Rohit Shetty gets candid about Bollywood bonds: 'Deepika Padukone was four months pregnant but came to shoot Singham Again'

Rohit Shetty has spoken out about the significance of real relationships outside of work and his tight-knit community of friends and colleagues. The filmmaker gave an interview to the YouTube channel Game Changers in which he discussed his relationships with famous actors and filmmakers.

Rohit Shetty challenges the notion of fleeting friendships in Bollywood

Shetty admitted that, contrary to popular belief, he does not fully believe in the idea of fleeting friendships in the film industry. He declared that the film industry is no different from any other industry when it comes to friendships and betrayals.

Ajay Devgn, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Karan Johar are some of Shetty's closest business associates, according to him. The filmmaker can contact one or two individuals at two in the morning. Among them are Deepika, Ranveer Singh, and Ajay. He has a strong bond with them. They were filming Singham Again when Deepika was four months along with her pregnancy. Aside from that, she showed up just for the photo session. He disclosed that such connections are uncommon.

Moral dilemma of attending film trials

Additionally, Shetty discussed his moral problem regarding his unwillingness to attend film trial screenings. People know he won't accept any more invitations, so they stop sending them. For trials, they have halted entirely. The filmmaker asked, "If I don’t like a film, how do I say as much?" The host is genuinely hoping for a positive review, which is dishonestly done. That's the reason he's afraid of trials.

In 2018, when Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial film Padmaavat was playing in theatres, Deepika was the only one who invited him to an event. She invited him to the Padmaavat trial, which was the last event he attended, and it was a great experience. At the time, Deepika asked that they all rally together because there were so many problems. He responded, "Definitely, why not?"

Rohit Shetty's bond with Karan Johar

In terms of his social life, Shetty has come clean about how infrequently he shows up at gatherings. Two or three years ago, he attended Karan Johar's birthday party. Otherwise, he doesn't attend parties or anything, but he's like a brother to Shetty, so he went there.

Shetty and Johar have been close for a long time. Together, they produced Ranveer Singh's 2018 film Simmba and served as judges on the reality show India's Next Superstars in 2018. Following his performances in Sooryavanshi (2021) and Singham Again (2024), as well as his 2022 comedy Cirkus as its headliner, Ranveer became a regular in Shetty's cop universe. In Cirkus, Deepika danced in the number Current Laga Re, and in Singham Again, she fully emerged as Lady Singham. That 2013 smash Chennai Express was her debut duet with Shetty.

Enduring Ajay Devgn-Rohit Shetty bond

Working with Devgn is still the longest-running and most fruitful partnership for Shetty. Their collaboration has been sustained by successes like Zameen, Shetty's 2003 directorial debut, Sunday, All The Best, Bol Bachchan, and the Golmaal films.

They began their journey side by side. Both of their fathers were involved in the action film industry; Shetty's dad was a stuntman and Devgn's dad was an action director. Their unity spans three decades. Raju Chacha (2000), Hindustan Ki Kasam (1999), and Dil Kya Kare (1999) featured Shetty was an associate director at his business, Devgn Films.

This is not a professional bond, nor is there any sense of camaraderie. Devgn reminds Shetty of his older brother. While they are talking, he will never put his hand on the actor's shoulder. They are old school who value mutual respect. "He plays pranks on me, but I stay within the boundary of respect," Shetty continued.