Actor Rohit Roy appeared on the Kindle Cast podcast recently, where he opened up about his three-decade career, changing notions of stardom and the impact of social media on celebrities. He reflected on how stars once maintained a distance from the public and said the mystery surrounding icons such as Rajesh Khanna, Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan is now largely missing.

Talking about whether an artist can become iconic while being constantly accessible, Rohit said, “Probably even Shah Rukh is very visible. He is the last of the Mohicans. So, you know, the heady days, the superstardom days of Rajesh Khanna, Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan are gone now because everyone knows what toothbrush you’re using, what brand or toothpaste you like, where you are flying off to, everywhere. There used to be this look, that look, the enigma of a star, of an icon to a certain extent.”

 

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Rohit went on to explain that the enigma surrounding a star was an important part of their appeal. According to him, Ranbir Kapoor may be among the last stars to retain that elusive quality.

“If you ask me, I think the last true blue superstar will be Ranbir Kapoor. His social media presence is very minimal, at least publicly,” Rohit said. He jokingly mentioned Ranbir’s social media activity, saying the actor claimed his account is mainly used to “stalk other people,” which he finds “really cute.”

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“Otherwise, when you see him, it’s really rare to get a glimpse of Ranbir. He’s extremely disciplined and a fantastic actor, as we all know. So, I think, in my opinion, he will be, or already is, a superstar who will probably last,” he added.

Rohit acknowledged that fandom and the craze around stars continue to exist, but said the mysterious aura associated with earlier icons has changed. “If Ranveer Singh shows up anywhere, there’s definitely going to be madness,” he said, while discussing how audiences now also want greater access to celebrities’ personal lives.

He cited legendary actor Suchitra Sen as an example of how mystery could add to a star’s appeal. “If there’s no mystery, that’s what made Suchitra Sen special. Why was she such an enduring star? Because nobody really knew what she was doing,” Rohit said.

Recalling an encounter from his younger days, he said he once went to actor-sisters Riya Sen and Raima Sen’s house hoping to catch a glimpse of the legendary Bengali female actor and their grandmother, Suchitra Sen. “She stepped out for a second onto the balcony and I looked over—and I was completely blown away. That’s the mystery of a star,” he recalled.

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Rohit also spoke about how social media has changed the relationship between celebrities and audiences. While fans now want to know about everything from a star’s holidays to their personal milestones, he questioned what happens to authenticity when celebrities are constantly performing for the public.

“Authenticity itself has become a performance. Honestly, there’s no real authenticity anymore,” Rohit said. “Actors’ job is to entertain you. I don’t want to tell you how I really feel. So don’t expect that from me. I’ll just show you what you want to see,” he added.