Too much nonsense in Bollywood, says Rohit Shetty

Rohit Shetty's record in Bollywood was impeccable - he made mass entertainers and was good at them. Whether it was an action film like "Singham" or the "Golmaal" comedy franchise, Shetty's films routinely exasperated critics and delighted audiences.

But with 2015's "Dilwale", a multi-starrer with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead, Shetty faced his first big failure. The film didn't do well at the box office and faced protests over Khan's comments on intolerance in India.

Almost two years later, Shetty says he has moved on. His latest film, another edition of the “Golmaal” franchise, is Bollywood’s most successful film this year. It grossed more than 2 billion rupees ($30 million) at the box office. The director spoke to Reuters about his latest success, what happened to “Dilwale” and what Bollywood’s problem is.

Rohit Shetty
Q: Congratulations on the success of "Golmaal Again". Was it expected?

A: We always knew it would do well, but on this scale, it is madness. People are watching it multiple times.

Q: Why do you sound surprised? You are used to successful films.

A: Yeah, but... (laughs) there is always 10 percent of doubt - whether this will work or not.

Q: What was your state of mind after “Dilwale” released? What were you thinking?

A: I wasn’t thinking anything. You saw the film, and you knew something has gone wrong and then there were so many issues and controversies going on, it was better to leave it all and move forward. That is how we started working on “Golmaal”. You know what you are doing, but the industry just comes out with speculation and everybody has their own point of view. It is better to start working on your next (film) as soon as possible.