He Lived in His Car, Then Ruled Indian TV

Ronit Roy is an Indian actor who became one of the highest-paid names in Indian television. His path there was not straight. By the late 1990s his film career had stalled. DNA India reports that he attributed his decline to heavy drinking and poor financial decisions.

As a result he could no longer pay the rent and left his home. He later said that for the longest time he did not have a house and lived in a car. He kept his clothes in one large suitcase in the boot, and before shoots he used hotels in Juhu, in Mumbai, and public lavatories to wash and freshen up. The article does not say exactly how long this lasted.

The turning point came in 2002, when the producer Ekta Kapoor cast him in Kasautii Zindagii Kay. The serial became a major success and made him a star. In the same year he took over the role of Mihir in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, replacing the actor Amar Upadhyay.

In the mid-2000s, according to a Times of India report cited by DNA, he was earning about 50,000 rupees per episode. He later had further success in the courtroom drama Adaalat. In 2010 the film Udaan brought him back to cinema.

The article cites media reports that put his current fees at around 1.25 lakh rupees per television episode and up to one crore rupees per film. The story it tells is of a performer who lost his footing, spent a long period without a home, and rebuilt his career through television.