Indian actor Jimmy Sheirgill says he initially felt insecure about venturing into the territory of content-driven cinema but today he feels proud of his choices.
Sheirgill started his acting career with the critically-acclaimed film Maachis, directed by Gulzar.
He was then seen in Aditya Chopra’s Mohabbatein alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan and went on to work in movies like Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, Dil Hai Tumhaara and Dil Vil Pyar Vyar.
Post 2003, he was seen in films like Haasil, Yahaan, A Wednesday, Tanu Weds Manu and the Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster series, which were lauded for their content.
The actor feels his transition from commercial — song and dance — to content-driven films has got him a standing in Bollywood as a performer.
“I feel glad when people today think of me for different and challenging roles. I have been here for close to two decades and I am still getting to do exciting roles. I am not sitting idle,” Sheirgill says.
The 47-year-old actor says he took a huge career risk and was not sure if he will succeed on the path that he chose, which, according to him, was “tricky and risky”. After Mohabbatein, Sheirgill changed his style of work.
“Just after Mohabbatein, there was a roadmap, a well designed career for me but I changed the track completely. I was insecure initially. But I have always followed my instincts and I am glad people liked my work,” he says.
For Sheirgill, the real fun lies in enacting author-backed roles.
“I don’t like to do something regular. I have picked up films like Haasil, Yahaan, and they all are considered memorable. My work has been liked in films like Munnabhai MBBS and Bang Bang, in which I did not have enough to do, it is very encouraging to get praise you when you least expect it,” he says.
The actor is excited about his forthcoming movies Happy Phirr Bhaag Jayegi, a sequel to Happy Bhaag Jayegi, with Diana Penty and Sonakshi Sinha and Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3 with Sanjay Dutt.
“Both the films are very different from each other and I am hopeful people will like my work in both these films,” he says.
