He’s still a rockstar but a tad mellow. His son, Tiger Shroff, is on his way to stardom and proud papa Jackie Shroff couldn’t be more ecstatic. But that’s just the tip of an ice berg called Jaggu Dada. Never the ambitious sorts, he’s content being at a safe distance from the arc lights. His inherent sense of cool has blended with humanitarian leanings.
Also, family seems to be his biggest motivation now. A photo frame of his mother, Rita Shroff, rests on a table and through our conversation; he keeps glancing at it as if seeking approval, at times expressing gratitude. He’s happy juggling time between films and his farms. He’s also enthusiastic about the villages he has adopted. Creating awareness about issues like Thalassemia, children’s education in rural areas and medical camps is top priority. It’s almost like he’s now playing a hero in real-life.
As far as his career goes, the original ‘Hero’ of Hindi films, has now found a liking for characters with grey shades. We’ve seen him recently in big banners like Dhoom 3, Kochadaiyaan and Happy New Year while Brothers is coming up. “I’ve never complained. Haath pair chal rahe hain aur bheja apna thikane pe hai… akad nahi aayi hai... (I am physically and mentally sound – arrogance hasn’t seeped in).”
He’s not interested in the PR game. It has a lot to do with his childhood experiences. “When you’ve seen your brother (Hemant Shroff) die at the age of 10, when someone who means the world to you passes away in front of your eyes, you stop planning in life. Jo aaya kiya, jo nahi aaya woh bhool gaya (I accepted what came my way and forgot what didn’t).”
CHILDHOOD IN A CHAWL
He also remains impervious to the lure of the social media blitz. He’s on Twitter, but not to promote his stardom. He recalls the good old days when Internet was a new phenomenon and he was one of the few Indian actors with their own web page. “In 1997, I had my own website when others didn’t know B of Blogging or T of Twitter. First was Shammiji (Shammi Kapoor) and second was me, to have our websites.”
His quirks could make for a maverick hero. “Modern I am. But my heart is Indian. I can’t eat anything except dal chawal. No Oriental or Italian stuff for me. When I go out with friends I eat only if there’s something vegetarian. Or I’m happy carrying my own dal chawal from home. As for style? That’s in my bones. I’ve enjoyed dressing up right from my Teen Batti days when I didn’t have money. I used to wear jeans and boots and I had a face that could carry off anything. I was an aboslute bohemian. I was a South Bombay boy and the culture of Malabar Hill, Colaba to Girgaum Chowpatty influenced my life. Life was about Mummy putting me to bed with songs playing on radio in the show Bela Ke Phool like Jaao re jogi tum (Amrapali) or Arre jaa re hat natkhat (Navrang)...” And yet there was the influence of rock stars and guitars of the late ’60s. “King Crimson, Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin would be played on full blast when I went out with my friends. In a plush area like Malabar Hill, I stayed in a chawl. The kids of drivers and gardeners were friends with the rich kids. We used to play cricket with a minister’s and an industrialist’s son. I was exposed to both, the poor and the affluent. I was comfortable having usal pav as well as eating continental cuisine with my rich friends.”
Things didn’t change even when he became an actor. He chose to stay close to his roots, at least for a while. “Even after becoming a hero, I lived in the chawl for five years. Dabba lekar main line lagata tha potty ke liye (I’d stand in the queue for the public toilet). Producers would sit on the water drums outside waiting for me to finish. I’ve signed so many films like that,” he laughs. “In Swami Dada and Chillar I played Shakti Kapoor’s henchman. Then in Hero I played the lead and he was the villain. Life took its own course. I never plan anything. That requires trickery.
BACK TO THE ROOTS
He has many hobbies - gardening, cooking, driving, farming. But he’s most passionate about growing organic food. “My friends are farmers in Mahabaleshwar, Dehu Road... People claim to grow organic stuff but have no clue where the seeds come from or what kind of water is used to irrigate organic food. What if there’s acid rain? I go deep into the jungles to buy seeds that are almost 40-year-old and unadulterated. The soil should not be contaminated or tilled. Our biodiversity is getting affected. But all that people care about is flying kisses. Do they realise what their future generations are going to consume as far as food is concerned? People are only running behind money. Where are you going to take all that money? To the hospital?”
