Ronit Roy on how shows like Voot's Candy rely on 'strength of originality'

Actor Ronit Roy says he chose to work across mediums in cinema, television, and web in his career of three decades as he never wanted to stick to a routine. Roy, who started his career with films in the early 1990s, shot to fame with popular TV dramas Kasautii Zindagi Kay and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in the 2000s. In the later half of the decade, Roy started focusing on doing substantial parts in films. Subsequently, his work in films like Vikramaditya Motwane’s _Udaan_ (2010), Anurag Kashyap’’s _Ugly_ (2014), and Karan Johar-backed _2 States_ (2014) revived his movie career. In an interview with Press Trust of India, Roy said he is always on the lookout for parts which do not label him as an actor. “The world around me is growing, I don’t want to be left out. I am an avid learner, I see what’s happening around, and inculcate in my work and grow. An actor who isn’t growing is dead. There is no fun doing the same thing. That’s why I quit TV because my brain died. I was doing the same thing everyday. The money was terrific but I felt I was dying as an actor. My focus now is to just constantly grow. Even if there is a scope for magic in one-two scenes, I am ok with that too,” he said. The 55-year-old actor, who also headlined the 2019 series _Hostages_ , said he is thankful that the industry’s shift to braver storytelling mirrored his quest for better work. Roy said streaming platforms have empowered makers to chronicle stories which they would have never developed as films owing to box-office pressure. “It is difficult to get surprised by good scripts. Where are the good scripts? In the last few years, thankfully, we have let go of the typical hero-heroine-villain tropes. There has been _Udaan, Ugly, Hostage_s for me, and in general, shows like _Delhi Crime_ and _Mirzapur._ “I have started feeling very proud that finally we are doing this. A lot of writers have come into the space. Maybe they were around, but nobody wanted to take the risk because of the box office angle,” he further said. The actor is currently seen on the Voot Select thriller series Candy, co-starring Richa Chadha. Directed by Ashish R Shukla, the series is billed as a murder mystery, set against a picturesque backdrop of a boarding school in the mountains. In Candy, Roy features as a teacher dealing with the baggage of his past. Roy said Candy, produced by Optimystix Entertainment, relies on its strength of originality, and does not have a seen-before feel, something which many shows on the digital platforms have succumbed to. “Nothing succeeds like success. There will always be the originals and the copycats. But the originals today have given a boost to talents across the board.” Candy is streaming on Voot Select.