49-year-old actor-turned-author Jugal Hansraj is best known for his roles in ‘Masoom’, ‘Ghar Se Nikalte Hi’, and ‘Mohabbatein’. He recently got candid about the highs and lows of his career in Bollywood, and what discouraged him from signing up for new projects.
As per a report in The Indian Express, he talked about how his stint in direction was the most satisfying for him. He said, “I do like acting, but when you’re directing, the entire film is your vision.” On starting modelling at the age of 5, he added, “While modelling, I ended up being the face of some 25 products. My elder brother, who I’m more scared of than my father, made sure nothing went to my head after I became popular post Masoom (1983).”
When he was 10 years old, he was offered a role in the Shekhar Kapur directorial ‘Masoom’. He revealed why he didn’t want to do the film initially, “I said this boy is always crying. My friends would make fun of me and call me a cry baby in school.” Eventually, he accepted the role and played Urmila Matondkar’s brother.
At the age of 21, he signed the 1994 movie ‘Aa Gale Lag Jaa’ which marked his debut in a leading role opposite Urmila Matondkar. “The media had a lovely time then. They said pehle “Lakdi Ki Kaathi” gaate the and now they’re looking into each other’s eyes (laughs),” he recalled.
He further revealed how he wasn’t the first choice for the movie and had replaced Saif Ali Khan with whom the production team had a fallout just days before the shoot had to be started. He explained, “Between 18 to 21, I signed two films with Manmohan Desai and Pahlaj Nihalani, but unfortunately they weren’t starting. I did Loha (1987) starring Dharmendra as a child actor with producer Salim Akhtar. He called me and said they were starting a film at Filmistan Studio in six days since they’ve parted ways with Saif due to some issue. Songs and everything was ready and they wanted to sign me as the lead actor. I was shocked. I asked for a few hours to talk to my family. I returned to their office and signed the contract. Those days it used to be one page contact, not like today, kind of big corporate novels. They took me shopping for clothes, and in next six days, I was on set giving my first shot with Paresh Rawal.”
He also elaborated on how the casting process has changed with time. He said, “Earlier directors would call me themselves. Even Manmohan Desai’s production manager would meet me directly. That’s what I’ve grown up doing. But, I noticed in last three years, despite working with big filmmakers, now they have casting directors who would reach out and tell you they want to audition you. I say I’ll audition if everybody is auditioning in the film industry. You can’t selectively say 20 per cent will not audition, 80 per cent will do. Sometimes I’m more senior than the director. I feel like telling them ‘it’s you who’s approaching me, and not I’ and that they should send me the screen-test of the director first (laughs). Here, in the West everybody auditions.”
He commented on the discrimination that happens in current times on the sets between select actors and the remaining cast. He said, “I’m not complaining, but certain actors get entourage. Even when I was a main lead, I never got a personal makeup man by the producer nor was I allowed to bring mine. The same person who did makeup for everyone else attended me.”
He mentioned that this disrespect on sets discouraged him to sign acting projects frequently. “I did a couple of web series towards the end, where in the makeup van, I saw rented clothes. I remember holding up the shoot of a series once. I politely told the director that I’m ready to wait till late in the night, but I won’t wear these clothes. They can bring me even a shirt worth Rs 20, but it has to be something that has respectfully been bought for me as a senior actor. Though I feel blessed to have worked with the biggest names who were very good to me, but in recent years, I understood if I don’t get respect, this kind of setup is not for me,” he concluded.
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