I have no regrets: Jackie Shroff

Jackie Shroff has been acting in films for almost four decades and has worked in over 200 films in nine languages. From Dev Anand’s ‘Swami Dada’ (82) to Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Happy New Year’ it has been a fascinating journey for the actor who says he enjoys being an actor and living different characters. Jackie discusses his life and career over Brownie ‘n’ Coffee, his two favourites these days, as I catch up with him.

So how did Jackie Shroff become Jaggu Dada?

It is an old story; the truth is it was always my older brother who was the hero of the chawl we lived at (Teen Batti in Mumbai). He looked after all the slum people and they came to him with all their problems, so they called him dada. Then we lost him in a freak accident when he jumped into the sea to save a person who was drowning even though he didn’t know swimming himself. For years I could not get over the tragedy but slowly the chawl made me take the place of my brother and I became their Jaggu Dada.

And the title stuck ever since?

Yes, strangely so during my entire struggle period. Before coming into films, I had fantasies of becoming a chef so tried my luck at Taj. They appreciated my baigan ka bhartha but disqualified me because I had no education qualifications. Next, I had ambitions of becoming a flight attendant but again I was complimented for my good looks but turned down for lack of a degree.

Then what happened?

Then one fine day while I was waiting at a bus stop with just a few coins in my pocket, a stranger walked up to me and asked 'modelling karega…?' I stared at him to check if he was joking before asking, 'paisa dega kya…' and then life changed for me. I did some commercials and then another stranger took me for audition to be an actor. That was Dev Anand’s ‘Swami Dada’. He said I will play the second lead.

I was over the moon. Next day, he said, he had got Mithun Chakraborty’s dates and now I would play Shakti Kapoor’s henchman. I said ‘no problem’. I was happy to be working with Dev Anand in a film and the rest is history. Subhash Gai gave you your break in and as Hero.

Yes and it was a film I had to sing, dance, romance another newcomer Meenakshi Sheshadri. Both of us were rank newcomers and literally copied Subhash Ghai. He was the master craftsman and made us stars over night. I owe my career to him and over the decades in good and in bad times I have always remained friends with my mentor.

Was that the reason you agreed to play a father so early in your career in his film ‘Yaadein’?

This was a topic of controversy at that time. My contemporaries said I had made a mistake agreeing to play Kareena Kapoor’s father so early in my career. Kareena was a newcomer at that time and it was the love story of a father-daughter and Subhash Ghai wanted an established star to play the young dad. I agreed because I trusted Subhashji.

I knew he would take care of me. He had made me a hero and if he felt I was right for the role I had to trust him. I have no regrets. I had played hero, I had played elder brother in ‘Ram Lakhan’ and ‘Parinda’. I had played husband in ‘Agnisakshi’ and I had no qualms playing a father as well.

Looking back would you agree it made your transition from hero to character roles easy?

I think so but it was definitely not traumatic. Other heroes suffered conflict when offered mature roles; I did not because I have always played older brooding brother. I was happy to play Chunni Babu in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Devdas’, happy to play the magician father of Aamir Khan in ‘Dhoom: 3’ and happy to play a chor in Shah Rukh’s ‘Happy New Year’.

Were you not skeptical about playing father to Akshay Kumar in ‘Brothers’?

Many people did say it was suicidal to play father to an actor as old as Akshay but that was the least of my problem. My problem was my past, to fight my demons! Would I be able to deal with a film on brothers when I had suffered a personal tragedy? Producer Karan Johar and director Karan Malhotra convinced me it would be cathartic and it was!

By BhawanaSomaaya