Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; April 6, 2025)
Jaaved Jaaferi has been in showbiz for over three decades now, but the actor says that his best is yet to come. In a chat, the Total Dhamaal actor spoke about the kind of roles he wants to do now and how he has learnt a lot from both, his father Jagdeep and his son, Meezaan. Excerpts…
You’ve been acting in films for the last three decades, but are you satisfied with the roles offered to you?
No, there haven’t been many interesting offers. Personally, I can do much more. I just accepted what came my way. I did not want to keep waiting for the right roles, but I now want to focus on significant roles in films. I would love to play characters like what Manoj Bajpayee and Kay Kay Menon have portrayed. I had good roles in web shows Mohrey and Taaza Khabar, but people remember me more from my comedy films.
Over the years, do you feel you have been slotted in comic roles?
When a role gets talked about or a film becomes a hit, it is normal to get slotted in that genre. And till you get a different role, which is talked about, you will continue getting similar work. I remember playing a villain in Besharam, but the film didn’t do well. I am doing a dramedy now and it is a different story. I am hoping people will like me in that role.
When you look back, do you feel you made the right choice for a debut - as a villain in Meri Jung?
When I look back, I think I had all the prerequisites to play the lead role. I had a decent personality and could dance well. When I was offered Meri Jung, my father (Jagdeep) saw how the film had veteran actors like Nutan ji, Girish Karnad, Amrish Puri and a writer like Javed Akhtar, so I went ahead with it. Later, Govinda with his dancing style became a hit and he was talented, too. When I saw his success, I felt I could have been in that space if given the opportunity. Maybe I made some wrong decisions, but I don’t cry over it.
Given the current scenario in Bollywood, what do you think needs to be done to bring people back to the theatres?
Filmmakers have been facing this issue for a long time, even before the pandemic. We have been following the same formula in films and are not telling new stories. Today, the audiences are spoiled for choices. Earlier, mediocrity ruled, people were tolerant and had a good time at the theatres. Now, they are exposed to quality cinema at home. Economically, too, it is not easy to spend 4-5k in a cinema hall. We need to up our game and understand that it’s the film that’s important and not the star. Filmmakers should up their game rather than sticking to making formula films.
