Jimmy Sheirgill recently relived his struggles and how he got his first break through the classic film ‘Matches‘. During his conversation with The Indian Express, Jimmy along with Tamannaah Bhatia and Avinash Tiwary, who are currently promoting their film ‘Sikandar Ka Muqaddar‘ talked about their journey into cinema.
Jimmy said the way he came into the silver screen was far from conventional, with a mixture of surprises that have shaped his career. ‘Maachis’ (1996) is a film, directed by the legendary Gulzarthat starred Tabu, Chandrachur SinghOm Puri, and others. The film was a box office hit and won two National Film Awards: Best Popular Film and Best Actress for Tabu. However, Jimmy’s casting as Jaimal Singh in the film was an unexpected twist in his life.
During the conversation, Jimmy could recall how he approached Gulzar with aspirations of being an Assistant Director (AD). He was of the mind that to get a break in the industry, a person needs to work as AD for years. But there was more to it by Gulzar.
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Jimmy related, “I think its called hustle now. It was called struggle in our times. So the hustle is on. When I first met Gulzar sir, I thought he would hire me as his Assistant Director, but he had other plans. He asked me which part do you think is the best among these three roles? I said all three of them are great. He said, ‘But, if you will have to pick one, who will that be?’ It was like a dream to be seated before a legendary director and being able to choose one character. I said, ‘If given an option, I will choose Jaimal Singh.’ He asked, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘His name is Jimmy and so is my pet name. Until now, Gulzar sahab knew me as Jasjeet Shergill. He said, ‘Oh, okay, do me a favour, grow your beard and hair because you are doing that role.’ I almost fell off the chair. That is how it all started.”
After 'Maachis', Jimmy starred in some critically acclaimed films like 'Mohabbatein', 'Dil Vil Pyar Vyar', 'Munna Bhai MBBS', 'Tanu Weds Manu', and 'My Name Is Khan'. Today, his latest film, 'Sikandar Ka Muqaddar', is streaming on an OTT platform.