Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; September 7, 2026)

For Rahul Roy, the spotlight is back, but not quite in the way he would have imagined. The ’90s hero, best known for the film Aashiqui, was in the news recently over a series of Instagram reels in which he was seen dancing at a wedding and performing to his old songs with a content creator. Netizens speculated that his financial circumstances had prompted him to take part in the reels.

In a chat with us, the actor spoke about the financial realities that led him to take up the work, rebuilding his career after a brain stroke and the challenges of starting over at 60.

‘I am 60 and trying to set up my empire’
The actor, who has been part of films such as Junoon and Phir Teri Kahaani Yaad Aayee, is now focused on rebuilding his career and life. He also has a legal case that he has been fighting for the past few years. “There is a court case that I want to settle. It’s a `30 lakh matter, and my brother and I are working on it.”

Rahul, who was married to model Rajlaxmi Khanvilkar from 2000 to 2014, adds, “Some years ago, I went through a divorce and transferred some of my assets to my wife’s name. So now I am trying to build everything from scratch. I am 60 and trying to set up my empire.”

‘I am really thankful to the people who are trusting me’
Rahul says that he has no plans to retire. “The last five years have almost been like a break because I was recuperating. There was no work. If that wouldn’t have happened, I would have done much more. But now, I am getting some work and want to do a lot more,” he shares.

The actor, who was recently part of the micro-drama Super Badshah, adds, “I was happy to be back on the set and face the camera. I am really thankful to the people who are trusting me. In my 37-year journey in films, I believe I have done some good work, and now I am looking forward to doing more.”

‘I have expenses and I need the money’
Rahul is candid about why he took up the work. “I have expenses and I need the money. Getting work after my brain stroke in 2020 was difficult. It’s been five years since then, and I was doing whatever I could to keep things going. Sometimes, I earn Rs. 2 lakh or Rs. 4 lakh by dancing at weddings. People who troll me don’t know that this is hard work. I have to earn my bread and butter too,” he says.

‘People in the industry have always been supportive’
Despite the criticism from netizens that has come his way, Rahul says that people from the industry have always stood by him. “People have been supportive, be it Karisma Kapoor, Raveena Tandon or Pooja Bhatt. I am in touch with my Aashiqui co-stars Anu Aggarwal, Deepak Tijori and Avatar Gill, and even Mahesh Bhatt. Deepak is doing well, and hopefully, we will reunite for work,” he says.

Rahul also counts Salman Khan among those who stood by him during his difficult phase. Salman had helped him with his medical expenses during his brain stroke recovery, while more recently Farah Khan and Archana Puran Singh came out in support of him after he spoke about the financial compulsions that led him to feature in the viral reels.