I don’t like the way people are bashing Rohit Shetty. And all but writing him off. So what if his Christmas release, the quirky period comedy drama ‘Cirkus’ with mercurial Ranveer Singh in a double role, failed to entertain? Rohit tried. And he packed ‘Cirkus’ with Bollywood’s biggest comedians to make it work. Going to the extent of shooting during Covid after maintaining all protocols and surpassing his budget because that is what he is here to do in Bollywood and many artistes’ livelihoods depended on it. It must have been a mad house. Yet Rohit did it. It’s a pity that audiences did not appreciate the film. And some insensitive fans are now unfairly criticizing him for it.

We are an unforgiving and selfish people. If our idol lets us down, we troll him mercilessly. Forgetting that he has got idol status in our lives because of past superhero achievements. Poor Virat Kohli learned this the hard way during a lean patch when rape threats were issued against his daughter who was just nine months old. And M. S. Dhoni found his house under attack if Team India lost a Test or ODI during his captaincy. But that is how we are. Very passionate for the wrong reasons. And ready to take offence and react if we feel wronged. Bollywood has to be extra careful these days because a filmmaker is considered only as good as his last release at the box-office. 

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But Rohit is the same producer-director who gave us such delightfully entertaining films as the ‘Golmaal’ franchise, his cop universe actioners ‘Singham’, ‘Simmba’ and ‘Sooryavanshi’, and ‘Bol Bachchan’ and ‘Chennai Express’ that hit the action-comedy genre out of the park. To think he has reached the end of his line with ‘Cirkus’ is a grave mistake. He is a brand. No filmmaker ever sets out to make a film because he wants it to flop and lose money. In Rohit’s case, his audience comes first, and when presenting a film he is careful to see that it especially caters to kids, senior citizens, the mummies and aunties. ‘Cirkus’ tried, but failed. That’s a pity. But no reason to dismiss Rohit. 

I know he’s got several years of good cinema left in him. He will always be hot property in Bollywood. A giant of a man. In person as well. Tall, wide and muscular. Always well turned out. And good looking, too. I told him he was good enough to go on screen. He disagreed. Hosting TV reality shows was as far as he would go. His place was behind the camera. He is like that in real life too. Working silently behind the scenes. Helping daily wagers of the industry during any crisis. Donating to the Mumbai Police Foundation from his film’s profits. Giving hundreds of beds to needy hospitals. Contributing to the CM’s Relief Fund in natural calamities. Helping bankrupt and forgotten senior actors. He will complete 20 years as an independent filmmaker in 2023. The best of Rohit Shetty is yet to come. I’m waiting for it.