Ronit Roy: Couldn't have sticked to television just for money

He was the highest paid actor on television, but Ronit Roy decided to "forego" his TV star status due to the dearth of well-written characters. The actor says getting away from the small screen did cause him a lot of "grief and pain", but he had reached a point in his career where he could not have imagined to compromise with his choices. 

"TV is like a mother to me, it gave me a second birth as an actor. But there came a point where I said I love my art and craft so much that I can't be just keep doing it for money. I was the highest paid actor on TV, travelling in business class, staying in luxury hotels... But one had to forego all that," he told PTI. 

In the initial days of his career, Ronit appeared in films like "Jaan Tere Naam", Ajay Devgn-starrer "Hulchul", "Army" with Sridevi among others. 

But later, he turned towards TV and became a prominent face of popular shows like "Kasautii Zindagii Kay" and "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi". 

He, however, distanced himself from daily soaps and tried to revive his film career with movies like "Udaan", "Shootout at Wadala", "2 States", "Ugly", "Kaabil". His performance in the films were appreciated by both critics and the audiences. 

"Not doing TV came with its share of grief and pain. I was like, 'now what, how to pay the EMIs?' But it came to a point where I went 'What do you have for me?' because I am not going to do what I did 10 years back," he added. 

After making his mark in television and movies, Ronit is now exploring the digital medium with ALT Balaji's Original "Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain". 

Talking about his role in the series, the 52-year-old actor says, "The basis of the show is infidelity, but it isn't (only) about that. It is about what happens when a key person in a structure decides to step out of it. During mid-life crisis, some people find their solace in sports cars, meditation, travelling, or, sometimes, in another person. What happens then, if you are married?". 

The show, which also features Mona Singh and Gurdeep Kohli, started streaming on the ALTBalaji last week.