Rohit Bose Roy: It’s great catching up with Dilliwale dildaar dost

Rohit Bose Roy, who was in Delhi, talks about his love for the city, its people and food.
A doctor, a villain, a conman – Rohit Bose Roy has donned multiple hats, and now, he wants to do roles that challenge him as an actor and take him out of his comfort zone. “I am at a point in my career where if I don’t challenge myself enough, it gets difficult to perform every day,” says the actor, who was recently in Delhi to perform in his latest play, 'Ovee', a horror-comedy in which he plays three characters – a cop, a lecherous chacha and a psychiatrist.In a chat with us, the actor tells us about how despite being a Mumbaikar, he loves Delhi for its food and its dildaar Dilliwallahs.
The actor loves the warmth and hospitality of Delhiites. “There has always been this unsaid war between Mumbai and Delhi, but I’m a Mumbaikar who loves Delhi. I love Dilliwallahs, I love the food of Delhi, not so much the nightlife though. It is similar everywhere. Both Delhi and Mumbai have similar places with similar vibes.” He adds, “I have lots of friends in Delhi and I must say they are my Dilliwale dildaar dost. Most of them have nothing to do with cinema. It is great to have conversations that have nothing to do with films or work, so the conversations veer towards other fields. It is great to catch up with them every time I am in the city.”
The actor says, “Unfortunately, these days one of the first things that come to my mind when we talk about Delhi is politics and pollution. Delhi must take all the necessary steps to ban single-use plastic.”
‘I love the north Indian street food at Bengali Market’
When in Delhi, the actor loves visiting Bengali Market. “I have always wondered why is it called Bengali Market? Interestingly, it is more popular for its north Indian street food, such as chhole bhature andpaani puri, and has nothing to do with Bengali food. It is just a myth, and now the whole area around the circle is known as Bengali Market, which is fascinating. I am a Bengali and any kind of food is great for me. I totally love raj kachori and paani puri at the Bengali Sweet House,” he tells us.
Rohit, a self-confessed foodie, also loves the hot and greasy paranthas at the Moolchand Paranthewala. “Every time I visit Delhi, I go there at night, eat some paranthas and get something packed for breakfast. I like to eat, and Delhi has all the options one can think of. I don’t do pub-hopping as I am not much of a drinker.”
‘I loved playing the lecherous chacha the most in the play’
On the work front, the actor is busy with his latest play, 'Ovee', a horror-comedy directed by Aniket Patil, in which he plays three characters – a sleazy uncle, a police officer and a psychiatrist. “Through this play, I wanted to challenge myself and come out of my comfort zone. I loved playing the lecherous chacha the most. It is so unlike me that I had to really act. You can take liberty in characters like these. There is no nuance, no filter, so I can just go out and play to the gallery and that kind of sets the tone for the audience.”
A self-confessed foodie, Rohit Roy says he loves raj kachori and paani puri at the Bengali Sweet House and often visits Moolchand Paranthewala
‘I am back to using my full name’
Rohit has gone back to his original name Rohit Bose Roy. He tells us, “Ronit (Rohit’s elder brother) and I were born with full names. When I came to Bombay, Ronit was already here and had dropped his name. Many insisted that it was a mouthful, so he had dropped ‘Bose’ from his name, and even I did the same. We did it purely for the screen but now, both of us are back to using our original names.”
The actor, who last shared the screen with his actor-brother Ronit Bose Roy, in Hrithik Roshan-starrer 'Kaabil', is set to make his directorial debut as well. “Ronit will be a part of it. We are hopefully going to start shooting next year,” he says.
Apart from this, Rohit is working for his next, 'Mumbai Saga', a gangster drama directed by Sanjay Gupta, also starring John Abraham and Emraan Hashmi. “I am probably the only actor currently, who is on all four mediums – TV, film, digital and theatre,” he says.
‘Small screen is a test of patience’
The actor who has multiple TV shows to his credit, including 'Shakti Ek Ehsaas Ki', 'Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand' and 'Swabhimaan', and now, a medical drama, says, “Small screen is clearly a test of patience. For an actor like me, who likes to prepare for a role, get into the skin of the character and do rehearsals and workshops, I do not get time to do all of that. I reach the set by 9-9.30am, get the first scene that I have to mugup somehow, get into the character and perform. So, it is a great training round to begin with. Theatre is a challenge because you can not mess up your lines and give wrong cues as that can impact the sound and lights on stage and ruin the entire scene. I want to see myself become a bonafide theatre actor, that’s my end goal.”
‘I don’t believe in diet fads’
Fitness is Rohit’s latest addiction and his Instagram account is a clear indication of that. “The moment you start taking your fitness seriously, which is not just about bodybuilding but your overall health, it becomes your centrifugal force. No matter how tired I am, if I am in Mumbai, I have to hit the gym. It makes me feel energised after a hectic day. It is an addiction for me, and a good one. I believe in a healthy lifestyle. I like to eat ghar ka khana and a protein-rich diet. I don’t believe in all those diet fads that many youngsters are crazy about these days. I like doing cardio and strength training on a regular basis,” he says.