Rohit Suresh Saraf emerged as the next-door chocolate boy with his debut film, Dear Zindagi. What further cemented that image was The Sky Is Pink. His understated screen presence began shaping a distinct romantic-hero image with Mismatched where his charming and hopeless romantic avatar made him a Gen-Z favourite. Naturally, that image became his calling card.
Speaking exclusively to News18, Rohit reveals that he sometimes feels ‘trapped’ in it and seeks to come out of it now. “I love cribbing and complaining and I love making it difficult for people around me. But there are always perspectives to it. There are days when I feel trapped in that image. But everything that happened in my life happened at the exact right time it needed to happen,”
he says.
He adds, “I went through this phase in my life. The Sky Is Pink was the beginning of it. Ever since Mismatched happened, it has been easy for people to see me as this cute, romantic guy because that has worked. I don’t blame any maker because there’s a lot of money riding on any project that you’re a part of. It’s business. And playing safe is fine.”
He briefly shed his chocolate-boy image with Vikram Vedha, where he played a rugged, heartland character. That, however, didn’t translate to more diverse opportunities for him. “But it takes courage to take a punt on somebody who isn’t necessarity a conventional choice for a role. That’s why I really respect and admire people like Nikkhil (Advani) sir,” he says.
Nikkhil has directed Rohit in the upcoming Prime Video series, The Revolutionaries, where he plays a freedom fighter. And with it, Rohit hopes for other makers to take note of his capabilities. “I’m very grateful for parts like Sachindra Nath Sanyal in The Revolutionaries that led me to explore my own versatility and by extension prove that I’m capable of doing a lot more,” he remarks.
Going forward, he hopes to fit into characters that aren’t all about their good looks. “I often wish that I was approached or looked at for parts that aren’t quintessentially good looking and cute romantic heroes. I also understand that until I prove them otherwise, it will be difficult for them to see me as anyone else,” the Hichki and Ludo actor states.
As for The Revolutionaries, it challenged him in more ways than one. Talking about his prep for the series without a reference frame, Rohit tells us, “I relied a lot more on the text and the passion of the director than actually being able to put myself in those situations. I struggled to imagine the time that they lived in. I haven’t experienced anything like that in my life.”
“I don’t know anybody in my life who I could go up and ask questions. I empathise with those characters but I couldn’t have drawn from personal emotions. But they’re these incredible figures, who’ve been instrumental in bringing the nation where it is today. Their sacrifices have been unparalleled,” he adds.
