Jackie Shroff was a Bollywood superstar in the 1980s and early 90s. But when the time came for his son Tiger (born Jai Hemant Shroff) to enter the industry, Jackie wasn’t too keen.
“My father never really wanted me to be part of the industry because he knew the expectation and pressure on a star child,” Tiger Shroff, son of Jackie and Ayesha (a one-time actress) and the star of Heropanti, told tabloid!. “My parents have been very protective from the start. They gave us [my sister Krishna and I] a very normal childhood away from the limelight.”
Shroff and co-star Kriti Sanon were at Grand Hyatt Dubai earlier this month along with director Sabbir Khan, promoting their film Heropanti, which releases on May 22 (Thursday) in the UAE.
“But yes, as a celebrity kid, it’s a lot easier to become part of the industry than other newcomers. I’ll be honest with you: the reason I was being offered so many roles was partly because of my father. Yet I believe there was something more to me which people saw. I know for a fact that Sabbir sir didn’t cast me because I’m my father’s son. He told me the day he first met me that there’s a certain innocence in my eyes, a certain honesty, along with my physique, which is a good combination”.
Over to his physique now. With every actor in Bollywood today ready to shed his shirt quicker than one can say ‘Salman Khan’, expect to see a shirtless Shroff in Heropanti too.
No special preparation
“I’m a very normal hero,” laughed Shroff, who was dressed in an open-neck blue shirt — revealing his buff, hairless chest. “Physically, I did no special preparation for this film. When I was a child, the only thing I was into was sports. The only reason I went to school was to play sports — martial arts, gymnastics, football…
“I loved dancing. After I graduated, I got a lot of offers from the film industry. I thought: ‘I’m not academically qualified; I am a football player and unfortunately, there’s not much scope for any sport other than cricket in India; how could I use my physical talents if I had a role that suited me?’ I’m blessed to be part of the industry. Thankfully, Sabbir sir approached me for Heropanti and moulded the character Bablu according to my plus points in real life.”
Yet, you don’t see Shroff in Bablu, he explained. “As a person, Bablu is nothing like me. I am shy, soft-spoken and don’t socialise much. Bablu is a complete opposite. I did do a lot of character workshops to get into the skin of the character. It’s essentially a love story, action happens to be only a small part of it. It has great songs which allow me to express myself on the dance floor a bit as well.”
But the young actor says that being an introvert is a drawback in an industry where you are required to socialise and promote films. “[Socialising] is not difficult but tiring. I really like to interact with media and my fans. I love the warm welcome we get everywhere we go. It’s fun and nice to see that finally all the hard work is being appreciated and there’s adulation coming in. I know this is a part and parcel of my career and, with time and practice, I know I’ll get better.”
But the 24-year-old debutant seems unfazed at being bullied online with jokes such as ‘Tiger Shroff’s film will premiere on Animal Planet’, ‘This is one Tiger I wish would be extinct’, ‘#Heropanti will come with a disclaimer... ‘No animals were hurt during the movie shoot, including Tiger Shroff’”.
Unfazed by criticism
“At the end of the day, we are all entertainers and there’ll be scrutiny,” he said. “But our job is to entertain people. So, if my name is making you laugh, putting a smile on your face, stirring some kind of emotion, I guess I’m successful. You see, it’s part of being an actor. I am a nobody. But when people like Salman [Khan] sir and Shah Rukh [Khan] sir, who are big stars, have some sort of negativity around them, who am I to complain?”
There was news that Jackie could be part of the film, which incidentally got Shroff nervous. At this point, director Khan steps in to clarify things.
“It was a fun thing, we wanted to see if we could involve [Jackie] in the film, maybe in a song,” said Khan. “I told Tiger that there was nothing to be nervous about as he would really give his father a run for his money. But we decided against it because from the start of the film, Tiger and I didn’t want any gimmicks, we wanted a clean film.”
“Yes, I was nervous about sharing screen space with him,” laughed Shroff. “But I think I’m prepared now, thanks to my acting guru [pointing towards Khan].
“As an actor, I’m totally different from my father. He has a different way of speaking, he was brought up in a different space, he was offered different types of films and our launch pads are totally different. Incidentally, there’s a funny story. Apparently, the day I was born, Subhashji [Ghai, the filmmaker who launched Jackie in Hero] gave me a signing amount. But after that, Subhashji didn’t approach me”.
On screen chemistry
With every new pair launched, there are stories of romance, but Shroff and Sanon have been quick to douse any rumours.
“We are two opposite people. I’m shy, she’s very outgoing, confident. She’s very attractive...,” said Shroff shyly.
But opposites attract, and the director feels that the chemistry has come alive on the screen.
“Both of us were so focused on our work that when the cameras came on, it was like we actually fell in love with each other. Off camera, we were buddies playing cards, eating together… I’d talk to her like a guy. I prefer it that way as it avoids confusion, distraction. I don’t think I want to get emotionally involved at this point in time…” trailed off Shroff.
