Jackie Shroff – “Tiger is so focused, it’s scary”
Almost four decades inthe industry, with films like Hero, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Gardish and more – Jackie Shroff is one of the rare success stories that refuses to move past his modest beginnings. Jaggu Dada, that’s how he is fondly called by most of the industry insiders, is today more famous for being Tiger Shroff’s father. How fast life has been changing for him and yet he remains at the top of his game. When life was bleak, he was selling his artworks and furniture, but still was the most loved man in the industry. How did he do that? How does it feel now to have each of his triumphs superseded by the tag of
being Tiger Shroff’s dad? With many more questions and a special appearance from Tiger Shroff himself, Shubarna Mukerji Shu brings you the man Bollywood loves to love – Jackie Shroff.
When I told my kids - aged 8 & 4 - that I was to go meet Tiger Shroff’s father, they were
so excited, I had to physically stop them from following me out. Do you realize for the new generation, that’s your identity?
How sweet! What more can a father ask for? He (Tiger) is my child. I am thankful that the nation is giving him so much affection and love. He is protected by everybody who gives him good vibes. Wherever I go, when people say ‘Oh, your son and his films…’ I feel so happy. Respect is everything. Nothing else matters. And my baby is being loved by little babies (laughs). So, it feels great. When Tiger entered the film industry, he was nervous about being compared to me. I have been known to have a different swag; it is not right for one to be compared with others, but Tiger felt he would be compared. He felt he will fall short; I told him even then, there will be a time when people will know me as Tiger Shroff’s father. He has done it in such a short while; I am immensely proud of his accomplishments as an actor. I keep telling him don’t work so hard…
Why is that? I thought all parents usually tell their children to work harder!
Not when you have a diligent son like Tiger. He is too disciplined. He is so focused, it is scary. As a parent I worry that he is not enjoying himself enough. He needs to do things that kids his age do.
Do you remember how it was when you were his age?
I think I can easily say, I was not half as diligent. We needed a different kind of work ethics. None of the actors were as fit as the actors are today. We used to do some 5 or even 6 films at a time; most of the time we couldn’t say which one is which. Can you imagine how difficult that is? Of course, after all that work, we didn’t earn half of what the actors get today. Times have changed a lot.
But you are going right along with it, seeing that some of the work you have been doing on the digital platforms is really different from anything we have seen Jackie Shroff do before…
I keep joking, I am doing more work now than I was doing at the peak of my career. But it is true in a way; I certainly have more projects on. Now since there are so many varied mediums, the options just multiply automatically. It is nice for someone my age to get the chance to do so much.
You are liking the change?
Loving it! Not many actors of my era have made the transition so successfully. Today, one has to be big, but relatable. You cannot do larger than life, unrealistic acting. You need to spread across the frame in a
quieter way; it needs inherent style. And an ease of being in your own skin. I have always been like that; so for that reason, I think this change is easier for me than most.
Wasn’t the OTT platform a cultural shock to you in any way?
I think it was liberating, apun pehle se hi censor nahi karta tha (from the very beginning, I never censored my words); I was a cultural shock to people when I started off in the film industry. People didn’t wear jeans here. They didn’t even know what Woodstock is! They had never seen a bandana! I got a certain kind of style to Bollywood; I brought in the swag. The word has now got popular, but I was the definition of it. So, nothing shocks me; I shock people instead.
My favourite Jackie Shroff film is Gardish; what is that one role which remains closest to your heart?
I would say King Uncle. It had a nice soft story about girl-child adoption. Something people are now trying to talk about. A story like that, a film like that is a blessing in disguise.
There is a big ongoing debate on nepotism, what’s your take?
One should move with the tide and not worry about these things much. They may say that both father and son are in films. But that wasn’t the case with me. My father was an astrologer and I worked in the film
industry. If you have talent, nothing can stop you. If you don’t, nothing can get you floating!
You have always held yourself away and aloof from the crowd, be it in movies or even social media. You don’t always open up and share…
I am very detached as a person; I guess one gets to be like that when you know the actual truth of life. Today I have so much, there might be many who would love to be in my position. I am not saying I am ungrateful for all the blessings. But I cannot forget how content and happy we were when
we were living in a small chawl in Mumbai. Today, I have a huge house, but my parents who helped me get here are not with me. I don’t know how long I have to share these moments with my children. Eventually I, too, will be gone.
Do I wish things were different? Of course, there are things I would have liked to do, things I would have done differently. For instance, my mother passed away in her sleep. I always wondered did she call out for me? In this huge house, I couldn’t have heard her if she called me. Perhaps if we were still living in that tiny chawl, I would have sensed her distress, done something for her… These thoughts are as inevitable as they are useless. But they come, there are going to be regrets, there are going to be joys,
there will be a yesterday you miss and there will be a tomorrow you won’t see. Make your peace with it!
How do your children react to such statements?
They have grown up hearing me speak like this; so, I don’t think they have much of a reaction to it. You can ask Tiger…
What is the one thing you would like to tell our readers?
I would like to say thank you for keeping me alive in your hearts. I believe my greatest strength is in the fact that I have always enjoyed doing everything that I have had to do. I just enjoy life; I enjoy every breath I take. I live every moment that God has given me, the strength and love of people for me, to my children, to my family. I feel blessed when I see around. There is so much grief around us all; so we should always thank God for keeping us alive, taking care of us and our loved ones.
Tiger Shroff on his father Jackie Shroff
As a kid, I was always in awe of everything that my father did. People keep asking me, why haven’t we done a film together, but I get a feeling I will freeze if I have to work with him. I think he intimidates me even today.
The only time I have seen his macho-façade crumble was when he saw Heropanti, my first film. I could see he was tense. He didn’t sleep at nights till the numbers started coming in and the film was
declared a hit. My parents have given me a very simple and normal childhood, just like anybody else’s. The only time I would feel like my father was different was when we would go out for a meal together, or when he’d come for any of my school functions. He is a very hands-on father and very involved in our lives. The year I was born, he won the Filmfare best actor award for Parinda, and he carried me on to the stage. He had the black lady in one hand and me in the other. We still have a photo of that
moment. My dad and I don’t discuss films or my career too much. We don’t even share too many common interests. I think we are as different as the North and South poles. I’m into sports and fitness. I live a disciplined, army kind of a lifestyle, and he is more bindaas and cool about his fitness. He’s not a
person who likes to be pushed around; so I’ve never forced him. He likes to do things his way. The best part about him is that he has remained absolutely the same. But the one thing I will always like to adopt from him, is his sense of equality. His mannerisms and his style of talking have remained the same, no
matter who he is speaking to. I’ve noticed that he always chills out with the light guys and the spot boys, even more than the director. He’s such a cool guy!
