Actor Jimmy sheirgill tells Ayushi Sharma that he has a penchant for playing characters with colour
Crime novelist Agatha Christie once said, “Instinct is a marvellous thing that can neither be explained nor ignored.” And it was actor Jimmy Sheirgill’s instinct to say yes to Family of Thakurganj. He says, “I just couldn’t ignore it and now I cannot explain the feeling. Dilip Shukla, who has also written Dabangg series, wrote this film as well. He narrated the story long before he had actually written it. Since that time I knew I had to do this film. You have a certain kind of instinct about everything. I had the same about this story line. I was sure that this script couldn’t possibly go wrong. Ye concept level pe hi itna acha hai. (This is so good at the concept level itself.)” Even though he reprises shades of his earlier heartland characters, it is their raw reality that he wants to chew into as an actor.
The film has a political backdrop and unfolds the story of how some people live without following any rules. “It is a rooted story with a lot of dialogue baazi. Dilip has a sense of style and flavour when he pens down anything. He writes with a lot of emotion, drama and action.”
The actor narrates, “A family lives in Thakurganj and some of the members have set rules and regulations. And then comes my character, who does everything without following any law but that doesn’t make him a bad person. Even if his way of doing things is unlawful, his intentions are right.”
We have seen Jimmy playing similar roles before. Think Tanu Weds Manu, Saheb, Biwi or Gangster, Haasil and more. So why does he have an inclination towards these? He answers promptly, “I don’t see any harm in playing small town roles. I myself have come from one. Chote shehar se aakar hi bade-bade shehron ko basaya jata hai. (These small town people have made big cities.) In fact, I feel, these characters have more colour. They make a person feel alive at heart and I think that is why I have an inclination towards such roles.”
Jimmy says he does not regret the lack of lead roles. “People remember me for the characters I played, so I have no regrets about not playing a lead,” he adds.
While many actors get bothered when the release date of their film clash with those of other actors, it is interesting to observe how Jimmy is enjoying the excitement that another of his films, Jhootha Kahin Ka, hits the screens on the same day. He feels that he was fortunate to star alongside actors like Saurabh Shukla in Thakurganj... and Rishi Kapoor in Jhootha...
“It was so exciting to be part of an out-and-out comedy with Rishi uncle. We all know what a fantastic actor Mr Shukla is and his contribution to cinema and theatre. At times, it is a surreal feeling. In fact, working with these veteran actors helped me better my craft,” he says.
Jimmy is one actor who believes that a story makes a film good or bad. The characters are secondary. “The screenplay of a film matters the most,” adds the actor, who has been a part of films like Maachis, A Wednesday, Special 26, Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, Yahaan and Munna Bhai MBBS.
He tells us that you have to keep yourself motivated in life and give your 100 per cent to everything. “There are various phases in life. You work in a specific zone. You have to follow that rhythm. There is no hard and fast rule in life. Life is what you make of it. Just like my character in the film, there are no specific rules and regulations to live. It’s a very natural process and it all depends on the situations that are thrown at you.”
Censorship or the control or suppression of what can be accessed, published or viewed is increasingly being discussed with the coming of digital platforms and Jimmy feels that a lot rests on the individuals who should engage in self-censorship. He says, “It’ is a platform for each one us. When this medium was made, it was obvious that you have to act as the moral police. One cannot create anything in the name of freedom and creativity. Just by adding abuses in a story is not a way to attract the audience. While some people are creating out of the box content, there are others who are just seeking attention. Here people need to engage in self-censorship. They are capable of judging what is right or wrong for them. It’s people who make everything good or bad, never a platform. It’s a great one for actors, directors and creative teams.”
Jimmy tells us that even he is reading a lot of scripts for the web platform. “Let’s see what happens,” he says.
(The film releases on July 19.)
Photo: Pankaj Kumar