Jimmy gets a taste of Dubai

Jimmy Shergill has good reason to feel jubilant, and why not? Especially after his noteworthy performances in films such as Tom Dick and Harry, Munnabhai MBBS and it's sequel Lage Raho Munnabhai, Shergil is one star to watch. He's out to prove himself yet again in his latest release Rehguzar: The Road To Destiny, a sensitive film that deals with the problems of expatriates in the Gulf. e+ speaks to this talented star who was in Dubai to shoot for the film.

e+: Can you tell us about Rehguzar?
Jimmy Shergil: Rehguzar is a story about the low-income, middle-class Indian expatriates who make plenty of sacrifices and compromises just to make it big. But sadly in the process, they lose out on the prime years of their lives. It is a sensitive film, but it also has light moments.

What is your role in this film?
I play a middle-class boy called Rahul, who is intelligent and has oodles of confidence. He comes to Dubai with lots of dreams. Though he achieves them, he later loses everything due to a blunder.

Is there a romantic angle?
Yes. There is the love angle that comes with Neha (Saloni Aswani) who believes in Rahul's talents and his dreams. She helps him out when he's going through a rough patch.

Did you enjoy the shoots in Dubai?
Since director Farukh Masudi and producer Kesar Kothari are both from Dubai, they had chosen some great locations. We shot some scenes in Dubai International Airport. Once we travelled for three hours to reach a location for a 15-minute shot. We also used some wonderful cars in the film. Overall, the atmosphere was great and things went very smoothly.

What did you like about the UAE?
The UAE, especially Dubai, is a favourite destination for me. I keep coming here every now and then. It has great hotels, good food, great parties and wonderful shopping venues.

Soft, sensitive and serious. Is the real Jimmy like that?
People have a wrong image of me because of the kinds of roles I have portrayed so far. They see me as an intense and serious person. In real life, I am quite the opposite. I am a fun-loving guy who loves to joke all the time. If you've seen me in Tom Dick and Harry, you would know what I'm talking about. I like to do crazy stuff.

How do see your career so far?
It has been slow and steady progress for me, but I am happy with it. The most important thing for anyone is to keep working and I am doing just that.

Your portrayals in both Munnabhai movies came in for a lot of praise ...
Despite having less screen time, my roles in Munnabhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai, were critically appraised. These two roles will always remain important
milestones in my career.

Who are your favourite directors?
Raju Hirani. He tops my list of favourites.

So are you so busy that you have to rush from one set to another?
No, actually I finish one film at a time and then move on to the next project.

What are your future movies?
Among the films that I have lined up are Eklavya, Rakeeb, Strangers, Delhi Heights and Khafa.