New Delhi: Don't be fooled by his charming looks, his smooth creamy skin or his guileless grey eyes. The chocolate-boy demeanor of Bollywood actor Jimmy Shergill becomes almost meaningless in the latest release 'Fugly', when he dons the avatar of a crooked, ruthless Haryanvi 'thulla' (cop) in Delhi.
There is something to be said about mind-boggling ruthlessness. Firstly, it is very hard to portray it as an actor; and secondly, it also depends a lot on a person's physical appearance. And seriously, we're sure that almost everyone agrees that Shergill, on the whole, can NEVER look like a villain. That is why, to portray the role of such a ruthless man, convincingly, must have been doubly difficult for him.
The film, which ranges from average to below-average in general, is only salvaged by Shergill as Chautala, and Vijender Singh as the spoilt-yet-endearing-friend Gaurav.
Shergill gets into the character in the most convincing manner, right from the beginning. His entry in the movie is preceded by a thrilling car chase of sorts, after which the young people come face-to-face with the cop. As a drunk, on-duty officer of the law, Shergill not only carried himself with a brash, careless swagger, but also had that crazy look in his eyes. 30 seconds after his face is first flashed on screen, the audience instinctively realises that the young people are making a HUGE mistake accosting the guy.
But 'Fugly' is not his first film as an out-and-out bad guy. Before that, Shergill had explored his darker shades as the philandering husband and a washed-out royal, in the much-appreciated films 'Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster' and 'Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster Returns'.
And yet we ask, why don't we get to see a lot of Shergill on the big screen? For such a talented actor, who began his career in Bollywood in 1996 with Gulzar's critically-acclaimed film 'Maachis', he should have been flooded with offers.
"After 'Maachis', directors would approach me for roles that required men with a rugged look. When they would see a clean-shaved cropped hair guy, they would be disappointed. Then, I did 'Mohabbatein' and I got established as a chocolate hero. After a string of romantic films people realised that I can pull off an intense role as well. So now I get those kind of films too," said the actor in a matter-of-fact way in an interview to a leading newspaper.
Sure, every once in a while, we get to see him in a film like 'A Wednesday' or in a supporting but meaty role in 'Tanu Weds Manu', 'Special 26' or even 'Bullet Raja' -- but we are sure that most of the audience will agree that they need to see more of him on the big screen.
####
Comments
0 comment