Jackie Shroff: Style icon who is Tiger’s dad

By Rajiv Vijayakar -

July 2, 2014 - 10:16 AM IST

He's God's good man in a strange world. And now he's reaping the benefits of his immense goodwill over 31 years.

Jackie Shroff: Style icon who is Tiger’s dad

Jackie Shroff is no ordinary human being. He's blessed with uncommon, amazing humility and depth, altruism of a high degree and a breezy sense of humour that is mostly aimed at himself.

The man who began in Dev Anand's Swami Dada (1982) as a junior artiste and went on to rock the box-office with his lead debut in Subhash Ghai's Hero (1983), is now enjoying the best phase of his personal life with the apple of his eye, son Tiger Shroff, becoming one of the most successful new Big Young 'Uns, and a fresh phase in his own acting career, with time to relax rather than flitting from studio to studio. What's more, he is also been offered an international production!

At his peak, Jackie has worked with the cream of filmmakers like - besides Dev Aand and Subhash Ghai - Ramesh Sippy, J.P. Dutta, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, K. Vishwanath, Rajiv Rai, Chetan Anand, Priyadarshan, Rakesh Roshan and Mahesh Bhatt and later Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Mohit Suri, Madhur Bhandarkar and Farah Khan in a tally of almost 200 films.

Here, in short, is a real-life hero who has always been a style icon, and who is hugely thankful for a great life studded with lovely associates and unforgettable inspirations. What's more, Jackie is the first to disprove the myth that models-turned-actors can never act. Ram Lakhan, Kaash, Parinda, 1942 - A Love Story and many more down to the recent Aurangzeb and Dhoom 3 have proved that he is one of the finest actors of his times.

In a meeting at a five-star restaurant lounge, facing the tranquil Arabian Sea, Jackie Shroff unwinds over sandwiches and green tea. The order is placed in a very Jackie-esque way, "Jo bhi health ke liye accha hai de do, samjhi? " The pretty waitress, charmed as most are by him, suggests a menu and leaves, as we settle down for a conversation, sprinkled with a lot of Hindi and its colloquialisms.

How did the international film happen?

I had gone to London and a friend's friend introduced me to a producer who asked me if I was open to play an Indian guy in his film. I said, "Why not?" So I was taken to the writer. I will, of course, do the film only if my role shapes up well. After all, it will be a bigger exposure than to just 100 crore Indians, kya? (Laughs). Everything will be decided by the end of July.

Good things are happening to you here as well, after Aurangzeb and Dhoom 3 (in which you played Aamir Khan's dad) besides Kochadaiiyaan.

People love that line from Dhoom 3, "Haath nahin chhodna saath nahin chhodna." Aditya (Chopra) called me and said that he needed me for the emotions. The film had everything - stars and action and grandeur - but he knew that without emotions, it would not work!

Now let's see what I will be getting - right now, I am doing Happy New Year and a small comic film called Zaalim Dilli.

You have done a great variety of roles, and even shifted to character roles much before contemporaries like Sunny Deol and Anil Kapoor.

(Laughs) To main aur kya karta? I am a big boy - thanks to my height and bone structure. I have a commanding look! But I have been experimental from the beginning! Jeans, high boots - without ever going to college, I had lots of style, and that has not left me!

By the way, I was the first to begin an epidemic of kissing. I have kissed heroines in nine films, from Madhuri Dixit in Vardi - I imagine she is my love Kimi Katkar! - to Juhi Chawla in Aaina, Sonam in Aakhri Adaalat, Deepti Bhatnagar in Ram Shastra and others! I told my filmmakers, 'Ab bas bhi karo!' (Grins)

Yes, I was cool about doing any role. Why should I think twice about how big or important it was when I had come here to be a villain and became a hero and worked with the best banners, producers, directors and co-stars? In Swami Dada, I was Shakti Kapoor's henchman. I became a hero and they all called me for my strength, my presence and my voice.

Did you train at voice modulation?

When I quit modeling, I joined Asha Chandra's acting classes to improve my voice and my Hindi. In 20 to 25 days, my colleague there, Suneil Anand, introduced me to his dad, Dev (Anand)- saab and I bagged Swami Dada! Mera kaam ho gaya and I left the classes! (Chuckles) I wanted to be a villain, and I thought a role was a role, even if it was a junior artiste's. Besides, it gave me the opportunity to work with Dev-saab. As a kid from Mumbai's Teen Batti area, he was one of my idols along with Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor, who of course stayed in the vicinity. Shammi-saab's son Aditya was a friend, still is.

Later, I even spoke in some films like Shatrughan Sinha or Vinod Khanna did. The sound recordists of the movies boosted my voice. Jaisa audiographer ka kaam, waise mera voice rehta tha! (Laughs).

And the hero phase saw you working with the cream.

Yes, and people did not even know what I, the real Jaggu, was like! They saw the star and cast him as per their own interpretation, as inspector, ruffian and so on!

Who were your greatest inspirations and teachers?

Dekh, bhidu. Bacche ka pehla school is always the parents. Then come teachers in school. Mommy, who brought me up, taught me everything about values and how one must help others as much as I can.

In films, there were so many people I looked up to, but my biggest blessing was Dev-saab. He later called me for three of his films, and I loved being with him on Sacche Ka Bol Bala, Censor or his last film Chargesheet. Dev-saab would say, "Mujhe 15 days de de!" and I would mentally think, "15 saal le lo!"
And just look at my great luck - I worked with Dada Moni (Ashok Kumar), Dev-saab and Dharam (Dharmendra)-ji all together in Return Of Jewel Thief! Kaun tha main? I was like their bloody spit!

Today, Dev-saab has inspired me even to look after my health. I also want to work till I am 85, standing on my feet!

What is your take on Tiger in Heropanti?

The people have already passed their verdict on my son! For me, he is a true star who is world-class in real - not VFX-generated - action, he is a fabulous dancer, and his acting has that theheraav, those nuances that are needed. He knows how to handle his facial expressions and how to modulate his body language.

I learnt that Tiger had signed his first film when he came home one day and told me that he was doing Sajid Nadiadwala's film. I saw Heropanti only when the film's team saw it - till then I had not seen even an inch of him on screen.

I am happy that he has absorbed the values we have taught him. He's a respectful lad. Like me, he knows that we have to be good with all. We must respect a driver as much as a country's president! Human beings are human beings!

What do you honestly think - did your new innings help his film or vice-versa?

Kya baat kar raha hai? I think Tiger and Heropanti have helped me! (Laughs) From Bhoot Unkle, King Uncle and all my other famous characters by which I am addressed by my fans, I have now become "Tiger Shroff ka baap!" It's reflected glory for me! Jaise Jackie's just been born! But who will not like that his son becomes bigger than him?

And those people who loved me for Ram Lakhan and Parinda now refer to me too as Tiger's father! (Laughs loudly).