I’d rather be an entertainer: Ronit Roy

Ronit Roy, who is currently seen on Itna Karo Na Mujhe Pyar, has taken up the role of the host for &TV’s upcoming game show, Deal Ya No Deal. The show — Ronit’s second as a host, after Kitchen Champion — has been previously hosted by R. Madhavan, Mandira Bedi and Rajeev Khandelwal. Ronit reveals that when the show was offered to him, he immediately gave his nod. He adds that he hopes to improve his presenting skills with the show. He says, “I regret the things I haven’t taken up. When I am offered work, I don’t say no. I take up everything that comes to me. I am a loner; my family doubles up as my friends. I am not a very intelligent person; I just want to improve my skills, soak in new experiences. I don’t aim to be a superstar, I’d rather be an entertainer.”

Hosting a reality game show is definitely not easy, states Ronit. He adds that there are times when he is very intrigued by the contestants, and secretly roots for them to win the big moolah. But this is where the show requires him to put his game face on. He recalls, “We have had contestants who reached a couple of lakhs in the game but ended up with '100. Some contestants belong to affluent families but when a dabbawala from Mumbai competed for an episode, I secretly wished he’d win a good amount. Unfortunately, I can only wish. It isn’t in my hands. But as a host, I prefer being real on the show.” He adds that the show is tougher since it is more than just “sitting on a chair and anchoring”. “There was a time when newsreaders were expected to be poker-faced. I remember during Rajiv Gandhi’s demise, the host on DD had tears in her eyes and she faced a backlash. I don’t agree to that. Also, this show is about connecting with contestants rather than sitting on a chair and simply anchoring,” Ronit says.

The Udaan actor is enjoying a high point in his career today, but he tells us that wasn’t always the case. He recalls, “There was a time when I had no money. I was written off as an actor, so I started a security business as it was based on expertise rather than investment. Luckily, my friends supported me during that phase.”

Ronit’s schedules are chock-a-block but he still takes some time off to learn new things — currently, he is focusing his energies on learning musical instruments. He says, “I’m fond of learning new things. Of late, I’ve taken inspiration from kids on Indian Idol Junior and now I’m learning the violin, the western concert flute and saxophone. Next, I will try singing.”