Ronit Bose Roy is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi films and television. He rose to prominence in the 1990s as a film lead and later established himself as one of the most recognised faces of Indian television, particularly through his role as Mihir Virani in the soap opera Kasautii Zindagii Kay and as Mr. Bajaj in Kasautii Zindagii Kay. He is also known for negative and authoritarian roles in Hindi cinema, including Udaan and 2 States.
| Full name | Ronit Bose Roy |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 October 1965 |
| Birthplace | Nagpur, Maharashtra, India |
| Occupation | Actor, producer |
| Years active | 1992 – present |
| Notable film debut | Jaan Tere Naam (1992) |
| Notable television role | Mr. Rishabh Bajaj in Kasautii Zindagii Kay |
| Spouse | Neelam Singh |
| Sibling | Rohit Roy (actor) |
| Awards | Indian Telly Awards, Screen Awards (multiple) |
Ronit Roy was born on 11 October 1965 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, into a Bengali family. He spent part of his early life in Kolkata before the family moved to Mumbai. His younger brother, Rohit Roy, is also an actor in Hindi television and films. Following financial setbacks faced by his family, Roy worked in various jobs in his youth before entering the film industry.
Roy made his Bollywood debut as the lead in Jaan Tere Naam (1992), a romantic drama which became a commercial success. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for the film. However, several of his subsequent films in the 1990s did not perform well at the box office, leading to a slowdown in his film career.
He returned to films in supporting and character roles in the late 2000s and 2010s. His performance as the strict, abusive father in Vikramaditya Motwane's Udaan (2010) received critical acclaim and is regarded as one of his finest screen performances. Other notable film appearances include Kaal (2005), Bhoothnath Returns (2014), 2 States (2014), and Ungli (2014). He has frequently been cast in stern, authoritative or antagonistic roles.
Roy moved to Indian television in the early 2000s, a transition that revived his career. He played Mihir Virani briefly and later gained widespread popularity as the businessman Rishabh Bajaj in Ekta Kapoor's Kasautii Zindagii Kay on STAR Plus. The character became one of the most iconic male leads of Indian soap opera in that decade.
He went on to play the patriarch Mr. Yudhishtir Thakral in Bandini (NDTV Imagine), and the lead role of K.D. Pathak, a defence lawyer, in the long-running courtroom drama Adaalat on Sony Entertainment Television, which aired from 2010 onwards. Adaalat ran for several seasons and became one of his most identifiable roles. He also hosted the reality television show Kaun Banega Crorepati spin-off seasons and other programmes, and appeared in the web series Hostages (Disney+ Hotstar), based on the Israeli format.
Roy runs a private security agency, Ronit Roy Security Services (RRSS), based in Mumbai, which provides personal security to film personalities and other clients. The venture is among the more visible celebrity-led security firms in the Indian film industry.
Ronit Roy is married to Neelam Singh, and the couple have two children. He has spoken publicly about a difficult phase in the late 1990s when his film career stalled, and credits his return to acting through television for stabilising his career.
Ronit Roy is considered one of the few Indian actors to have successfully transitioned between Hindi cinema and primetime television and back. His portrayal of Mr. Bajaj is often cited as a benchmark in Indian soap opera writing of the 2000s, while his work in Udaan contributed to the recognition of Indian independent cinema in mainstream awards circuits.