Ever wondered how Bollywood actors perform daredevil stunts on screen and yet look perfectly fine? Stunt performers are hired to take on dangerous and risky action sequences like car crashes, explosions etc in place of actors to deliver unforgettable cinematic experiences for the audience. Interestingly, there is an iconic family who proudly associates themselves with “breaking bones”. Born to a famous Indian stuntman, this Bollywood hit machine mastered the action genre soon he entered the filmmaking business at the age of 17. His mother worked as Hema Malini’s body double in Ramesh Sippy’s Seeta Aur Geeta. 

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Rohit Shetty has action in his DNA, credit to his stuntman-turned-actor father MB Shetty and mother Ratna Shetty. His father started off as a fight instructor and later his onscreen acting prowess and deadly stunts made him a fan-favourite villain during 1970-80s. Some of his notable works are Phaansi, Deewar, Don and An Evening In Paris among others. He attained stardom with 200 hits over 700 movies, however, he later cut down on his work after death of a stuntman Mansoor during the shoot of Bombay 405 Miles. While his mother Ratna is well-known for her roles in Vansh (1992), Yaar Gaddar (1994) and Daraar (1996). 

Post his father’s death in 1982, Shetty pledged on taking forward his father’s legacy and entered Bollywood. He dropped out of school after 10th and worked for 15 years before he rose to fame in 2006 with his cult comedy series Golmaal. In 1991, he entered showbiz as an assistant director with Ajay Devgn’s debut film Phool Aur Kaante(1991). He worked under the supervision of action director Veeru Devgn, from where follows his long association with Devgn’s till date.Not many knows but he also played the body-double for Akshay Kumar in Suhaag during the time. Later, he contributed to films including Haqeeqat, Zulmi, Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, Raju Chacha and Hindustan Ki Kasam. It was in 2003, when he debuted as an independent director with action-thriller film, Zameen, starring Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan and Bipasha Basu. However, the film failed to make a mark.  

Rohit has had quite a journey in Bollywood which deserves a biopic. It is believed that he didn't always have an easy life as he used to earn Rs 35 per day and walked miles for work during his struggling days. His hard work, talent and perseverance turned his fate by churning out back-to-back hit action and comedy films. He mesmerised the audience with high-octane action involving car crashes combined with slapstick and farce humour. He entered the Rs 100 crore club with Golmaal 3, and created his own cop universe beginning with Singham in 2011. 

Rohit didn’t limit his work association with only Devgn but joined forces with superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh. With Chennai Express, he broke several box office records, and delivered the highest grosser of 2013. He collaborated with Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh in Sooryanvanshi and Simmba respectively and retained his throne as a hitmaker in the business. However, his 2022 directorial Cirkus suffered at the box office, affecting his reputation in the market. He also explored the OTT space with Indian Police Force(2024) but failed to create much-needed impact. 

Currently, the 50-year-old director is gearing up to redeem himself at the box office with his upcoming cop-drama, Singham Again, a sequel to Singham Returns (2014). He expanded the cop universe by roping in multiple actors including Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, Tiger Shroff alongside Ajay Devgn and Kareena Kapoor. The upcoming film is set for November 1, 2024 release in theatres.