Rohit Shetty recalls his mother as stunt double for Hema Malini and Vyjayantimala

Rohit Shetty recalls his mother as stunt double for Hema Malini
and Vyjayantimala

On his birthday on 14 March, ace action director-filmmaker Rohit Shetty recalls the time he spoke on his parents’ connection with the industry.

For those unversed, Rohit Shetty is the son of MB Shetty and Ratna Shetty. Although, his father was a stunt director, his mother was a stunt double.

In tandem with films like ‘Golmaal’ and ‘Singham’ franchise to his credit, Rohit Shetty is unquestionably among the country’s most successful commercial directors.

However, he no outsider to the film industry. His parents were also an active part of the Hindi film industry. While his father
M B Shetty was a renowned stuntman, his mother Ratna Shetty, too, was acting as a stunt double for stars like Hema Malini and Vyjayanthimala.

In a recent interaction with Media Rohit articulated that both his parents were an inspiration for him. His mom was a stuntwoman and all the stunts of Hema Malini in
‘ Seeta Aur Geeta is executed by her and the rolling from the staircase of Vyjayantimala
it’s his mother, her physique was such that.

The 1972 film written by Salim-Javed and directed by Ramesh Sippy has an ensemble cast of Hema Malini (in a double role), Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Roopesh Kumar, Manorama, Satyen Kappu, Honey Irani and Pratima Devi.

Rohit Shetty also recalled how his mother did a sequence in the film in which Geeta, the character played by Hema Malini, was seen sitting on a ceiling fan in the police station. “The fan sequence in ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’ or in ‘Andaz”s song ‘Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana’ the top angle shots on the bike of Rajesh Khanna, that’s his mom.

“So, it’s the Shetty’s family business. It’s in their DNA breaking bones … breaking their own bones than the others,” recalled the 49-year-old director whose debut web series ‘Indian Police Force’ was released recently.

Further elaborating on his father MB Shetty, he revealed that he was just not a character actor, but also an action director. There was no social media… People were unaware of that. The godown action scene in ‘Deewaar’, was directed by his father.

His father was the one who invented the glass break…going through the glass. He used to get a lot of cuts. He was a very soft-spoken guy and very humble and down to earth as he came from a very humble background and very emotional too.

As an action director, he did films including ‘Don’, ‘The Great Gambler’, ‘Trishul’, ‘Deewaar’ and ‘Shalimar’. Meanwhile, Ratna Shetty also acted in films like ‘Darar’, ‘Bade Ghar Ki Beti’ and ‘Yaar Gaddaar’.

Meanwhile, Rohit Shetty revealed on Koffee With Karan that his son Ishaan also wants to pursue a career in the movies. Talking over his son’s career in the movie business, the director asserted that he
wants to get into films…he is 17 now. He represents the family’s third generation and has already made his career choice. He wants to be in films. But he told him, to finish his studies first and then travel and work with him. Rohit is preparing him for the industry so that he doesn’t get blinded by the arclights.

It shouldn’t come as shocker to him (Ishaan) that regardless the fact they live in the same house, he rides an autorickshaw or a normal bike or bus and he
(Rohit) travels in a car. He shouldn’t think that his father has changed. He tells him, ‘think as if he is training, and need to start from where he (Rohit) started. Ishaan might have to put up at a hotel along with other technicians and that will be the best training for him than going to a film school.

News Edit K.V.Raman