Rohit Jugraj ecstatic, strikes big with Jatt James Bond

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

May 2, 2014 - 3:06 AM IST

Names Anurag Singh and Rohit Jugraj may not instantly ring a bell. However, out there in Punjab, they are pretty much making waves with big hits under their belt. This, when their innings in Bollywood didn't quite start on a very happy note. With Rohit's Friday release Jatt James Bond bringing on very good crowds in the North belt and not just beating a biggie like Kaanchi but also challenging 2 States, it is a renewed beginning for the filmmaker who had started his career with Ram Gopal Varma's production James.

Rohit Jugraj ecstatic, strikes big with Jatt James Bond

"Rohit showed a keen eye for style in James but unfortunately the film didn't do well. Then he made Superstar with Kunal Khemu in a double role but that didn't work either. That was six years back and in the interim period; he went on to ghost direct for others and even wrote a few screenplays. He was disheartened but didn't give up. He got a new lease of life with Jatt James Bond, which has Punjabi heartthrob 'Gippy Grewal' in the lead. He also roped in Zarine Khan (Veer, Housefull 2) as the leading lady," informs our source.

The film took a bumper start over the weekend gone by and is one of the top Punjabi openers of all time already. With this, Rohit joins Anurag Singh, another Bollywood director who headed North when his debut Hindi film Raqeeb (Rahul Khanna, Jimmy Sheirgill, Tanushree Dutta) didn't do well.

"He was an assistant to Raj Kanwar who went on to produce Raqeeb for him. The film failed at the box office but there were bigger things awaiting him in Punjab," the source, "Today, he has delivered four back to back successes in the form of Disco Singh, Jatt and Juliet, Jatt and Juliet 2 and Yaar Annmulle. Call it ironic but now that he has found a base in Punjab, he is being summoned back to Mumbai for making Hindi films."

While one waits to see what Anurag does next, Rohit is of course ecstatic with the response to Jatt James Bond.

"Well, it's the hardest route to take but then fruitful too when you go and make a regional film with a guy you believe in and a script that you have faith in," says Rohit, "What I have learnt from this success is that the only thing that eventually matters is faith and belief. Rest everything is a lot of horse-s$%t! As long as you have made the film with faith, things will fall in place, regardless of the language."

He of course has plans to make films in Hindi now. Meanwhile, amongst actors, Jimmy Sheirgill is already juggling between Hindi and Punjabi cinema. Now one waits to see if others from Bollywood follow suit as well.