Filmmaker Rohit Shetty: I've Never Scolded My Son

When most parents worry about being too soft, one successful filmmaker swears by never raising his voice.

Rohit Shetty, known for directing high-octane Bollywood action films, recently revealed his parenting philosophy on a podcast with comedian Bharti Singh. The father of one has never scolded his son Eshaan, choosing trust over control.

"I have always told him, 'If you ever make a mistake, just come and tell me,'" Rohit explained. "And that has worked for me."

The approach might sound risky, but Rohit says it creates exactly the behavior parents want. Even when he's away shooting for 50 days at a time, his son respects the boundaries they've discussed together.

Rather than micromanaging every decision, Rohit focuses on what truly matters. He's clear about three non-negotiables: respect the family name, respect women, and stay away from drugs.

Beyond that, his son has freedom to make choices and, importantly, mistakes. "You are human, and humans will make mistakes," Rohit tells him. "Just correct them."

This doesn't mean zero consequences or complete permissiveness. It means creating a home where honesty feels safer than hiding.

Why This Inspires

Rohit's parenting style offers something many families struggle to find: a middle path between being too strict and too lenient.

When children know that admitting mistakes won't immediately trigger anger, they're more likely to ask for help before small problems become big ones. A teen who crashes the car might call dad immediately instead of hiding the dent for weeks.

Rohit even visits his son's college occasionally, despite his celebrity status creating a bit of a scene. He stays connected without hovering, involved without controlling.

His son is now considering following his father into the film industry, though Rohit jokes it could have been any profession. "If we were selling clothes, he might have said, 'I also want to sell T-shirts,'" he laughed.

The real lesson isn't about being permissive. It's about separating the mistake from the child, so kids learn that making errors doesn't make them failures.

When respect flows both ways, children don't need to be controlled because they've learned to make better choices themselves.