Having been declared to be the ‘national crush’ by the various fan clubs dedicated to him on social media, and appointed as ‘future husband’ by lovestruck girls, you’d think Rohit Saraf will be a busy man on Valentine’s Day, hopping from one date to the next. But surprisingly, the actor will be spending February 14 on the sets of an ad film that he is shooting for. The actor, who is admittedly single, wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to love, and in a chat with ETimes spills the beans on romance, heartbreak, and all things mush. Read away:

What are you doing this Valentine’s Day?

The thing that I love the most–work!

Who would you want to take out on a date on Valentine’s Day?

I’d like to take you out on a date, Ankita. Please come with me (laughs).

Okay, then. One Valentine’s day merchandise you want to do away with…

I love flowers, even on normal days, so they are a must-have on Valentine’s. Ditto for chocolates. The things that I want to avoid–in fact, I wish they would disappear from the face of the earth–are bright red heart-shaped pillows. They are so tacky and stupid!

One Valentine’s Day memory that you’ll always cherish…


I hope you write it as it is because mother’s promise this is my most cherished memory. When I shooting for ‘Dear Zindagi’ in Goa, away from friends and family who were in Delhi, I received a huge bouquet of flowers with a note that read, “Happy Valentine’s Day, beta. I hope you get the love you cherish forever. I hope you have a great time!” It had come from my mother, and is to date the most special thing anyone has ever done for me. I don’t think anything can come close to that.

Have you ever been on a dating site?

Yes, I did experiment with it. But I got cold feet within 10 minutes and deleted it. I was scared of the fact that someone could take screenshots and post them online, causing a mess (chuckles).

What would your bio read if you were on one?

I don’t think I would have a bio. Maybe, I’ll mention my age there, so that whoever swipes right knows I’m 24. Otherwise, it gets very irritating when they think I am too young.

Has that happened to you?

Yes, and it is so annoying! One minute, you are having this great conversation and the next, your age comes up, and poof! No one takes you seriously and dismiss you as a kid.

Have you ever been rejected in love?

Yes, in 2019. We were talking, had met a couple of times, I was being very affectionate towards her because I genuinely liked her. I suggested we be more than just friends and she was like, “Aww, that’s so sweet”. But then, our chat time reduced from two hours to one, to twenty minutes. So, I decided to let her be.

How do you deal with heartbreak?

I don’t deal with heartbreaks well; I become a complete mess. I am not someone who can give up on relationships or people. Every time there was a break up it was mutual. But the most recent one, which happened a few months before ‘Ludo’ released, wasn’t. I didn’t handle it too well, especially initially. Luckily, my work distracted me.

What kind of a boyfriend are you?

I am painfully honest, to the point where it often leads to fights. I am passionate. I can get possessive too sometimes, but am also supportive, okay, at least that’s what I believe (laughs). Also, I am the needy one in relationships, so if I am in a relationship with someone, I demand time, love, and affection. It’s like a mandate that if I give you all these things, you also have to give it back.

A tip for someone who wants to date you…

Please be honest; it’s a must! And be driven; I like ambitious people.

Now that you are popular, will you make your relationship public when you get into one?

It depends on the other person too and also, where I am at in life at that time. Right now, everything that I do is being watched. At such a time, I’d want to keep my relationship private.

What’s your idea of romance?

I am all for big gestures but not in terms of money. In my last relationship, I made a portrait of my girlfriend, which was a big gesture according to me. If you write me a letter or cook me my favourite meal, I’ll be happy.


Would you ever get into a casual relationship?

I can’t; I am not that kind of a person at all. I need to be too much in love with a person to be in a relationship with them and if I am, I’d not want it to be an open relationship.

Would you be comfortable dating someone from the industry?

If I fall in love with someone from the industry, then what can I do? I am not closed to the idea of that happening but I am also not particularly excited that now I can date someone from the industry. I can’t predict what will happen though.

What does your family make of all the female attention you get?


(Laughs) My mother keeps getting Insta DMs from girls who address her as ‘mummyji’ and ‘mother-in-law’. Just three days ago, a girl from Delhi found out my address and landed up outside my house demanding to meet me and my mom. When my mom called to tell me, at first she couldn’t stop laughing, then she started teasing me saying that it’s good that they won’t have to find rishtas for me now. It gets embarrassing!

Indeed. So, any advice on what singles should do on V-Day since you admit you are single yourself?

Go out, have fun, don’t feel so single. Both the phases are fun! Being single has its advantages too; you don’t have to worry about what the other one wants to do. I’ll invite the people who helped me get through my breakup and told me that to be happy with someone else, I have to first feel whole and complete myself. Try to love yourself; it’s a lot of fun!