Film maker Rohit Shetty recently shared a surprising behind-the-scenes story from the sets of his much-awaited film ‘Singham Again‘. He opened up about the personal bonds he shares with some of Bollywood’s biggest stars. Speaking candidly, he explained how trust and loyalty still exist in the industry, even if they’re rare.
During a chat on the YouTube show Game Changers, Rohit revealed that actress Deepika Padukone was four months pregnant when she came to shoot for the film. Yet, her professionalism didn’t falter.
“There are 2-3 people (I can call up at 2 am). There’s Ajay sir, Ranveer SinghDeepika. I’m very close to them. When only the last schedule of our film (Singham Again) was pending, Deepika was four months pregnant. But she came for the shoot. Relations like these are rarely made,” Rohit said.
Deepika played the fierce Lady Singham in ‘Singham Again’, which marked her return to Rohit’s universe after her dance cameo with husband Ranveer Singh in the 2022 comedy ‘Circus‘. She first teamed up with Rohit back in 2013 for the box-office hit ‘Chennai Express‘.
Rohit Shetty’s 2 am friends
While many believe friendships in Bollywood are often fake or short-lived, Rohit says real bonds do exist. He spoke warmly about his close circle in the industry, especially his long-lasting connection with Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh. “There are 2-3 people (I can call up at 2 am)… I’m very close to them,” he repeated with heartfelt sincerity.
Rohit and Ajay’s friendship has stood strong for over three decades. It began when their fathers—Rohit’s dad, the late stuntman M.B. Shetty, and Ajay’s father, legendary action director Veeru Devgan—worked together. That bond passed on to the next generation. “We started out together. My dad (stuntman Shetty) and his dad (action director Veeru Devgan) were in the same genre, they did action. Our bond is 33 years old,” Rohit said. Ajay has been a regular in Rohit’s hit films, from the ‘Golmaal’ series to the iconic ‘Singham’ franchise.
Rohit avoids trial shows – except for Deepika
Rohit is known to skip film trial screenings and avoids pretending to like something he doesn’t. He opened up about why he usually says no to trial show invites, saying it’s tough to give honest feedback without hurting feelings. “Invitations have stopped coming now because people know I won’t come. They’ve stopped completely for trials. If I don’t like a film, how do I say as much? The one who invited you is hopeful that you’d say it’s good. That’s cheating. That’s why I fear trials,” he said.
But there was one exception. In 2018, Deepika personally invited him to a trial of ‘Padmaavat’ during a tough time, and Rohit happily said yes. “The last time I went for a trial was when Deepika called me for Padmaavat. I really liked it. There were a lot of issues going on then, so Deepika requested that we all come together. I said, ‘Definitely, why not’,” he recalled.
