Posted:
All About Jimmy
Name: Jasjiet "Jimmy" Shergill
Date of Birth: December 3, 1970
Zodiac Sigh: Sagitarius
Place of Birth: Gorakhpur, India
Permanent Residence: Delhi, India
Marital Status: Married to Priyanka Puri
Favorite Food: "Home cooked Indian food"
Most Embarassing Moment: "Too many"
Most Memorable Moment: "Is a long story"
Favorite Film: Dilwale Dulhaniya Lejayenge
In three words I am: "Human,..Human,....Human"
I Love: Kids
I Hate: Politics
Motto in Life: "Work hard and have fun!"
My dream Holiday: "Will be in Miami, Florida"
Pet's Name: "Don't have one"
Favorite Book/Author: Shall We Tell the President by JefferyArcher
Favorite Film (Hollywood): Notorious'
Favorite Actor: Shahrukh Khan, Mel Gibson
Favorite Actress: Sridevi, Kajol and Meg Ryan
Favorite Cologne: Romance
Favorite Sport: Cricket
First Crush: "Was in school"
Favorite Music: "Depends on my mood"
Strength: "My hard work and my passion"
Weakness: "There are too many"
I Fear: "Evil"
Get to know Jimmy
(Jimmy talks about his struggles in Mumbai before getting a break in Mohabbatein)
Jimmy out of the Shadows
Exactly four years ago, Jasjiet 'Jimmy' Shergill landed in Mumbai to join acting classes. And came to hate the word 'struggler' used by stardom-seeking wannabes. His role in Gulzar's Maachis having already established him as an actor, Jimmy comes clean about what it's really like to be out there...
By Vatsal Kaul (Indiatoday.com)
In '85 I had to move from Gorakhpur to Punjab after Indira Gandhi's assassination. How did I feel? Like any other human being would feel about leaving a place they had grown up in. We had a lovely farm, my childhood was spent there, all my holidays—it was an amazing feeling. Though I didn't face any problems personally since I was at a residential school in Lucknow, the local villagers were troubling us, it became very bad. When I moved out, I did feel I'm gonna miss all that. But life goes on—you have to put it behind you.
Acting wasn't a bug. It just happened. My brother always told me to get into this, go to Mumbai, join acting classes, and see if anything happened—or come back. So I joined Roshan Taneja sa'ab's classes. When I got there people said—yaar, saat-aath saal se pehle kisi ko break nahin milti. Seeing the very good senior people in my batch, I was like, I can't do this, I'm going back. But Taneja sa'ab said—'Are you mad? Don't think of getting there just straightaway, go step by step.'
At acting school, they'd have a speech—a huge page of dialogue—probably from an old Hindi movie. Like Deewar when Amitabh Bachchan goes to the temple, or Dilip Kumar in Ram Aur Shyam. First, you memorize it. Then you have to get your diction right, say it with the emotions, get your pauses right. You worked on that
until you perfected it.
In dance, they don't teach you specific steps, but in one or two classes a week, you prepare yourself on one number. If it's a dance number, you dance; if you want to an emotional number, you emote. It's to get yourself into the rhythm with confidence.
Inhibitions–or losing them—that's what acting is about. I don't know about theatre, but I love acting because of the camera. Without it, that thing wouldn't come from inside. That haunting drrrrr sound of the camera, it makes you go blank for a few seconds. From the moment they say 'start camera to action' to the moment they say 'action'—in those 10 seconds, you do a 100-metre dash. The feeling is actually like that!
Gone are those days when someone walked in and the director said, 'I'm gonna make this guy a star.' Every second person walking Mumbai streets wants to be a hero. You've to be very planned, do it right. I've seen how guys are treated because they don't come through a contact. I always found some contact. That helps because at least they see you—and if you're good, you might get it.
I was finishing my course. I had made up my mind to stay on, but I had this mental block that it would take 7-8 years to get a break. Even if I were lucky, at least five! So I was meeting people to find work as an assistant director, so I could stay on, learn about film-making. If you've never been on a set—it's this big, huge thing, you don't know what's happening where, where's the camera, where to look into the camera. Someone told me to meet Gulzar sa'ab. The moment I met him, I thought, 'What an amazing human being'. When he realized I was an actor and my nickname was Jimmy, he said there was a character called Jimmy in Maachis and asked me to read the script. That's how it began.
The story of Maachis definitely affected me. Being a Surd, being a Punjabi, I felt towards it. When I was asked to grow my hair, my beard, ek baar bhi maine kainchi nahi lagayi. I was on the sets throughout the film. By the time my main scenes came, I was totally comfortable. I can never forget Maachis because it was my first film. It was like a family. Like we all went on a picnic and came back with a film. Everybody was so close to each other. I couldn't have asked for a better start in life.