GOOD SAMARITAN
There’s an unknown philanthropic side to him too. You mention key words like National Association for the Blind, Alert India, Sex worker’s children or Thalassemia and Jackie pipes up. “People are only concerned about AIDS. But there are other issues too, which require attention. Something like Thalassemia. All people need to do to avoid this heartbreaking medical condition is to check their blood group compatibility before getting married. If it doesn’t match you just have to take a couple of injections. Why put the baby through suffering? But they’d rather make Ebola into a gigantic crisis.” He adds, “People adopt villages for PR. I’m not interested in that. I’ve adopted four villages near Bhuleshwar and Mahabaleshwar. I’ve set up eye care camps there. I’ll be setting up dental camps soon.”
He credits his mother for the compassionate streak in him, “I don’t do all this for my name to be flashed as a humanitarian, or to amass funds. I’ve inherited my mother’s heart. She’s watching me. I follow her principles. She gave to others no matter how little she had. Her kitchen was always open.” He’s also reminded of his late father Kakubhai Shroff. “He’d predicted my brother’s early death as well as my tryst with fame and fortune. He was Kokila Ben Ambani’s personal astrologer and used to read the family’s horoscopes. He’d even predicted that Dhirubhai Ambani would become the biggest man in the country. Dhirubhai used to scoff at him and say, ‘You’ve gone mad’.”
WE ARE FAMILY
Jackie’s a proud father too. He feels happy when kids call him ‘Tiger ka papa’ or ‘Whistle baja uncle ka papa’. But he insists Tiger has a long way to go. “He’s innocent. He’s like a horse with blinkers, his focus is on his health, acting and dancing. Tiger hasn’t celebrated his success. Instead he tells me, ‘Dad, I still have lots to do’. My heart sinks when I watch him do incredible summersaults without any safety wires. I guess the audience understands his dedication. That’s why they have accepted him with open arms.” He gives all credit to wife Ayesha. “My wife has been a big strength for my children. They have seen me work like crazy too. I never smoke or drink in front of them. Not even in the car if they’re with me. We didn’t want to set wrong examples.”
Tiger, he says, is different from him. “I’m nuts about cars, revving engines on rough roads. I go on long drives and I’ve taken him along in my extravagant cars. But he chooses to be different. He wants to make it on his own. Initially, he wanted an Indica car but I insisted on getting him a mid-range Sedan. I want him to be safe and comfortable. I wanted him to have a car that could accommodate his stuff when he travels for shoots. But he says, ‘Your stardom is not about the car you drive, it’s about who you are. Let me do some more work, make a name and then we’ll think about all this’.”
He had a torrid time dealing with the build up to Tiger’s debut Heropanti. “I didn’t sleep for a year. I didn’t know what was happening and neither did I ask Tiger about it. I used to watch his face after he’d return from shoots and gauge if he was happy. I never thought of the future because it was nerve-racking. Every father wants his son to pass with flying colours. But Tiger surpassed all my expectations.”
His 21-year-old daughter, Krishna too has stepped into filmmaking. She’s co-producing a short film on the transgender community. “Krishna wants to teach children or get into film production. I asked her to model, try out commercials. But she’s interested in taking teaching as a profession. It made me happy.”
(Clockwise) Jackie with young Tiger, Jackie and Ayesha with their mothers at their wedding and Ayesha and Jackie with son Tiger
LADIES’ MAN
In his heyday, Jackie was a huge hit with the girls. Even his female co-stars could not have resisted his swagger. But he insists he was always a family man. “On screen we used to romance passionately but beyond that we were just buddies. Right from the time I was born, I have been adored by one and all. When I grew up a bit, the girls from my chawls used to love me too. I guess it’s got to do with my name Jai Krishna,” he laughs. Though there’s never been any cause for concern for his wife Ayesha, Jackie doesn’t consider himself to be a good husband. “I’m bekaar! I’m not good at all. I don’t spend enough time with her. I’ve never taken her out for vacations. Earlier, I used to cut out hearts and paint them for her, make cards, write romantic letters... I’m a fabulous lover. But as a husband I’m bad news.”
He’s seen plenty of comparisons through his career. Most have been with his friend and contemporary Anil Kapoor. “He’s fabulous. He calls me each time he does something new. ‘Jaggu... I’m in Hollywood...’ I like his zest,” he lets out endearingly. But Jaggu Dada hasn’t followed his friend to Hollywood. “I’ll do a foreign film only if the role is good. I can’t settle for some miniscule role. I have been offered foreign films. Even now I’ve got three scripts with me. But not unless it’s a strong role... I’d rather do a Bengali film here.”
He says, with a characteristic sense of cool, “I shouldn’t settle for anything less than a James Bond’s villain!” you said it.
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