UNI

Mumbai, Jul 4: With his good looks and an easy going demeanour, actor Rohit Roy would seem to be the 'perfect choice' for romantic roles. So it comes as a surprise that most of roles essayed by the actor, who rose to fame with his 'angry young man' portrayal in 'Swabhiman', have been of ones with shades of rebellion in them, be it Rishabh Malhotra of 'Swabhiman' or Karan Pratap Singh in 'Sarrkar' (a character loosely based on Sanjay Gandhi).

After a long tryst with 'angry young man' roles, Rohit finally gets to play an intensely romantic character in Ravi Chopra's ongoing serial 'Viraasat', a show which pairs him opposite the reigning queen of the small screen Sangeeta Ghosh. ''My role in 'Viraasat' is something I have never done before on television. For the first time, I am playing a romantic character,'' Rohit told UNI in an interview.

Asked why he thought it took so long for him to do a romantic character considering that 'Swabhimaan' hit television way back in the 90s, Rohit said ''Perhaps people still identify me with angry young men characters like Rishabh and Karan Pratap Singh.'' ''All this while I was itching to do a romantic role and am extremely grateful to Raviji (Ravi Chopra) for finally providing me a chance,''Rohit said.

The serial is about how the love between the protagonists Rahul Lamba (Rohit Roy) and Priyanka Kharbanda (Sangeeta Ghosh) tries to bring their two warring families together. ''Rahul Lamba is quite unlike the angry young man I played in 'Swabhiman' and 'Sarrkar'. He is a person who truly believes in the power of love,''Rohit said.

For Rohit, 'Viraasat' marks another milestone in his career in that for the first time he gets an opportunity to work with a renowned filmmaker like Ravi Chopra. It was Star which recommended his name to Ravi Chopra who at that time was scouting for the cast of his serial.

''Even after I was auditioned, I was not sure I would be eventually selected for the serial. So it came as a pleasant surprise when Raviji told me that I was to play the main protagonist. I was really over the moon,''he said.

Asked why one saw him in very few shows on the telly, Rohit said' "I am very choosy about which serial to take up and specially averse to do candyfloss stuff, which is what characterises most TV serials today.''

Another show he has recently been seen in is the 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Ek Main Aur Ek Tu' where he replaces the popular host Shaan.

Stepping in the shoes of the inimitable Shaan would seem a difficult task for anyone. In this context, it is heartening to note that after some initial problems Rohit seems to be successfully stepping into Shaan's shoes.

''Experiencing, as a host of the show, the highs and lows which the various contestants go through, is a throroughly enjoyable experience''Rohit said. Even as he rules the small screen as one of its few superstars along side brother Ronit Roy and Hiten Tejwani, Rohit has been making forays on the silver screen, having been already seen in Sanjay Gupta's 'Plan', Pritish Nandy Communication's 'Ek Khiladi Ek Hasina'.

Among his forthcoming films are Meghna Gulzar's 'Honeymoon' where he co-stars with Esha deol and Fardeen Khan. Also on the anvil is Sanjay Gupta's 'Alibagh'.