Going really deep into a role? (Smiles.) That happens when you become a star. I'm a newcomer. The director isn't going to let me go to find out gory details and tell him, 'Man, I'm gonna do this.' He'll say, 'Listen, shut up, I'm directing you, give me what I want.' Once you're a star you may have the liberty to get into script details. In the beginning, you'd be defeating the purpose—they've taken you because you're fresh, you can be moulded. You have to be a director's actor, learn from various roles. The director underplays your drawbacks and emphasizes your strengths.
Newcomers were, at one time, doing really well. A lot of films were made with them due to stars' date hassles. Out of those only 5-6 made it, baki sab bomb ho gaye. Any kind of film was being made, so you can't blame the newcomers. Then they said newcomers are not safe, they got back into the star thing. By that time, the new ones became stars—it became a vicious circle.
A perfect take? I can never know. It's not only you due of whom a take can be okayed. It could be the camera, lights, other actors. You may feel it's fine, but the director may want it differently. Before the lighting and all, you do 4-5 rehearsals for the camera. Before that, the director tells you the style, the pauses he wants. In Maachis, my pauses, given by Gulzar sa'ab, were different. In Jahan Tum Le Chalo, my style of talking is nothing like how I talk in real life.
Struggle? It depends on how you take it. I've been in Mumbai for four years but never called myself a 'struggler'. I hate that word. Ever since I went to Mumbai, this word used to hit me from all sides—'Yaar, abhi to struggling karni hai.' It really depresses you. I never took that word seriously; I don't like it when people say I'm a 'struggler'. I say, yaar, you be a struggler, but even if I'm struggling, I don't want to say it. I'm fine.
My whole thinking changed after Maachis. Earlier, my attitude was care-a-damn, very 'ho jayega'. Now I believe that it may not be in my hands to become a star, but it is in my hands to perform. I'm much more focused about life and my work. I'm waiting for my releases, haven't been shooting much. But I don't let it frustrate me. I come to Delhi, be with my family, girlfriend, I'm happy. You have to relax, or you'll go mad. I've seen a lot of people go mad out there.
I've to be pulled to movie halls. Once there, I enjoy it. I watch my own films just after I've shot them—agar dub nahin kiya hai, to kahan kya theek kar sakta hoon. Afterwards, I see it once or twice, bas. I keep finding mistakes—I feel my nose is somewhere else, my teeth, my eyes are somewhere else.
You get used to Mumbai. It's tough, but good. You have to be where your bread and butter is, where you look forward to something. I live alone. I have a boy who cooks for me. I haven't seen the glam life till now because I have my own set of non-industry friends. When I'm not working I watch TV, sleep. I love sleeping.
A big physique is not my aim. You end up losing flexibility in dancing. In films, I've come to realize dancing is a must. I don't feel I have to jump from 20 storeys to show I am good. I can express how angry I am on my face. Everybody is doing it—what difference would I make? If I am an actor, I want to make sure I am an actor. You want to see my expression and see how angry I am—or forget it.
Yes, I've a girlfriend, in Delhi. Yes, it's a very serious relationship. If I had two hits behind me, I would've been married by now. But I'm very practical. When I marry, I want to give my wife everything. No, I don't believe that if you marry, you lose your fans. Better to be honest and say, 'Yes, I'm married.' Big deal.
"Woh Kaun Thi" was not done for any trend. My shooting for Jahan Tum... was over. Dum Dum... was stalled. I got a call from Bobby Ahmed who was doing a different kind of video in Pattaya, Bangkok. I had always wanted to do one good music video, where I could take liberties, where it was like a movie song.
I'd like to say that if on seeing somebody's face, you can't make out what pain he or she has gone through—that person is a winner. If he can hide the pain he or she has gone through, that's the best thing. That's what I like to do.
Filmography
Pictures
With his Wife Priyanka
With 'partner in crime' Uday Chopra at Zee Cine Awards 2001
Autograph
Date of Birth: December 3, 1970
Zodiac Sigh: Sagitarius
Place of Birth: Gorakhpur, India
Permanent Residence: Delhi, India
Marital Status: Married to Priyanka Puri
Favorite Food: "Home cooked Indian food"
Most Embarassing Moment: "Too many"
Most Memorable Moment: "Is a long story"
Favorite Film: Dilwale Dulhaniya Lejayenge
In three words I am: "Human,..Human,....Human"
I Love: Kids
I Hate: Politics
Motto in Life: "Work hard and have fun!"
