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.

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 Rs. 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.”

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.”

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.

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.

Film and theatre actor Bharat Kapoor, best remembered as the manipulative antagonist in the surprise superhit ‘Noorie' (1979) and as the amoral lover in the poignant tragedy ‘Bazaar' (1982), died in Mumbai on Monday. He was 80.

"I got a call from Bharat ji's son, Rahul, saying he passed away around 3 pm due to cardiac arrest at his home. He was unwell for three days," close friend and actor Avatar Gill told news agency PTI.

‘Love Story', ‘Nakhuda', ‘Ghulami', ‘Aakhri Raasta' and ‘Khuda Gawah' are some of the other films Kapoor worked in.

A first-rate theatre actor, Kapoor's rough, distinctive voice and clear diction were perfect for supporting roles. He was impressive in the cameo of a Pakistani officer in Chetan Anand's ‘Hindustan Ki Kasam' in one of his early films.

The low-budget ‘Noorie', a tender love story with memorable compositions by Khayyam, had the fresh faces of Farooq Shaikh and Poonam Dhillon in lead roles. As the principal antagonist Basheer Khan, Kapoor imbued the part with a sly menace. Viewers remembered that role for a long time. The film's astounding box office success ensured a steady flow of roles for him. But most of them were different versions of the stereotypical bad guy.

Sagar Sarhadi's ‘Bazaar' (1982) also gave him an opportunity to display his acting chops. Kapoor held his own in the film crowded with stars of alternative cinema.

Kapoor found roles with more heft and length once satellite TV arrived in the early 1990s. ‘Tara', ‘Campus', ‘Paramapara', ‘Saans' and ‘Amanat' were some of the TV shows where he kept appearing for weeks, even months. Unfortunately, Bollywood failed to fully utilise his talent. His death was mourned on social media.

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