He became a household name as Rishabh Malhotra in Swabhimaan (1998) at a time when television wasn’t usually a medium many actors were keen to explore. More than 25 years later, Rohit Bose Roy continues to add many firsts to his career. He will soon make his debut on an international platform with Sam Bhattacharjee’s techno-thriller, IRaH.

He says, “It is a British production, shot in London and its surrounding areas last year. IRaH is about Artificial Intelligence (AI). I am grateful that an actor like me, who doesn’t get offered enough central characters in India, got the lead role in an international film. When the makers approached me, I double-checked with them if they wanted me to play the central character (laughs!). They approached me after seeing my work, which was extremely gratifying.”

While many actors have thanked OTT for breathing fresh life into their otherwise stagnant careers, Rohit feels that even streaming platforms have now started the practice of chasing stars. He says, “Of course, the content is becoming diverse with the advent of OTT. However, in India, we still don’t cast according to characters, the focus is on roping in established names. If the makers are keen to work with a particular actor, a character will be written keeping him/her in mind.”

Interestingly, he says that even after 25 years as an actor, he is more confident as a director. “I can be in doubt as an actor, but never as a director. I know my worth as a filmmaker,” he shares, adding, “Of course, the actor in me helps add nuances and layers to characters when I write and direct, but the director in me takes precedence over everything else.”

So, what about his acting stint on TV, his last outing being Sanjivani, which wrapped up in March 2020? “I would love to do TV, I am a product of television. But, the point is to take up a show that I can be proud of. TV requires long-term commitment, and as of now, I don’t want to dedicate that much time to it unless the role is truly challenging,” he replies.

Elaborating further, Rohit admits that he is apprehensive about helming a TV show in current times. “After watching today’s TV shows, I feel that we are going backward. One person, channel or production house can’t change the state of affairs. It has to be a paradigm shift where people start taking Indian television seriously. I understand that there can’t be art without commerce. Having said that, TV could do a little better by offering a better mix of creativity and commerce.”