My dream Holiday: "Will be in Miami, Florida"
Pet's Name: "Don't have one"
Favorite Book/Author: Shall We Tell the President by JefferyArcher
Favorite Film (Hollywood): Notorious'
Favorite Actor: Shahrukh Khan, Mel Gibson
Favorite Actress: Sridevi, Kajol and Meg Ryan
Favorite Cologne: Romance
Favorite Sport: Cricket
First Crush: "Was in school"
Favorite Music: "Depends on my mood"
Strength: "My hard work and my passion"
Weakness: "There are too many"
I Fear: "Evil"
Get to know Jimmy
(Jimmy talks about his struggles in Mumbai before getting a break in Mohabbatein)
Jimmy out of the Shadows
Exactly four years ago, Jasjiet 'Jimmy' Shergill landed in Mumbai to join acting classes. And came to hate the word 'struggler' used by stardom-seeking wannabes. His role in Gulzar's Maachis having already established him as an actor, Jimmy comes clean about what it's really like to be out there...
By Vatsal Kaul (Indiatoday.com)
In '85 I had to move from Gorakhpur to Punjab after Indira Gandhi's assassination. How did I feel? Like any other human being would feel about leaving a place they had grown up in. We had a lovely farm, my childhood was spent there, all my holidays—it was an amazing feeling. Though I didn't face any problems personally since I was at a residential school in Lucknow, the local villagers were troubling us, it became very bad. When I moved out, I did feel I'm gonna miss all that. But life goes on—you have to put it behind you.
Acting wasn't a bug. It just happened. My brother always told me to get into this, go to Mumbai, join acting classes, and see if anything happened—or come back. So I joined Roshan Taneja sa'ab's classes. When I got there people said—yaar, saat-aath saal se pehle kisi ko break nahin milti. Seeing the very good senior people in my batch, I was like, I can't do this, I'm going back. But Taneja sa'ab said—'Are you mad? Don't think of getting there just straightaway, go step by step.'
At acting school, they'd have a speech—a huge page of dialogue—probably from an old Hindi movie. Like Deewar when Amitabh Bachchan goes to the temple, or Dilip Kumar in Ram Aur Shyam. First, you memorize it. Then you have to get your diction right, say it with the emotions, get your pauses right. You worked on that
until you perfected it.
In dance, they don't teach you specific steps, but in one or two classes a week, you prepare yourself on one number. If it's a dance number, you dance; if you want to an emotional number, you emote. It's to get yourself into the rhythm with confidence.
Inhibitions–or losing them—that's what acting is about. I don't know about theatre, but I love acting because of the camera. Without it, that thing wouldn't come from inside. That haunting drrrrr sound of the camera, it makes you go blank for a few seconds. From the moment they say 'start camera to action' to the moment they say 'action'—in those 10 seconds, you do a 100-metre dash. The feeling is actually like that!
Gone are those days when someone walked in and the director said, 'I'm gonna make this guy a star.' Every second person walking Mumbai streets wants to be a hero. You've to be very planned, do it right. I've seen how guys are treated because they don't come through a contact. I always found some contact. That helps because at least they see you—and if you're good, you might get it.
I was finishing my course. I had made up my mind to stay on, but I had this mental block that it would take 7-8 years to get a break. Even if I were lucky, at least five! So I was meeting people to find work as an assistant director, so I could stay on, learn about film-making. If you've never been on a set—it's this big, huge thing, you don't know what's happening where, where's the camera, where to look into the camera. Someone told me to meet Gulzar sa'ab. The moment I met him, I thought, 'What an amazing human being'. When he realized I was an actor and my nickname was Jimmy, he said there was a character called Jimmy in Maachis and asked me to read the script. That's how it began.
The story of Maachis definitely affected me. Being a Surd, being a Punjabi, I felt towards it. When I was asked to grow my hair, my beard, ek baar bhi maine kainchi nahi lagayi. I was on the sets throughout the film. By the time my main scenes came, I was totally comfortable. I can never forget Maachis because it was my first film. It was like a family. Like we all went on a picnic and came back with a film. Everybody was so close to each other. I couldn't have asked for a better start in life.
Going really deep into a role? (Smiles.) That happens when you become a star. I'm a newcomer. The director isn't going to let me go to find out gory details and tell him, 'Man, I'm gonna do this.' He'll say, 'Listen, shut up, I'm directing you, give me what I want.' Once you're a star you may have the liberty to get into script details. In the beginning, you'd be defeating the purpose—they've taken you because you're fresh, you can be moulded. You have to be a director's actor, learn from various roles. The director underplays your drawbacks and emphasizes your strengths.
Newcomers were, at one time, doing really well. A lot of films were made with them due to stars' date hassles. Out of those only 5-6 made it, baki sab bomb ho gaye. Any kind of film was being made, so you can't blame the newcomers. Then they said newcomers are not safe, they got back into the star thing. By that time, the new ones became stars—it became a vicious circle.
A perfect take? I can never know. It's not only you due of whom a take can be okayed. It could be the camera, lights, other actors. You may feel it's fine, but the director may want it differently. Before the lighting and all, you do 4-5 rehearsals for the camera. Before that, the director tells you the style, the pauses he wants. In Maachis, my pauses, given by Gulzar sa'ab, were different. In Jahan Tum Le Chalo, my style of talking is nothing like how I talk in real life.
