he was trying to make. His earlier comment about television was shared as a short, sharp attack. Speaking to Mid-day, Roy said he does not blame anyone for the backlash, but he does blame the way modern headlines work.
A reunion three decades in the making
In Chumbak, Roy appears opposite Neena Gupta as her younger romantic interest—a casting choice that carries a built-in joke between them. His debut film had Gupta playing his on-screen aunt; thirty years later, he says, the pair are playing a “very cute triangle”. He remembers Gupta greeting him on set without ceremony: “Maza aa gaya, tu kar raha hai.”
The television row, in his words
Roy says the reaction blew his original comment out of proportion. He now calls his choice of phrase a “stupid word” and stresses that he is himself a product of television. His intent, he says, was to ask for progressive content on the medium, not to attack anyone personally.
“I don’t blame anybody for this,” Roy said. “What happens is that nowadays, everybody wants a clickbait.”
Why the OTT comedy gap matters
Roy’s defence is also a programming note. He has been wondering why mainstream OTT platforms have so few comedies, and he sees Chumbak as a “clutter-breaker” in a slate dominated by darker material. That is not only a streaming observation; it is a reminder that comedy’s cultural familiarity has not always translated into the same risk appetite on OTT.
Career choices, one no at a time
- He says his Shootout at Lokhandwala climax is still remembered nearly 15 years later.
- He initially said no to Kaabil and only accepted after his best friend Sanjay Suri persuaded him.
- He describes his project choices as driven by creative satisfaction rather than volume.
For readers who follow Hindi cinema closely, Roy’s comments are a useful case study in how screen-industry exchanges get flattened online. The actor’s actual ask—better television writing and more mainstream comedies—is more ordinary and more useful than the viral version.
Source: The Times of India
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