From ₹35 Fees to ₹336 Crore Empire: How Rohit Shetty Pressed Actresses’ Sarees and Became Bollywood’s Action Maestro

Bollywood director and producer Rohit Shetty, recently in the news due to a firing incident outside his Juhu residence, has come a long way from his humble beginnings. Speaking about his early struggles, Shetty revealed how he started working at a young age after his father’s death, earning just ₹35 per assignment and even pressing actresses’ clothes to make ends meet.

Early Struggles and Family Responsibilities
Rohit’s father, a stunt director and occasional actor, passed away when Rohit was very young, leaving the family in financial hardship. “My childhood was like any other child’s, but after my father passed away, everything changed,” Shetty said in an interview. He quickly took on responsibilities at home and began working in films to support his family.

Three Shifts a Day
Rohit would often work in three shifts, undertaking multiple jobs just to survive. He recalled, “People think I didn’t struggle. Like any common struggler, I faced setbacks, but I never stopped. Even when I was afraid, I kept moving forward.”

Humble Beginnings in Bollywood
At 17, Shetty entered the film industry as an assistant director. Early on, he performed various menial tasks, including pressing sarees for actresses and working as a spot boy. His first earning amounted to a mere ₹35. He explained, “Every assistant director has to do small jobs. At that time, budgets were low, and units were small, so everyone had to multitask. It wasn’t just me; many did the same work.”

Turning Point: ‘Golmaal’
Shetty began his directorial career with Zameen (2003), which did not perform well. However, his fortunes changed with the comedy blockbuster Golmaal, which became a milestone in his career. He has since directed and produced 16 films, including action hits like Singham, Singham Returns, and Simmba.

Pioneering the Cop Universe Concept
Rohit Shetty is credited as the first filmmaker in Bollywood to introduce a cinematic “universe” concept. While the idea evolved later in his Simmba film, it successfully laid the foundation for interconnected action films within the same universe.

Net Worth and Lifestyle
Today, Rohit Shetty is among Bollywood’s top directors, with a net worth of approximately ₹336 crore. According to Lifestyle Asia, his assets include luxury cars such as a Lamborghini, Maserati Gran Turismo, Range Rover, BMW X6 Sport, and a Ford Mustang GT. He owns a lavish residence in Navi Mumbai and a ten-story building in Juhu, the site of the recent firing incident.

Reflections on His Journey
Reflecting on his journey, Shetty said, “I decided in my childhood that I would follow my father’s footsteps in films. Losing him early was difficult, but it motivated me to work harder. I’ve faced the same struggles as anyone else but persevered to reach where I am today.”

From pressing sarees to commanding box office hits, Rohit Shetty’s story is a testament to determination, passion, and relentless hard work in the glamorous yet challenging world of Bollywood.