There’s more to Rohit Shetty than just Golmaal and gags

Not everything or everyone is what it or he/she seems in the illusionary world of films.

Fans of Rohit Shetty’s films especially of the Golmaal and Chennai Express variety would be surprised to learn that despite the playful naughtiness of his work, he is extremely cinema literate. Ask him about any film from the 1950s onwards and he would know everything about it, the plotline, the actors, music, lyrics, everything.

Several venerable film historians might flounder but not Rohit. On a lark, when he was asked to name 10 Mithun Chakraborty films that the veteran actor had made during his most prolific phase when he would release a film a month, which were routinely, what is known as, B-grade films, Rohit easily did so. He also pointed out to one that had won the actor a National Award that year. Go figure.

This conversation with Rohit particularly comes to mind as he has just announced the fourth edition of the Golmaal franchise, with Ajay Devgn toplining the cast. As with the earlier 3, critics bemoaning the quality of work by the talented twosome, Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgn, will of course, pan this one too but Rohit, who unabashedly caters to those who fill the producer’s coffers, is zen.



Rohit is not the only one who blandly prefers to be perceived as a person he really isn’t and hide his knowledge under a façade. A leading actress of today once confessed to me that she always carried reading material with her on sets to keep unwanted advances at bay. It is very easy, she opined, to pretend to be so absorbed in reading that you don’t notice what someone is trying to say, plus provides a genuine excuse to not be disturbed. It’s obviously working, she is known as one of the most unapproachable actors today and revels in the reputation.

Sometimes trying to be what you’re not can be disastrous too as is the flip side to dumbing down for your audience. This is the Anurag Kashyapesque statements made by makers who believe that if he is cool, then so are they. They almost trip over themselves to shun the ‘mainstream’ world, in the process making films so off kilter that it might take them weeks to collect as much audience as another film does in one multiplex show. The highlight is they then blame the audience for ‘not understanding’ their film claiming it was ahead of the times. One maker, whose next with a couple of newcomers is much awaited, famously said this when one of his earlier movies with the towering actor flopped.

This column will attempt to explore the people behind the statements, the issues their comments rake up, the idiosyncrasies of the most creative men and women to whom we have entrusted our on screen entertainment and the shenanigans they get up to off screen. Stay connected and keep watching this space.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of SpotboyE.com.

Image Source: facebook/itsrohitshetty & Geourdu