Now, he will focus on his directorial ventures on TV and acting in Bollywood. In his last show, aired on zoom, he will get candid with Bollywood biggies. He speaks about the show and more. Here are excerpts from an interview:

We hear that you are hosting a chat show?

Yes. I had said goodbye to tv but then when our production house, Magic Works decided to produce a chat show on Zoom. I immediately said yes. I wanted to host a chat show since long. The show is called ‘Inside Bollywood’ with Rohit Roy.

Another chat show?

Yes, I agree that it’s another chat show but it’s not an usual one. For those who seem to have forgotten, our stars are human too. And, like celebrities
around the world, Bollywood biggies also have issues that need to be discussed and addressed. The only thing missing, until now, was a suitable platform. What it promises to address are issues that affect celebrities. We talked about alcoholism with Pooja Bhatt and Mahesh Bhatt. Can there be someone better to discuss the issue? The brutally frank father-daughter duo speaks about a little-discussed aspect of life in n Bollywood – addiction – be it alcohol, drug, even work-related. They also share, with characteristic honesty, their struggle with Mahesh Bhatt’s addiction and the devastating effects it has had on their family.

Tell us about other guests?

I had Sanjay Leela Bhansali on my show. Getting candid with him and seeing his creation through his eye and bringing it to the viewers was a challenge. I enjoyed my conversation with him. It lets me experiment…lets me get up close and personal to the movers and shakers of our industry. It lets me bring the other side of glamour to our viewers.

The USP of the show

Me of course! But on second thoughts, having Naseeruddin Shah, Madhur Bhandarkar, Tabu, Sanjay Gupta, Suneil Shetty, Koena Mitra, Dino Morea, Neha Dhupia on the show is the USP.

Nagesh Kukunoor and Sharmila Tagore talk about the controversial issue of censorship in Bollywood; Sanjay Dutt would speak about about being destiny’s child – and all this is just the tip of the iceberg. This show is your wife, Maansi’s brainchild. So, has she quit acting for good? Yes. This is Maansi’s brainchild, but she hasn’t quit acting. She’s a fantastic actor. And is looking out for plum assignments.

Movies or TV

I’ve said my goodbye to television. Frankly, there’s nothing in TV that interests me anymore. It’s the classic case of been there, done it all. So, if I were to do something in TV, it would be more on the production side. I see myself as a creative producer. And movies is my focus now. I enjoy making them and being part of the larger frame. But do you get the creative freedom that you seek from a channel? Yes. It’s not a question of seeking creative freedom. It is a simple rule of seeking for direction. Because as creative entities, we visualize the show, but it is finally the channel who knows what works best!

On time clash with IPL

Yes, we thought about that. But then after cricket, it is the celebs who draw our viewers. And with a chat show based on our current format, we definitely see a growth curve. Zoom has a target audience and the viewers are a focused segment who tune in to catch the W’s of Bollywood. In the pipeline? Two Shows one for Zee Next titled ‘Rang’ – the colours of life and another for Sahara One. And ofcourse, I’m rooting for the reality show which has me and Ronit in it. In the pipeline is also a wish to direct both Maansi and my brother Ronit. Now, that is something that I would love to do. ‘Inside Bollywood’ with Rohit Roy is a series of 13 episodes, the show’s first episode will air on Saturday, 26th April at 8:00 pm and the rest will air on Sundays starting 4th May at 8:00 pm.