Born on October 11, 1965, Ronit Roy's birth name is Ronit Bose Roy. His birthplace was Nagpur but he spent his childhood in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. After his schooling, Ronit pursued hotel management, though he was always passionate about acting. At 21, Ronit finally decided to pursue his passion and moved to Mumbai.
In picture: Ronit Roy with his brother Rohit Roy and sister-in-law Mansi Joshi Roy
Ronit Roy made his acting debut opposite former actress Farheen in Jaan Tere Naam in 1992. After the success of Jaan Tere Naam, Ronit went on to play characters in films like Sainik, Hulchul, Army and Khatron Ke Khiladi.
In picture: Ronit Roy's Bollywood debut Jaan Tere Naam
However, Ronit couldn't taste much success as an actor in films and he moved to television, eventually. "I had failed as an actor in films and didn't get more work there, so I moved to TV. Fortunately, I found some good work on television. This helped me open up as an actor," confessed Ronit in an interview.
In picture: A still from Akshay Kumar's film Sainik, where Ronit Roy played Akki's on-screen sister's love interest
Ronit Roy received unprecedented popularity with his role as Rishabh Bajaj in Kasauti Zindagi Kii and later as Mihir Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, becoming one of the highest-paid actors in the small screen industry.
In picture: Ronit Roy and Smriti Irani from the iconic show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.
Ronit, who had already worked in films before his stint in television, did more small screen shows like Bandini, Adaalat and Itna Karo Na Mujhe Pyar, besides some reality show entertainers. But films beckoned to him yet again. From Udaan and Ugly to 2 States, Boss, Student of the Year, That Girl In Yellow Boots and Kaabil, Ronit did an array of roles in these films.
In picture: Ronit Roy with his co-star Smriti Irani, years after the show ended
There was a time when Ronit Roy earned as much money as a film actor during his days on TV. But he had to stop it somewhere because Roy felt that things were not happening in a progressive manner, and he was dying inside. "I was telling myself 'No, I cannot do it anymore', 'I cannot push myself anymore'. So I stopped working on TV series," said Ronit Roy, who always craves for quality over quantity.
In picture: Ronit Roy and his second wife Neelam Bose Roy.
Vikramaditya Motwane's 2010 film Udaan played a huge part in changing Ronit Roy's life as an actor. "It got me noticed. After Udaan, I started getting offers but not all of them were enticing. I am quite picky when it comes to taking up roles," said Ronit.
In picture: Ronit Roy, Neelam Bose Roy and their kids - Aador Roy and Agastya Bose Roy.
But even after tasting success in films, in his second innings, Ronit Roy said success and failure can't overwhelm him. "I have seen both aspects of life, so it does not move me. Of course, success makes me happy but not overtly so. Likewise, failure cannot put me down, it will only make me work harder. But none can overwhelm me completely." Well said, Ronit.
In picture: (L to R) Hiten Tejwani, Ram Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, Karan Johar and Ronit Roy.
Ronit Roy, who once vied to be the hero in a film, is not the same person anymore. Over the years, he has matured a lot as an actor and is only pursuing substantial roles. The actor doesn't even mind the comparatively shorter screen time as long as he believes in the character he is playing.
In picture: Ronit Roy's family pictures
On the personal front, Ronit Roy was earlier married to Johana Mumtaz Khan. Due to differences, the couple parted ways, six months after they were blessed with a daughter. Ronit confessed that he couldn't be a good parent to his first child - daughter Ona. Ronit Roy's ex-wife was an illegal immigrant in the US when they had got divorced. In a candid confession, he had said, "I could have got my daughter back. It was all about filing a petition. My daughter was also an illegal immigrant. But I thought, and did so correctly, that at that point of time, my ex-wife was a better parent."
In picture: Ronit Roy and Neelam Bose Roy
In an interview with mid-day in 2019, Ronit Roy said, "My ex-wife and I separated when my daughter Ona was very young. She is now 28 and lives with her mother in another country. She is married too. I have seen up close what a child goes through in the absence of one parent."
In picture: Ronit Roy's family picture!
"The pain is not locked away, it does not require revisiting. I don't need to remind myself about my eldest daughter; she is always on my mind. That she stays away is a harsh truth of my life. This has happened so way back in the past that there is no way to correct it. I have stories of her embedded in my mind — when she was six, she would say that every time she saw an aeroplane fly, she thought I was in it. Those words never left me. You can call it my failure as a father, but I don't fault-find anymore. The pain has transformed into a realisation that this is how it is meant to be."
In picture: Ronit Roy and Neelam Bose Roy
The actor in 2003 married former model and actress Neelam Singh and has two children - daughter Aador Bose Roy (born in 2005) and son Agastya Bose Roy (born in 2007).
Coming back to the professional front, Ronit Roy has been hugely appreciated for his performance in ALTBalaji and ZEE5's highly-anticipated web show Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain. The show's third season was out this year in June.
In picture: Ronit Roy with co-star Mona Singh and Radio City RJ Salil
His performance in the web-show Hostages was lauded by the audience and critics alike. Ronit has, now, an interesting line up of films - Hungama 2, Shamshera and Bhoomi.
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