Jackie Shroff: Every day is a worry. Taking care of yourself is important too

Awaiting the release of the Salman Khan-led Radhe, the senior actor says in the current Covid scenario, bringing cheer into people’s lives and entertaining those at home is needed, too.

Jackie Shroff has been reading and listening about Covid, trying to help as many people as possible and spreading the message of sticking to the protocols and guidelines. “Every day is a worry,” he says, about the pandemic and the second wave, adding, “People are impacted and affected and unfortunately, so many people have passed away. That will be something that will remain with us. Par Take care of your families health and apne aap ko sambhal na important hai. Hoping people get vaccinated at the earliest. Jahan kisko gham hai usko sambhalna, yeh sab kar rahen hain. And waiting for cinemas to reopen again, to watch a movie with audiences and eat vada pav with them.”

Jackie Shroff feels currently OTT has the upper hand and it will be purely a business decision of filmmakers to release their films on OTT or wait for theatres.

The senior actor is awaiting the release of Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, and says he is excited to be playing a comic role, which he doesn’t get often. “People wait for Salman Khan’s movies as he has a huge fan club. If cinemas were fifty percent open, then they would have come to theatres while maintaining protocol. Recently, we saw some Hollywood films have hybrid releases and work well, so I feel, people will watch the film and enjoy it. Salman is a giant, Radhe is a big film which has a lot of value and we all need entertainment right now. Salman has a huge fan base and his films have a different appeal. His persona and the way he carries himself works for him. His roles are loved by people and they want a hero to look like a hero! My role has comedy, which was fun for me, as I’ve not done many comedy roles. I have done dramatic, emotional, action and serious roles. Working with Prabhu Deva was great, who is quite talented,” he says.

Shroff feels currently OTT has the upper hand and it will be purely a business decision of filmmakers to release their films on OTT or wait for theatres. “There are so many films ready for release, sooner or later they will think about OTT. I want films to release and theatres to open soon but thankfully, there are OTT platforms available, for films who want to release now. They can be seen in over 200 countries and you know how many people have watched the content. Films that are stuck have the option of choosing from a variety of platforms, which need new content. Bas ki price pe deal strike hoti hai, woh baat hai. It is all business. OTT has helped the industry a lot, people are getting work and stuck projects are being released,” he opines.

How did it work playing brother to Disha Patani, who is a good friend of his son Tiger? “On set, we worked well together. We didn’t think of the personal side but focused on work. It was smooth. All of them made me comfortable. I am senior but the youngsters took care of me,” he concludes.