Bollywood actor Jackky Bhagnani is craving a bite of one of Dubai’s chicken shawarmas -- but he doesn’t give into temptation.
“Every day is a struggle. Everybody around me is having those yummy shawarmas and mouttabel and I am having grilled chicken. It’s not my cheat day today,” said Bhagnani pulling a face. We are at his hotel suite in Deira to talk about his latest film Rangrezz, releasing in the UAE this Thursday, and his father, legendary producer Vashu Bhagnani, is hiding in the kitchen eating a biscuit out of his son’s view.
Bhagnani Jr famously lost 60kgs in preparation for his Bollywood debut Kal Kisne Dekha in 2009. He looked lean then, but he took the fitness madness up a notch and developed eight-pack abs for his 2011 college drama F.A.L.T.U. He flaunted them proudly for the film’s party anthem Boom Boom that showcased him as a shirtless wonder cavorting with bikini-clad girls.
“But truth be told it’s tough to maintain those eight-pack abs. Six-pack I can deal with. I still have that, but eight-packs can drain the life out of you,” said Bhagnani with endearing honesty.
However Rangrezz, directed by Priyadarshan, did not call for sculpted body alone.
“It’s a movie about a Maharashtrian boy, Rishi Deshpande, who places his friends before his own needs. It’s a story about how he helps a friend who is in love. He helps them culminate their love story. It’s also a story about young guys who mistake lust for love,” said Bhagnani.
The four-film-old actor claims that his latest role called for stepping out of his comfort zone. His last few attempts at taking Bollywood by storm didn’t reap the desired results. Unlike Hrithik Roshan or Ranbir Kapoor who took off from their first film onwards, Bhagnani is what you call an actor who’s work-in-progress in search of a blockbuster.
“People expect me to play just urbane, city-slick characters. But here I play a boy from a lower middle-class Maharashtrian family. But what I learnt is that as soon as you go down tiers of society, emotions like friendship and love are stronger. They are not selfish. They are unaware of manipulation… not sophisticated as much. But they are unapologetic in a good way,” said Bhagnani, who was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. Over the years, his father Vashu has done what every doting father in a film industry would do. Pump money into projects that highlight his son’s acting prowess.
“That perception [that I have it easy] is normal. But everyone has to work hard to make it in this industry. It’s a struggle and everybody has their own journey. Nobody gets it easy in this world. Also no one has figured out what works in Bollywood and what doesn’t,” said Bhagnani. He also let us in on a lesser-known fact: his family’s financial struggle.
“I was three years old whey my father came to Bombay. Then we couldn’t even afford a one-bedroom, hall apartment. So I have seen ups and downs in life. Also remember there was a time when my dad was considered the number one producer, but when some of his films didn’t do well we had to focus on construction. After that we made our way back into films,” said Bhagnani. But he has put all of that behind him and has now set his eyes on cracking Bollywood.
“Priyan sir kept telling me that as a newcomer, don’t try to act, because you end up over acting. Just be yourself. That’s one tip that I will take back with me. Also, people expect different things from newcomers nowadays. When you have heroes doing the popular stuff, why would they pay to watch newcomers do it?,” said Bhagnani.
Director Priyardarshan, who has delivered hits such as Hera Pheri and Garam Masala, also hopes to impart a few lessons with Rangrezz.
“These days youngsters jump into marriage without really thinking things through. They take that step and then feel sorry about it. By then it’s too late. It’s about modern-day relationships between friends and lovers,” said Priyadarshan.
