Jackie Shroff turns 65 om Monday. (Photo: Tweak India/YouTube) Actor Jackie Shroff has become a walking-talking lifestyle guide, with quotable words of wisdom always at the ready, even when he’s talking to some of his colleagues in the film industry. On his 65th birth anniversary today, here’s looking back at five such instances over the years, when he either dispensed his wisdom, or left his fellow stars in admiration at his outlook towards life.
In a recent conversation with writer Twinkle Khanna, posted on the Tweak India YouTube channel, she asked him the secret of his spectacular physique, highlighting how he looked in Rangeela. Jackie said that he never bothered much about it, and gave Twinkle a quick lesson in body positivity. He said, “Chalta hai sab, man. Woh kaun dekhta hai? Thobda hoga, chaal hoga, toh pet-wet nahi dikhta hai (Who cares? You conduct yourself with confidence, you look confident, and nobody will care about your tummy).” After Twinkle gave him a high-five for his comment, he added, “Pet hai bhi toh kya hua? It’s beautiful. Indian ke paas pet hona zaruri hai (it’s important for Indians to have a tummy). We go and take photographs of cultures, they’re beautiful, they’re voluptuous. It’s a gift.”
During the publicity tour for their film Happy New Year, Jackie told the gathered press that he always told his son, Tiger, to emulate Shah Rukh Khan, and seemed to be concerned about SRK’s wellbeing. Describing Shah Rukh as ‘the king’, Jackie said, “Bahut achha ladka hai, bahut gehra hai, bahut deep hai bhidu. Upar jitna hasta hai, jitna khush reheta hai, jitna dikhata hai, bahut akela hai. Raja hai na, matlab bhidu, pahaad ke upar jaake dekh. Matlab bottom se upar ayela hai aur pakad ke rakhela hai aur aaa bhi apne aap ko bachcha ke jaisa rakha hai (He is a very nice kid, a very deep person. He might seem happy, but he’s actually very lonely. He’s a king, isn’t he? At the top, you’re always alone. But he has a childlike quality about him).”
He added, “Haqeeqat hai. Pahunch gaya baba, mukaam apna upar. Wahan shuru kiya tha, King Uncle, kone mein, aur aaj baba upar hai. Kuch badla nahi hai, waise ka waise hai, bahut dildaar bachcha hai, par bahut akela hai (It’s the truth. He’s won. He started at the bottom, now he’s at the top. I saw him in the corner, by himself, when we worked together on King Uncle. Nothing has changed, he’s still the same. He’s a very kind man, but very lonely).”
In an appearance on the talk show Yaaron Ki Baraat, Jackie was joined by his old buddy Suniel Shetty, who recalled a story about Jackie’s unique style, and how impressed he was. He said that they were attending an event with an unnamed Maharashtra chief minister, when Jackie sauntered in from behind. Mimicking Jackie, Suniel said, “Yeh aise aaye, aise karte karte, bole, ‘Kya bhidu?’” and Suniel slapped Riteish Deshmukh, who was filling in for the CM in the recreation, on the back. “Woh CM sahab the, aur CM sahab dekh rahe hain dada ko (He was the CM, and he’s looking at dada in confusion),” Suniel said, and mimicking Jackie, added, “Acha kar raha hai, Maharashtra ki tarakki hogi, good, good.” Jackie, Suniel said, simply walked away after that brief interaction. But he didn’t reveal who the CM was.
In an appearance on Anupam Kher’s chat show People, Jackie shared more words of wisdom for the host and his audience, advising everybody to gaze into their own souls. He said, “Just live, just live. Jeeyo yaar, bindaas jeene ka. Plan toh bahut karte hain, par life hai boss. Life ka kya bharosa hai boss? Just float. Kissi ko kuch bura naa bolo, kissi ke ghar mein kya chai raha hai woh mat dekho, apni aankhon mein dekho brush karte waqt ke bhai main kitne paani mein hoon (We can plan our lives, but it’s life, who knows what will happen? All I have to say is don’t be mean to others, and don’t comment on others. First, look at yourself in the mirror and see who you really are).”
At a media interaction in 2014, Jackie was asked to comment about his friend, actor Salman Khan’s altercation with photographers. Jackie repeated his mantra about introspecting before commenting on others, and added, “Bechare ka chal raha hai, uska ho jayega. Jo jo cases hai, jo problems hain (The poor man has problems to deal with), I hope to God it is solved. It takes its own time. Court ke haath mein hai. Woh mera chota hai, jo bhi seekha hai boots pehenna, body banana, hum log se hi sekhele, aur aaj Mashallah star hai, aur uski izzat ho rahi hai. Magar yeh sab uske peeche peeche chal raha hai, well, God is there (It’s all in the hands of the court. He’s my junior, he’s learned all this style from me, and look at him now, he’s a star, but he has so much to deal with).”
About Salman’s behaviour with the media, Jackie said that anyone would lash out if poked constantly. He said that he would tell Salman to maintain ‘dignity’, but one must always remember that the other person might be under some sort of ‘pressure’.
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