From battling alcoholism to revealing details about Saif Ali Khan’s stabbing incident, financial struggles, and more: Ronit Roy makes candid revelations

Ronit Roy, best known for his roles in shows like Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and more recently, appeared on a podcast with Hindi Rush. The actor made several revelations about his personal and professional life. From financial struggles and not getting work to battling alcoholism and more, the actor opened up about it all. Here’s a look:

“When my debut movie was released, I was living as a paying guest. On the day it hit the screens, I received just one bouquet. For the next three months, I didn’t get a single phone call or any major recognition. Every actor has hopes pinned on their debut film, and even after delivering a silver jubilee hit, it felt like the industry hadn’t accepted me. The audience had embraced me — but the people within the industry had not.”

“My first paycheck was ₹50,000, and that was a huge deal back then. I was financially struggling at the time. Outside Bandra station, there was a small eatery where I used to have one meal a day because I couldn’t afford more. One fine day, I asked the person to give me just roti with onion, as that’s all I could afford. But he was kind enough to serve me everything I usually ate, without charging extra.”

“People call me the ‘Amitabh Bachchan of television,’ but I don’t think my work can be compared to his. My struggles are nothing compared to his. He has been nothing short of an inspiration. The way he overcame so many hardships and still emerged victorious — that’s what inspired countless others, including me. I changed my bad habits when people started comparing and associating me with Amitabh Bachchan.”

“There was a phase in my life where I wasn’t getting work. In 1995–1996, everything dried up. I made the mistake of signing a project that completely tanked. Whatever respect I had earned began to fade, and because of that, more work stopped coming my way. For a long time, I didn’t get work and I was struggling to pay my bills.”

“During the early days of my acting career, I didn’t earn much. It was all hand-to-mouth. After one of my movies, I didn’t receive any work for four months, and I was terrified. I was very young then, and it was a deeply discouraging phase. However, this changed eventually and I’m happy about that.”

“Saif was returning home after being discharged from the hospital. There was a huge crowd and media presence everywhere. When Kareena was also heading back home, her car was slightly attacked, and she got scared. That’s when she asked me to bring Saif home. So I went to pick him up. Once he reached home, our security was already in place, and we also had strong support from the police force. Now, everything is fine.”

“The controversy surrounding my alcoholism spread like wildfire in the industry. People were quick to say, ‘He’s finished.’ There were many things and habits that I needed to change during that time — and thankfully, I did.”

“Yes, I was into alcohol. I had many bad habits — except drugs. Every bad habit a young boy can have, I had it. I would party all night and then show up for work the next day. My bad habits affected my work badly, and it was a very difficult phase of my life. However, I’ll give credit to Amitabh Bachchan, because of him, I changed my bad habits.”

“I might sound a little hypothetical, but even though I was giving all my time to television, I do believe the system is flawed. If a person is shooting for 16 to 18 hours a day, how will they find time to maintain their fitness, read scripts properly, or do anything else? I strongly feel there should be a proper system in place.”