The untold tales of these Bollywood fathers

Brut India

Here’s what happened when an actor met two directors-cum-producers and spoke about their first mentor in life: their fathers. Disney+ Hotstar

Transcript

00:00My father, who's no more, he would have had the biggest laugh

00:04if he read that they called me the flag bearer of nepotism.

00:07My father has had such a tough time to be where he was.

00:10I eventually became a carpenter and then became one of the gangsters and...

00:16Oh God!

00:30My father, who's no more, he would have had the biggest laugh

00:52if he read that they called me the flag bearer of nepotism.

00:56My father has had such a tough time to be where he was.

00:58Exactly, all of them have.

01:00And he was a production controller and then he became a producer.

01:03So many of his films failed, you know, one after the other.

01:06He mounted films, they failed.

01:08You know, I remember my mom selling jewelry, selling my nani's apartment.

01:12And I'm like, now we don't talk about this because it seems...

01:14Because right now, everyone is looking at the person today.

01:17But like, I remember...

01:18The struggle behind.

01:19Yeah, and I remember, I was telling Rohit just now before and I said,

01:21you know, we used to get premiere invites.

01:23And the seats used to be A or Z.

01:28So when the seat used to come, my father used to say,

01:31call and check if it's A or A.

01:35So most of the time, it was A.

01:36He said, no, the seats are really bad.

01:38You go with your friend.

01:39And you know, many a time, he's worked with superstars.

01:42And then those superstars have parties or events and don't invite you after a film fails.

01:48In many ways, the origin of action actually lies on this couch here, I think, you know.

01:52And we haven't given the due credit.

01:54And I think that we should.

01:56Both of you come from families that are embedded in action.

02:00Rohit, your father was, of course, known to everyone in the industry.

02:04I remember my dad speaking about him so fondly.

02:07The beginning for you was not as easy as people know.

02:10Today, you're called this blockbuster machine.

02:13But the beginning, he passed away relatively early.

02:15Very early, yeah.

02:16How young were you when he passed?

02:17I was in third standard at that time.

02:19Third standard.

02:19Maybe eight or nine years old.

02:20And then, I mean, how did things transpire for you right after that?

02:23Obviously, things were difficult after that.

02:25Till the age of 16.

02:27We had a lot of struggles.

02:28And then I joined him when I was 17.

02:31You joined Kukuji first.

02:32Kukuji.

02:33And then I came.

02:33And then from there, we got together.

02:35And your mom was in the business as well.

02:36Yeah.

02:37She was a stunt artist earlier.

02:39That's how my dad and mom met.

02:40Met.

02:41How lovely.

02:42Then after that, obviously, dad was doing well.

02:44Then she had stopped working.

02:45Yeah.

02:46Then after he passed away, there was no financial crisis at home.

02:51Then she started working as a junior artist.

02:53Oh, dear.

02:53Then she worked as a junior artist for the longest time.

02:55Till I started working.

02:57Yeah.

02:57And then, yeah, after that, it's like a proper blockbuster movie story.

03:03No, of course.

03:04But, you know, I mean, it's important to know the beginnings of.

03:07I mean, you know, we always celebrate the celebrity for their achievement today.

03:11Do you think where your father, such a celebrated loved man, Veeru Devgan,

03:15do you think at that time in the industry, he was given the due that he truly deserved?

03:20Eventually.

03:23Obviously, when he also started, he ran away from his house, hometown in Punjab.

03:28He was 13 years.

03:30He ran away when he was 13?

03:31Yes.

03:32He came to Mumbai without a train ticket.

03:35Was taken behind bars.

03:36He didn't have any work.

03:37So, no food.

03:38Yeah.

03:39So, he used to…

03:39Somebody helped him that you wash my cab every day and I'll let you sleep in the cab.

03:43Oh, wow.

03:44He started from there and eventually became a carpenter.

03:49And then became one of the gangsters in…

03:52Oh, God.

03:52Sai and Goliwada, where they used to…

03:55He was a carpenter also.

03:56And they had gangs at that time.

03:57There were these kind of gang wars.

03:59And one day, a very senior action director, Mr. Ravi Khanna, he was passing by.

04:06And there was this street fight going on.

04:08And he stopped the car and he called my dad after the fight.

04:12And he said, what do you do?

04:14He said, I'm a carpenter here.

04:15So, he said one very nice line.

04:17He said, you fight very well.

04:19Come and meet me tomorrow.

04:20And made him a fighter.

04:21Oh, wow.

04:22So, that's where he started from.

04:24How did your dad start?

04:25Because he was…

04:25Similar story.

04:26Like he was in Udupi.

04:28And he came when he was, I think, 13 years old.

04:30When he was 13, he came to Mumbai.

04:32Was a waiter in Cotton Green in a restaurant.

04:35Yeah.

04:35And from there, he started…

04:37Then he started bodybuilding, doing boxing.

04:40Yeah.

04:40And then, obviously, because he was well-built, 6'3".

04:44Yeah.

04:44And that's how somebody gave him an idea.

04:46Why don't you try in movies?

04:48And then he joined…

04:49Again, senior to Ravi Khanna, sir, was one action director of black and white movies.

04:55Yeah.

04:55Called Azeem Bhai.

04:56Yeah.

04:57And so, he joined him.

04:59And from there, it started.

05:00And then gradually, he became the fight choreographer.

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