Actor Rohit Roy, who is known for TV shows such as Swabhimaan and Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand, has also featured in films such as Fashion and Shootout at Lokhandwala. In September this year, the actor called TV a ‘dustbin medium’, inviting backlash from several television actors. In a podcast with Lehren Retro, Rohit clarified his intentions behind the remark and revealed that his wife, Manasi Joshi Roy, who is also a television actor, had yelled at him for his choice of words.
Rohit Roy admits calling TV a ‘dustbin medium’ was wrong
Rohit clarified that while he had called television a ‘dustbin medium’, he himself was a product of the industry. He said that without television and the show Swabhimaan, he would not have reached where he was, even after 30 years. He urged people to understand what he had intended to convey and admitted that, in retrospect, he should not have used the word ‘dustbin’. He acknowledged that people reading the remark at first glance might feel he was calling them garbage, but clarified that he never meant that those working in television were trash.
The actor opened up about the backlash and said, “A few actors took it personally and attacked me. That’s very sad because I didn’t say anything about you. I didn’t say that you are garbage or you are dustbin. What I was trying to say was that we get a script in the morning, we have to rote-learn the dialogues and finish the scenes within the next 10–15 hours at any cost, whether you agree or disagree. I was talking about the content; the content is the dustbin medium. Years ago, film producers Vinita Nanda and Bhatt (Mahesh) saab (sir) have also said this.”
Rohit further compared television content to a newspaper, explaining that people read a newspaper and then discard it or reuse it for packaging. He said that a newspaper loses its relevance the following day. The actor reiterated that television had played a crucial role in his career and questioned why he would insult an industry that had given him his identity. He said he was a product of television and urged creative artistes working in the medium to reflect on whether they were happy with their work. He added that he was also part of the industry and was fighting for television.
The actor admitted that he should not have used the word ‘dustbin’ and said he could have compared television to a newspaper or simply stated that its content needed to improve. He added that, having worked in television for many years, he felt frustrated by the lack of improvement in its content.
Rohit said that those willing to understand his point would do so. He added that he had looked up the two or three actors who had commented on his remarks and found them to be talented, good-looking people with considerable experience in television.
“I just want to say, ‘Don’t make personal attacks. First reach where I am and understand why I said what I said.’ My choice of word was wrong, but I stand by what I said and why I have said it. My wife also yelled at me. She’s a star on TV, and I told her, ‘If you don’t understand, then how will others understand?’ She told me, ‘You shouldn’t have used that word,’ and I agreed with her,” he said.
What Rohit Roy said
While appearing on the Kindle Cast YouTube channel, Rohit was asked whether the TV industry had become more professional but had less devotion to the craft. He said, “This question has been asked of me several times, and I sometimes feel that I shouldn’t come across as ungrateful. But, television is a dustbin medium. If you watch it today, it’s like yesterday’s newspaper. Tomorrow, you forget about it. So, in India, unfortunately, with the amount of content being created and the same kind of content being created, there’s hardly any creativity.”
Actors Naman Shaw, Devoleena Bhattacharjee and Pankit Thakker had called out Rohit for describing television as a ‘dustbin medium’.
