Suniel Shetty makes LinkedIn debut, says his life has 'just' started at 61

Bollywood star Suniel Shetty, who is also a successful businessman, made his LinkedIn debut on Friday.

In a debut post on LinkedIn, the actor said that his life has just started at 61 with several exciting projects and opportunities his way.

Citing some of the reasons, Shetty wrote, "At 61, I truly believe my life has just begun. I’m doing some interesting projects on the screen. I’m literally in the best shape of my life, mentally and physically. My family and I are privileged to be able to make a meaningful impact on the lives of needful children through the Vipla Foundation (formerly known as Save The Children India). And on the work front, the last decade has given me the opportunity of partnering with and learning from some of the brightest young minds out there."


The actor, who is the owner of restaurant chains like Mischief Dining Bar and Club H2O in Mumbai, said that 'serendipity' has played an important role in his life. Helping out his father with the family restaurant gave him the discipline, grit and drive his life needed. He said that he was able to carry out everything that followed after. "God has been kind," he shared.

Besides his businesses in the hospitality sector, Shetty has made a name for himself in industries like retail and real estate too. The actor also owns a production banner - Popcorn Entertainment - that has films like 'Khel – No Ordinary Game' (2003), 'Rakht' (2004) and 'Bhagam Bhag' (2006), among others.

The actor-turned-businessman, who was named in one of the world's most influential people list in Time magazine, credited his father for being his guiding light throughout his journey as an investor. "Through my journey as an entrepreneur across hospitality, retail & real estate, and as an actor and then a producer, or my journey as an investor, my hero, my father, has always remained my North Star in everything I’ve done," he added.

Shetty said that discipline, sincerity and hard work have helped him become successful and happy in life.

The actor said he is thrilled to see the zeal and enthusiasm of the new-age entrepreneurs. "The last few years have been particularly exciting, with the opportunity to be a part of some incredible content, D2C, health-tech, e-mobility and sports start-ups. What has amazed me is the sheer audacity that so many young entrepreneurs bring to the table today, a huge departure from how things were when I started," he added.

Last month, Shetty's Media and Entertainment arm, FTC Talent Media and Entertainment, collaborated with Content Engineers, a creative studio, the brainchild of industry pioneers Saurabh Varma and Utpaal Acharya, to work on a slate of incredible entertainment.

Shetty shared that his career as an entrepreneur, spanning more than 40 years, has been an 'exponential learning curve'. "However, turning up each day as if it were my first on the job has perhaps helped me stay in sync with this ever-evolving landscape," he said.

While conventional success is often the yardstick by which we judge businesses and ideas, Shetty said that failure has been the greatest teacher. "I’ve always worn those experiences too, like a badge of honour," his post read.

"I decided to get on LinkedIn to use this as an intelligent space to foster smart ideas and become a catalyst of positive change. I look forward to starting engaging conversations of consequence with you. I look forward to seeing what LinkedIn has in store for me," he concluded his lengthy post.

Shetty's post was liked more than 23,100 times in just three hours and received numerous comments.

The 'Dhadkan' star joined the likes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and global icon Priyanka Chopra as a LinkedIn Influencer. Some of the popular business personalities such as Cred founder Kunal Shah, Marico Chairman Harish Mariwala, Kalaari Capital Managing Director Vani Kola, Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and upGrad co-founder Ronnie Screwvala are also part of the LinkedIn Influencer brigade.