New look, renewed hope

Jackky Bhagnani is optimistic his shaky start in Bollywood will be forgotten with the release of his latest Ajab Gazzab Love

October 27, 2012 04:47 pm | Updated June 24, 2016 08:17 am IST

Jackky Bhagnani with Nidhi Subbaiah

Jackky Bhagnani with Nidhi Subbaiah

Despite being born with a silver spoon, Jackky Bhagnani has not had it easy in Bollywood. Well-known producer Vashu Bhagnani’s son seems to have more to rue about his suffix than celebrate it. “When you are a producer’s son, the problem is people feel you have it easy. Nothing could be further from the truth. With my father’s backing, I can get a film, but at the end of the day, what’s important is executing it. My first film was a huge flop. My second did reasonably well. Yet, for my third, I’ve had to double my effort. It’s anything but easy,” says Jackky, though he comes across as a confident young man. He was on a promotion spree for the October 26 release of the Sanjay Gadhvi-directed Ajab Gazzab Love with Nidhi Subbaiah.

Ajab Gazzab Love is the Hindi remake of the super hit Telugu film Seema Tapakai . The romantic comedy tells the story of Rajveer (Jackky) who is from a rich family and falls in love with Maddy (Nidhi), who is a socialist and, therefore, anti-rich! Rajveer convinces his family to act as if they are poor to convince the girl to marry him. Needless to say this results in hilarious outcomes.

“We aren’t promising too much or too little in a world where everyone tries to make Rs. 100 crore. All we want to offer is a clean comedy unlike those films laden with double entendre that you’ve seen lately,” says Jackky, who lost 60 kg to get into shape to be an actor! “Even to ensure you are in the running to be a good actor takes a lot of effort. For the last six to eight months, I’ve had no social life at all. Food is monitored, my waking hours are curtailed and partying is a strict no-no. But the result is what I look like today. The transformation from 130 kg to eight-pack has certainly not been easy but with Boom Boom doing well, I think it’s certainly worth it. After all, I was always known as the ‘fat boy’,” says the actor talking about his Ibiza-themed song which required him to go shirtless.

Jackky’s first outing in 2009, Kal Kissne Dekha , was a disaster. His next film, last year’s release, F.A.L.T.U ., met with moderate success. The optimistic guy feels that upwards is the only way to go. “When people go into the theatres, they don’t want to know which banner you are working with or what has been your past. If you give them good acting, they will accept you,” he says, adding, “if my first film was a hit, nobody would be questioning my ability right now. But if I have stuck on, it’s because I am passionate. I will learn from my mistakes. I mean, if my father’s profession was all that I was interested in then, remember my father is also into real estate. I am here to be an actor.”

He says he is open to the idea of doing films under another banner, that is, besides those under his father’s Puja Films. “I have not been flooded but there have been a few offers which, honestly, haven’t matched up to my expectations. If the story is good, it should reach the audience. The banner should have the marketing muscle to take it through,” he says.

Jackky has finished work on Priyadarshan’s Rangrez which features him as a lower middle-class Maharashtrian boy. “It has the same crew as Priyadarshan’s Kaala Paani (1996) which was a great film and National Award winner. So I am hoping we can recreate that magic and keeping my fingers crossed!” he says. Besides, the sequel to F.A.L.T.U. is also being finalised.

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