Scared to make a small-budget film, says Rohit Shetty

If there is a small film with a good story, I will produce it. But I won’t direct a small film. For my audience, watching a ‘Rohit Shetty film’ is like a festival on screen. ROHIT SHETTY FILMMAKER

Filmmaker Rohit Shetty, known for his larger than life films, says he is “scared” of moving away from his signature brand of cinema. Known for the Golmaal and Singham series, Dilwale (2015), and Chennai Express (2013), Shetty was asked if he will be able to ever make a smallbudget film.

Shetty replied, “Honestly, I am scared of doing that. If there is a small film with a good story, I will produce it. But I won’t direct a small film. See, cinema is larger than life for me and people know my cinema for that. For my audience, watching a ‘Rohit Shetty film’ is like a festival on screen.”

He adds that he feels a responsibility towards his audience.

“I drive an expensive car and live a luxurious life and that has come from the love and support of common people. A middle-class man who is playing 10% of his hardearned money to watch my film, is making me a rich person. So, just to prove a point for my creative satisfaction, I cannot cheat on my audience,” he added.

Talking about his next film, Simmba, in which Ranveer Singh plays a policeman and is paired with Sara Ali Khan, Shetty said, “I couldn’t have imagined making Simmba if not for Ranveer, because he’s the only actor who has the strength to pull off such a character.”

“This is the first time we will see Ranveer playing a policeman in an action film. There are certain colourful elements in the character of Simmba that Ranveer also has. So, I really had to change my writing if Ranveer would have said ‘no’ to my film,” added the commercially successful director, whose Singham films have been hits even with kids.

Would he consider making a children’s film in future?

“Well, kids like watching superheroes and getting a budget for that is surely a task. The film budget matters because children are exposed to world entertainment and international superheroes. Unless they get to see the same, they won’t be interested. Having said that, I think our budget is developing, and soon, we will have enough budget to make a superhero film,” he said.