Shergill sees future merger of Indo-Pak film industries

Bollywood actor talks about films, mistakes and his love for Pakistani theatre.

MELBOURNE: It’s been a super busy year for Bollywood actor Jimmy Shergill and we’re not even half way through 2013! With over 50 Hindi and Punjabi films under his belt, Shergill has proven himself as the versatile actor he always dreamt of being, even if it took him 17 years.

While he loves to do Punjabi films, Shergill says his bread and butter comes from Bollywood films. The Mumbai-based actor shares his experiences and thoughts with The Express Tribune in an interview during his tour for his new Punjabi film Rangeelay.

“I graduated in commerce and the idea was to get into business,” says Shergill who had never thought about acting. “But I feel everything is destined. I took acting classes for a year which landed me a small part in Maachis.”

“It’s been a slow but steady journey in Bollywood,” says Shergill, who doesn’t have relatives in the industry to push him up.

He proved his acting in films like Munna Bhai MBBS, Yahaan, A Wednesday and most recent films Special 26 and Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster Returns.

“I’ve made plenty of mistakes and I have nobody to blame,” says Shergill, who also feels he has learned from his decisions. “But, I have worked with some very interesting people.”

When asked how he feels about being underrated, he says, “I take that as a compliment. At least people aren’t saying ‘you’re such a sh***y actor’! I see that happening to other actors all the time, and then I say — thank you God! I’d rather be underrated than overrated.”

The actor confesses that he got labelled after Mohabbatein. “People who hadn’t seen my other films would call me a ‘chocolate hero’. That used to irritate me, so I would respond by saying ‘Boss that’s a film. I’ve done other roles in films like Haasil or Dil Hai Tumhara’.”

The actor will soon be seen in Hindi film Bullet Raja  with actor Saif Ali Khan. “Saif and I have worked together before, but never got the time to bond. I don’t think I’ve laughed as much as  I did while I worked with Saif,” he smiles.

Jimmy Shergill — the Pakistani theatre fan!

While there aren’t many ardent lovers of local films outside of Pakistan, Shergill says he is a fan.

“I have seen a lot of Pakistani films. When I was in school, my parents used to watch a lot of Pakistani stage dramas like Bakra Qiston Pe — the whole series on VHS tapes,” he recalls.

“There is a huge amount of talent in Pakistan, especially in their drama and theatre, which are inspired by real stories.

Talking about a possible Indo-Pak “co-production,” Shergill says “Somewhere in the future the two industries will merge. With so many festivals taking place and films being made outside of Pakistan and about Pakistan, there is a lot of talent coming into the foreign limelight.”

Shergill says that Hindi and Punjabi films have a huge audience from Pakistan — especially in Canada. “They go see the first day, first show. Whenever I go to Canada, I make sure I attend the Pakistani live radio shows. It’s great to talk to Pakistanis and get their feedback.”

At the end, the actor adds, “I would love to be in a co-production. I have some amazing stories to make big films. It would be a great bond to show people. I’ve been planning to go to Pakistan for a long time now.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2013.

Like Life & Style on Facebook for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.