“I’M NOT SHAH RUKH KHAN THAT PEOPLE WILL DIE FOR ME”
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Bigg Boss 3 was full of surprises. And one of the biggest shockers on the show came in the form of Rohit Verma. From being the backbiter to the sympathy seeker, he managed to earn all these titles with ease. However, after the show, life has certainly come a full circle for this designer and one can safely say that this experience was life altering for him. Rohit agrees, “It was like a vegetarian thali, sweet, salty and even depressing. It made me a much more confident person. Now I know what is wrong and right.”
But just after being voted out of Bigg Boss…, Rohit had claimed that he didn’t like the way his image was portrayed. What does he have to say about that? “It did affect me initially but after watching the episodes, I realized that it was not all that negative,” he pauses and then adds, “In fact, I was the only contestant who gave Bigg Boss a story. I’ve shown four variations of a human being.
I was the innocent as well as the misused child. I’ve seen how bitchy people can get when it comes to money. I was the masala of the show. Today, when I walk on the streets, old aunties and kids come up to me and kiss me. Uncles kiss my forehead and aunties kiss my cheeks. I guess that shows how much people liked me.”
According to reliable sources, Rohit has just recently been offered another ground breaking reality show, namely Sach Ka Samna 2. Ask him about this and he doesn’t mince words. “Yes, I have been offered the show but I’m still thinking about it. Bigg Boss for me was a game and I still ended up taking it personally. But Sach Ka Samna is the truth, so I am still thinking about it.”
Amongst the many rumours that currently surround him, one of them is that Rohit’s father wasn’t very happy with his stint on Bigg Boss. As soon as I say this, he immediately goes on the defensive. “No it’s not really like that. I am in touch with my father on the phone and we do have general conversations. I might have not met my father for 16 years but there is nothing like that. My father never accepted all this glamour and fashion, as he is old-fashioned. It was because of this my relationship with him got strained. I was the only black sheep of the family.”
So, is all the talk about his father taking advantage of his name, true? “That answer only my father can give,” he thinks for a few seconds and then continues. “I don’t think any father will take advantage of his son. I mean, he is my father after all. But I don’t share a very friendly relationship with my dad, so I cannot comment on that either. There is quite a lot of ego between us, since I went against his wish to join the industry. No matter how proud he is, he will never say it. But I know that my father is an honest man and today whenever people ask him about me, he openly admits to not having been a good parent. So he won’t go down there.”
Recently there was also a controversy about a young girl stalking him. What happened there? “This girl started calling me 60-70 times a day. She said she was my biggest fan. But she and her mother started stalking me soon. She said that if I didn’t take her calls she would commit suicide. It was only when I threatened to sue her that she stopped calling. It was very weird because I’m not Shah Rukh Khan that people will die for me or come all the way from Delhi to meet me. I consider myself to be a very normal guy. I only met that woman because she came all the way from Delhi. It was one of the weirdest things that has ever happened to me.”
A lot has been said about his professional life so coming to something more personal, not much is known about his love life. “Yes I am seeing someone,” he looks at me almost reading my mind. “And that guy has completely changed my life. My life has taken a 360 degree turn. The man has given me a reason to live on this earth because when I met him, I was very depressed and suicidal. It has been over a year now and we are quite serious. The only thing I can’t reveal about him is his name,” he says with a smile.
When I question him regarding a few more details about his partner, staying true to his character, Rohit is as honest as ever. “He respects me and my time. He is someone who values my sentiments. He is the only person I know who will set everything on fire even if one tear falls from my cheek. I am not the kind of guy who ends up dating every other man. I want that one special love in my life. I am very Indian at heart even though I might appear to be a glam doll.”
With the sun shining on his relationship, things seem to be going well for Rohit. Plus, his future plans seem promising too. Says Rohit, “I’m only concentrating on my store in Mumbai. I have a lot of international offers so let’s see. I am just hoping for the best as I want to take part in the Dubai and New York fashion weeks soon,” he concludes on a positive note.
* Raedita Tandan
