#WhereAreTheySeries: Rahul Roy: Detached from showbiz because morons were offering me work

The year was 1990 and the blockbuster was Aashiqui and lead actor Rahul Roy became a household name. But he failed to recreate that same magic after that one film, which ultimately led him to take a hiatus from Bollywood. Now, he has opened up about his decision to take a break from showbiz.

“The people who were coming to me with roles at that time were morons, because of the way they wanted to do everything. They were like ‘If you don’t do it, we will go to someone else’,” confesses Roy, who was in the news last year after he suffered a brain stroke while he was shooting for a web show in Kargil.

He continues, “And there was a phase in my career where I was doing anything and everything. Soon, I realised that it is better to let go of the work, and let them (makers) work jiske saath unko karna hai. I will do what I want to do (not with any pressure), and I told them to move on. Also, I didn’t want to just take a project, and then later on crib about it yeh hona tha but woh hogaya”.

After the initial success, Roy was seen in Junoon (1992), Dilwale Kabhi Na Hare (1992) and Gumrah (1993). He also won the first season of reality show, Bigg Boss, in 2007.

Looking back at his career, the 53-year-old shares, “I won’t say that I was random in the way that I did my work. But I feel that there are some projects which I shouldn’t have done”.

“I didn’t want to do all the work, but it also left behind some lessons,” adds the actor, who moved to Australia with his now estranged wife, Rajlaxmi Khanvilkar, during his sabbatical in the early 2000s.

It was only in 2005 when he started to reappear through special appearances. “Every aspect of my journey has been good. I never had to beg for work in front of anyone, and that remains true even today”.

At the moment, Roy is staying in Mumbai with his daughter, sister and brother-in-law. And he credits them for putting him back on the road to healthy life after his brain stroke.

“When I got the stroke, I didn’t know what was happening to me. It was my sister who looked after me, and now I am much better. Agar woh nahi hote toh shayad mein bachta nahi. I still need two more months to speak properly, and only then I will resume work,” shares the actor.

This time, he has decided to put his health first, over work. “I don’t want to be in a race or any rush. Ab mere hisab se kaam hona chiayeh, since I am a brain stroke patient. And this is what I have been telling to people who are approaching me. It is difficult to make them understand, but it is okay. People can’t just expect me to bounce back, so I will do work only at my own pace,” he asserts.

In the end, he promises to comeback on screen, only on his own conditions. “Life has got a new meaning. Aur bhi bahut cheezein karni hai mujhe,” concludes Roy, who is also planning to write a book on his life.