Jimmy Sheirgill, Mahie Gill back to their wicked games

There is a certain fascination with the debauchery and corruption that forms the backbone of the Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster franchise. Perhaps, it is one of several reasons why Jimmy Sheirgill and Mahie Gill are repeatedly lured into this web of deceit, answering some proverbial siren’s call.

The duo, who play the titular roles of saheb and biwi (husband and wife), have plotted and schemed their way through two films with a type of camaraderie that is oft shared with players facing off over a long, drawn out game of chess.

“That’s what it [the film] feels like — a game of chess with moves that can surprise even us,” says Sheirgill, who reprises his role as Aditya Pratap Singh, the fledgling royal in Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3. “There are so many more layers and complexities to saheb this time around that it makes for a delicious interplay.”

For those who need to brush up on their plot, the first two films unspooled the marital dynamics of Aditya and his wife Madhavi (Gill), with financial constraints, power struggles, ambition and adultery causing upheaval in their lives. The second film in the franchise ended with [spoiler alert] Irrfan Khan’s ‘gangster’ committing suicide and laying the breadcrumbs of his ‘murder’ to implicate Aditya.

“The third film picks up exactly where the second one left off, with Aditya rotting in jail, while desperately trying to prove his innocence,” says Sheirgill. “Meanwhile, his wife has already become a huge power player in the political arena and will do everything to retain her throne.”

Gill describes her third outing as more devious than ever. Not that her character in the first two films was a babe in the woods.

“Biwi this time is more devilish and evil; there are so many layers to her character that you won’t be able to decide whether you love her or hate her,” says Gill.

To replace Khan, and Randeep Hooda from the first instalment, is Sanjay Dutt, stepping into the foray as the new gangster on the block, joined by Chitrangda Singh, his partner in crime.

“Sanju Baba [Dutt] adds a whole new dynamic, and rather than just seeing him play a gangster, I am more excited about the Tigmanshu Dhulia [franchise writer-director] pairing,” says Sheirgill. “The whole interplay between Tigmanshu and Sanjay Dutt is the big draw.”

Sheirgill, who has worked with Dutt in three previous films, including two of the latter’s hugely popular Munna Bhai franchise, says the camaraderie was very evident during the shoot. “It was very easy working with Baba; we spent a lot of time reminiscing our days working on Munna Bhai.”

Return to the franchise

With a disposition to play dark characters on screen, Sheirgill’s return to play the deceptive saheb comes as no surprise. “Playing saheb excites me,” reveals the actor. “I like playing a character with shades of grey. Slipping into his mannerisms felt like I was returning to an old friend in a way. Of course, in real life, I am nothing like saheb, but his complexities are fun to unravel. Each time you wonder, how far he can go now. And this time around, saheb is in a race to win back his power and you know he’s willing to go to any lengths to make that happen.”

For Gill, her return to the franchise can be termed a comeback of sorts in Bollywood, whose last major appearance was 2013’s Gang of Ghosts; the actress has been making headway in regional cinema with co-star Sheirgill reportedly helping her bag a breakthrough role in the Punjabi film Shareek (2015) opposite him.

“I’ve made some decisions that affected my career, the biggest being taking on a small role in the Dabangg series,” admits Gill. “Abhinav Kashyap [director of the first Dabangg] is Anurag’s brother [Kashyap, filmmaker] who gave me my first break in Bollywood with Dev D. When Abhinav approached me with a small role in Dabangg to play Arbaaz Khan’s wife, I couldn’t say no.

“However, that decision majorly backfired on me. Filmmakers stopped giving me lead roles and some who had signed me on dropped me. Later, when Arbaaz approached me to return for the second part of Dabangg, I just took it. So much has happened to me since then that I was grateful that Tishu [Dhulia] came to me with Saheb…”

The 42-year-old actress has been brutally honest about her career blips, along with her recent battle with depression and being cheated out of her savings by a friend — all of which instrumental in seeing her disappear from the headlines for a brief period.

For an industry such as Bollywood, where appearances are everything and spinning yarns in the media is a way of life, Gill’s candidness comes as a breath of fresh air. The actress simply laughs when you state this fact.

“That’s who I’ve always been. I come from a small town in Punjab who decided to enter Bollywood with no Godfather or famous family to help her. All I had was my honesty and my ability to say no to the bad that came along the way,” pat comes her reply. “That is something that is never going to change.”

Quickfire with Jimmy and Mahie

Working with director Tigmanshu Dhulia:

“Tigmanshu is a powerhouse. He is so clear with his script, his scenes, that he never leaves any room for ambiguity or second guessing. As actors, we never need to improvise because his writing and approach to a scene is so crisp,” says Jimmy Sheirgill.

Content-driven cinema or commercial:

“I’ve only ever done cinema that is content-driven, from Dev D to Saheb… I think the closest I ever came to commercial was doing a Dabangg. I think the way I look, my ability to take risks with my characters puts me in that box,” says Mahie Gill.

“My film career began with an Aditya Chopra’s Mohabattein. It doesn’t get more commercial than this. But I have always opted for characters with layers, with grey or even negative shades and those choices have gradually pushed me towards memorable cinema. If that’s what you call content-driven so be it,” says Sheirgill.

Working on a fourth instalment of Saheb…:

“I would sign on for number 20 as well,” Gill.

“I can’t wait for Tigmanshu to return with a script for the fourth,” says Sheirgill.

On nepotism in Bollywood:

“Everyone has a right to try their luck in Bollywood. Yes, those of us without family connections have it difficult and probably have to face the good and the bad ones when trying to find work, ultimately though, even the star kids will only get work if they can prove themselves,” Gill says.

Future projects:

“I am excited about my next film, Happy Phirr Bhaag Jayegi, which as a sequel to Happy Bhaag Jayegi, with Diana Penty and Sonakshi Sinha. I am also waiting for Aanand L Rai to wrap up his Zero with Shah Rukh Khan so he can start working on the Tanu Weds Manu trilogy. I can’t wait to reprise Raja Awasthi [his character in the hit film starring Kangana Ranaut],” says Sheirgill.

Don’t miss it!

Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 releases in the UAE on July 26.