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