Just after his Bollywood debut, Suniel Shetty was told by a critic that he would fail as an actor. After the harsh feedback, Suniel Shetty admitted to reconsidering his choice of pursuing acting.
Critics on his Bollywood debut
Suniel Shetty, a Bollywood actor, recently opened up about a difficult moment in his acting career when, upon the release of his debut film, a prominent critic harshly criticized his acting skills and suggested that he “go back to selling idli.” While this review was negative for Shetty, it made him question whether pursuing a career in acting was the right path for him.
Speaking to Shantanu in a podcast show called The BarberShop, Shetty said “When my first film was released, one of the topmost critics then said ‘He should go back to selling idlis’. And these are the words and this is his review: ‘He will never make it.’ The film was a blockbuster, my film was a hit. Suniel Shetty was accepted as that action hero, but here’s someone, the most powerful publication writing, saying go back home. I said ‘this is not fair’ because every kid believes that he is the next Mr, Bachchan.” Quoted Indian Express.
When he was 31 years old, Suniel Shetty made his film debut in Balwaan, opposite Divya Bharti. Deepak Anand directed the film.
Shetty added, “When I analyzed it, I had done six days of acting school. No drama, no play. I was just one tree in school in that one play. He was very harsh, which he did not need to be. But then when I went back, I said ‘maybe this career might not go anywhere, so let me stay invested in business because you need a backup.”
Getting calls from underworld
Suniel Shetty revealed in the same interview that he used to “get calls from the underworld” on a regular basis. He was never afraid, however, and handled the situation on his own. Reflecting on the past, Suniel Shetty shared, “We were at a time when the underworld was rambling here (in Mumbai). You know I used to get calls saying, ‘I will do this, I will do that.’ I used to abuse back. I had cops telling me, ‘Listen, you’re crazy. You don’t understand, they’ll get upset and they could do anything.’ I said, ‘What? I’m not wrong, protect me. What have I done?’ So that’s the background I came from.”
The actor added that his family is still unaware of these incidents, claiming that he never revealed the extent of his actions to his children, Athiya and Ahaan. He stated that he had been in some intense situations in which he had sustained injuries. In those moments, Suniel Shetty believed that “time is the best healer,” especially when it came to fitness.
Here’s the full interview:
On the work front, Suniel Shetty was most recently seen in the web series Dharavi Bank and Hunterr: Tootega Nahi Todega. He is currently filming the third installment of Hera Pheri, in which he will reportedly reunite with Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar.
