The Ever So Charming — Rohit Saraf

January 20, 2023

He is lovingly called the National Crush- stealing the hearts of every girl in India, known for his charming smile and incredible acting skills. Here’s more to knowing Rohit Saraf as our desirable man.

Although his chocolate boy image is enough to fall in love, a deep and soulful person lies beneath the surface of the real Rohit Saraf. Flawlessly carrying out versatile roles, Saraf made his debut in 2012 on ‘Best Friends Forever’. The actor received applause for his work ethic, and warm-hearted nature, amongst other things.

Born in 1996 to an affectionate family in Kathmandu, Nepal, Rohit found his role model in his father, who wished to see his son become an actor. Yet Saraf found his passions leaned better towards dancing and, thus, began his extensive training in Kathak — a dance form less followed by men. It was only when he turned 15 he went for a photo shoot in Delhi, a turning point that manoeuvred his path towards acting when he moved his base to the city of dreams. And then there was no looking back; Saraf’s career ride began at 3:30 AM on an actual set. The actor remembers in great detail how he performed without any prior professional training by absorbing every little detail he could on the set and giving the scene his best shot. Driven by his immense love for the profession, he aced it in under 11 takes. Today, he fondly looks back to this memory and believes that his father’s wish for him somewhere deep down kept him going through the struggle and hardships.

Confused, conflicted and young- the actor questioned his career choice multiple times in the initial years. Later, as we know and are glad, he stuck to his decision.

In 2012, the chocolate boy appeared in ‘Best Friends Forever’ as Sahil– a character for which he was chosen because he “looked the part”. Saraf delivered the role with complete justice with his sheer dedication to the profession. He also played in several other television roles, including Bunty in ‘Ek Boond Ishq’ in 2014 and Gyaan in ‘MTV Big F’.

His big break came with a chance to work with stars of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan and Alia Bhatt, for the film ‘Dear Zindagi’ where he portrayed Bhatt’s younger brother, gaining his title as the new crush among young women. What put the limelight on an already budding actor was his sensational performance in the Norwegian film ‘What will people say?’ which went on to win Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards.

Saraf’s versatile acting skills once again made heads turn with his recent performance in the coming-of-age romcom web series ‘Mismatched’. The series was renewed for another season after its inaugural success, thanks to the charming boy’s on-screen chemistry with actor Prajakta Kohli. The couple became a hit within the release of its first season. If that testimonial isn’t enough as Saraf’s laurels, one of the industry’s best, Hrithik Roshan postponed the shooting of the film ‘Vikram Vedha’ to cast him for his role as Shatak — rightly deserved for an incredible demonstration of a character much away from his comfort zone. The actor worked pouring all of his heart and strength, preparing for this role in multiple takes to get the shot right. He also apologised for the same and later calmed down when Roshan consoled him by saying, “You need to stop apologising for not getting something right. We are all trying to make ourselves better over here on set.”

Rohit Saraf has shown versatility, not just in his work but in his personality as well. His profound sense of self and ability to handle stress and rejections set him apart from others in his league. His honest portrayal as Avasthi in ‘Ludo’ received much praise. While working on another big project that received many accolades, ‘The Sky is Pink’, he felt extremely anxious and insecure while performing in front of global star Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Saraf was nerve-racked just by the thought of being in the same room as her. But in the face of self-doubt and constant challenges, he realised that one could overcome simply by subtracting the power from rejections. He even learnt drumming, swimming, and basketball for his role as Ishan. The role was also emotionally contesting for Saraf as the death scene of Aisha (his sister in the film) brought back lost memories of his father’s untimely demise. He shared the same in an interview by stating, “But at the end of it, I started believing that it is all about celebrating life, rather than mourning death.” and that it was a healing process as the film eventually helped him turn a new leaf. He also added that what worked for him was less overthinking and being surrounded by reliable people — a power-pack combo to handle life better.

When it comes down to his love life, Saraf is a romantic at heart. He mentions that his mother receives messages from love-struck girls calling her ‘Mummy Ji’, which has become a regular tease session between the two. The mother-son duo share a cordial relationship as Saraf confides in his mother more than anyone else. As depicted through his characters, he is a big believer in big romantic gestures and once even made portraits for his girlfriend. The doe-eyed actor is currently working on another web series, ‘Feels Like Ishq’ that is yet to be announced.

A genuinely humble actor, as shared by his co-actors, Saraf is a true gem waiting to shine brighter. In an interview, when asked about his approach towards the characters, he promptly shifted 90% of the credit to his directors, reprising the fact that Saraf is here to stay and achieve greater milestones with his perspective towards life and profession.