'It is the feeling of being...': Suniel Shetty reveals what keeps him working at 65 despite financial success

Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty has opened up about why he continues to work at 65, saying money is no longer the main reason he wants to stay active.

In a recent LinkedIn post, Shetty reflected on how his priorities have changed over the years and said the feeling of being useful and contributing now matters more to him.

Looking back at his early years, Shetty said money was closely linked to security and providing a comfortable life for his family.

“Back then, money meant security. I wanted to earn enough to give my family a comfortable life,” Shetty wrote.

As he progressed in life and his career, he said his goals expanded. He bought a home, educated his children, travelled, saved and invested for the future. But over time, he realised that the pursuit of money could keep pushing the goalposts further.

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“For years, I thought it was about money. You earn some, you want more. You achieve a milestone, then you’re chasing another,” he said.

At 65, Shetty said having more money would not significantly change the way he and his wife Mana live. He is not looking for a bigger house or another car.

“I know I don’t believe that anymore. At 65, having some more isn’t really going to change the way Mana and I live. I’m not chasing a bigger house or another car,” Shetty wrote.

What keeps Shetty working at 65

Despite reaching a point where money is no longer his primary motivation, Shetty said he still looks forward to working. He remains excited about a new film, building something from scratch, exploring a business idea, meeting interesting people and even gardening.

“So clearly, something else is driving me. I think a large part of it is the feeling of being useful,” he said.

Shetty said work has been an important part of how he has understood his place in the world for almost four decades. Being approached for a role, asked for advice or invited to contribute to an idea continues to give him a sense of purpose.

“For almost 40 years, work has been such a big part of how I’ve understood my place in the world,” he wrote.

He added that even if money were removed from the equation, he believes he would still want to pursue much of the work he does today.

“Today, take the money out of that equation and I think I would still want much of it. And that’s an interesting discovery to make,” Shetty said.

Money gave him the freedom to choose

Shetty acknowledged that financial considerations remain an important reason people work, particularly while they are managing everyday responsibilities and planning for the future.

“Because we’re tuned to think that we work for money. And of course, for a large part of our lives, we absolutely do,” he wrote.

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He pointed to the realities that come with earning, including paying bills, looking after families and securing the future.

“Bills to be paid. Families to be looked after. Futures to be secured,” Shetty added.

He said he has been fortunate that money eventually gave him choices he did not have when he started his career.

“I’ve been fortunate that money eventually gave me choices I didn’t have when I started out,” he said.

That financial freedom, he explained, means he can turn down opportunities that do not feel right. He no longer has to treat every opportunity as a business deal or every relationship as a transaction.

“Today I can leave a cheque on the table. I can say no to something that doesn’t feel right. I don’t have to turn every opportunity into a business, or every relationship into a transaction,” Shetty wrote.

His idea of ‘enough’ has changed

Interestingly, having the freedom to say no has not made Shetty want to work less. Instead, he said it has helped him understand why he still wants to continue working.

“But strangely, having that choice hasn’t made me want to work less. It has only made me understand a little better why I want to continue working,” he said.

Shetty said everyone may have their own version of “enough” and that it may not always be a number linked to wealth.

“Maybe all of us have our own version of ‘enough’. And perhaps it isn’t only a number we’re chasing,” he wrote.

For Shetty, that sense of fulfilment now comes from feeling useful, contributing, continuing to grow and knowing that his work still matters.

“Sometimes it’s the feeling that we’re still useful. Still contributing. Still growing. Still needed. I know that feeling continues to matter so much to me,” he concluded.