Struggle? It depends on how you take it. I've been in Mumbai for four years but never called myself a 'struggler'. I hate that word. Ever since I went to Mumbai, this word used to hit me from all sides—'Yaar, abhi to struggling karni hai.' It really depresses you. I never took that word seriously; I don't like it when people say I'm a 'struggler'. I say, yaar, you be a struggler, but even if I'm struggling, I don't want to say it. I'm fine.
My whole thinking changed after Maachis. Earlier, my attitude was care-a-damn, very 'ho jayega'. Now I believe that it may not be in my hands to become a star, but it is in my hands to perform. I'm much more focused about life and my work. I'm waiting for my releases, haven't been shooting much. But I don't let it frustrate me. I come to Delhi, be with my family, girlfriend, I'm happy. You have to relax, or you'll go mad. I've seen a lot of people go mad out there.
I've to be pulled to movie halls. Once there, I enjoy it. I watch my own films just after I've shot them—agar dub nahin kiya hai, to kahan kya theek kar sakta hoon. Afterwards, I see it once or twice, bas. I keep finding mistakes—I feel my nose is somewhere else, my teeth, my eyes are somewhere else.
You get used to Mumbai. It's tough, but good. You have to be where your bread and butter is, where you look forward to something. I live alone. I have a boy who cooks for me. I haven't seen the glam life till now because I have my own set of non-industry friends. When I'm not working I watch TV, sleep. I love sleeping.
A big physique is not my aim. You end up losing flexibility in dancing. In films, I've come to realize dancing is a must. I don't feel I have to jump from 20 storeys to show I am good. I can express how angry I am on my face. Everybody is doing it—what difference would I make? If I am an actor, I want to make sure I am an actor. You want to see my expression and see how angry I am—or forget it.
Yes, I've a girlfriend, in Delhi. Yes, it's a very serious relationship. If I had two hits behind me, I would've been married by now. But I'm very practical. When I marry, I want to give my wife everything. No, I don't believe that if you marry, you lose your fans. Better to be honest and say, 'Yes, I'm married.' Big deal.
"Woh Kaun Thi" was not done for any trend. My shooting for Jahan Tum... was over. Dum Dum... was stalled. I got a call from Bobby Ahmed who was doing a different kind of video in Pattaya, Bangkok. I had always wanted to do one good music video, where I could take liberties, where it was like a movie song.
I'd like to say that if on seeing somebody's face, you can't make out what pain he or she has gone through—that person is a winner. If he can hide the pain he or she has gone through, that's the best thing. That's what I like to do.
Filmography
- Neend (2007) (pre-production)
- Chamki Chameli (2006) (pre-production)
- Strangers (2006/II) (post-production) .... Rahul
- Eklavya (2006) (completed) .... Udaywardhan
- Mannat (2006)
- Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006) .... Victor D'Souza
- Bas Ek Pal (2006) .... Rahul Kher
- Yun Hota To Kya Hota (2006) .... Hemant
- Umar (2006) .... Shashank
- Prateeksha (2006) .... Dr. Kishen Lal
- Rehguzar (2006)
- Tom, Dick, and Harry (2006) .... Harry
- ...Yahaan (2005) .... Captain Aman
- Silsiilay (2005) .... Tarun
- Yaaran Naal Baharaan (2005)
- Hum Tum (2004) .... Mihir Vora (Special Appearance)
- Agni Pankh (2004) .... Siddharth Singh
- Charas: A Joint Operation (2004) .... Dev Anand
- Munnabhai M.B.B.S. (2003) .... Zaheer
- Haasil (2003) .... Aniruddha 'Ani' Sharma
- Kehtaa Hai Dil Baar Baar (2002) .... Sunder Kapoor
... aka My Heart Keeps Repeating (International: English title) - Dil Vil Pyar Vyar (2002) .... Hrithik Mittal
- Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002) (as Jimmy Shergil) .... Samir
... aka My Heart Is Yours (India: English title: informal literal title) (International: English title: informal title) - Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002) .... Rohit
... aka My Friend's Wedding (International: English title) - Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar (2001) .... Jay Bharadwaj
- Mohabbatein (2000) .... Karan Choudhry
... aka Love Stories (Europe: English title)
- Jahan Tum Le Chalo (1999)
- Maachis (1996) (as Jasjiet Shergill) .... Jaimal 'Jimmy'
Pictures
With his Wife Priyanka
With 'partner in crime' Uday Chopra at Zee Cine Awards 2001
Autograph
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Fariha 17
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Celina 7
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Luvneet
Mehroo 123
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Mansi 101590
I Luv Shamit
bastereliye
Londas
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