Apart from winning the title of Mr India 2015, Rohit Khandelwal is also the only Asian to have won the Mr World title. In this interview, he talks about his new app, using social media carefully, business ambitions and ‘Dhadkan 2’.
How did the idea for the app come to you?
I was approached by a friend for it. He suggested that we should get together and create an app which will help me connect with my fans better. I was quite excited with the idea as I am very active socially and I like to engage with people on social media.
Is the app designed to educate your fans about fitness?
Not just about fitness, it has been designed to It is to keep them updated all that happens in my life. I have had a long journey. I hope to motivate and inspire them by sharing anecdotes from my life. I will have one-to-one interactions with my fans. The app has a feature called fan feed which will help me know which of my fans are following me the most. We will have contests regularly. Right now, we are organising a contest for Diwali. I will celebrate Diwali with the winner of the contest.
While social media can be a very productive tool, it has its negative side as well. Have you thought about it?
When you do something in excess, it yields negative results. I have planned carefully how I am going to use this app. I will try to motivate my fans by uploading fitness videos, interviews and other content. I want my app to be a platform which creates a positive impact on people.
Most people get into acting after winning a pageant but it was the other way around for you.
I came to Mumbai to become an actor. I acted in a couple of television shows. I got to know about the Mr. India competition. I was not really interested in it but since it was happening on a Sunday, I thought I should participate in it as it might turn out to be a good learning experience. I ended up winning the competition and got a chance to represent India in the Mr World contest.
Yu had stated in an interview that you always wanted to become an industrialist.
I was into business earlier. I had worked in a couple of big companies as well. I have a lot of ideas for business which I will put into action sometime in the near future.
You were supposed to make your film debut with ‘Dhadkan 2’. What is the status of that film?
The film is very much on track. The shoot will start next year.
Are you working on any other project?
I will be going to Philippines to spend some time with the contestants of Mr World. Once I come back from there, I will take up a new project.