E-Paper
Not everyone can become a superstar: Jimmy Sheirgill
The actor talks about his journey in the Punjabi film industry and why he’s still not considered a superstar in Bollywood.
In a career spanning over two decades, Jimmy Sheirgill has acted in several films such as Mohabbatein (2000), A Wednesday (2008), Tanu Weds Manu (2011), and more recently, Happy Bhag Jayegi.
Ask him why even after so many years, the superstar tag eludes him, and he says, “I have got everything from this industry. I have no regrets. Not everyone can become a superstar. I came to Mumbai with a suitcase, a small amount of money in my pocket, and my parents’ blessings. Today, I am living the kind of life I wanted.”
When Jimmy started out, he was often referred to as the chocolate boy. But over the years, the actor managed to change his image by doing a variety of roles.
“It was a conscious decision to not fall into any one category, and that was the reason I did films such as Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar (2001) and Haasil (2003). I did not want to get slotted into any one kind of an image. For an actor, it is important to portray all kinds of roles,” he says.
The 45-year-old is also a name to reckon with in Punjabi cinema, and does at least one Punjabi film every year. “I have gone to several Punjabi households across the world to promote these films. Finally, when Mel Karade Rabba (2010) released, Bollywood also took notice of it, and things turned around. Everybody was shocked at the box-office figures the film earned,” says Jimmy.
The actor adds that the Punjabi film industry still needs a push to compete with Bollywood. “The only issue with the Punjabi film industry is that there is no body governing it like a Cine And TV Artistes Association (CINTAA). Also, currently, a small percentage of the Punjabis worldwide watch these films. If that increases to 5 to 10%, that will improve things,” he adds.
Follow the author on Twitter: @literarystew
Get more updates from Bollywood, Taylor Swift, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.
