Be it as someone who’s struck with cancer and battling with his life in Munna Bhai MBBS or as a young man exposed to extreme terrorism in Maachis or even as an unscrupulous army officer in Yahaan, Jimmy says he doesn’t mind doing the same roles again provided the scripts are exciting enough.
Jimmy has signed a couple of new movies — subjects he has never tried before.
“For Munna..., I didn’t know what it was like for a man hit with cancer and what his feelings are like when he’s nearing his end. The director and I sat through long sessions talking about the character. It was one of the most difficult roles for me especially because it called for a lot of subtlety. People still remember me as an upright army officer in Yahaan and wonder how I pulled it off those days. It’s all been very rewarding,” Jimmy told Metrolife.
Jimmy’s upcoming film Flat, due to release soon, is based on a true incident that happened in an upmarket area in a city. “It’s a supernatural thriller, something that I have never done before. It’s original and not one of those scripts taken from a Hollywood movie. It’s not one of those typical Bollywood movies that is loud. It’s a true story with all these fictitious characters woven around it. It’s scary and is sure to keep you locked to your seats,” says Jimmy, and adds, “the confusion, fear and shock have all been brought out very well in the story.”
In Johnny Mastana, he plays a hen-pecked husband. “It’s a sweet character. He makes people laugh. It has drama, love and there are times my character makes you crack up,” he reasons. Jimmy plays a Bollywood star in The Game. “The script is interesting and the storyline seems different,” he says.
Talking about a few characters that have stayed with him, Jimmy recalls, “My role as an army officer in Yahaan is special. Even today, people call me up whenever the movie comes on TV and tell me that I did an exceptional job. The mountains in Kashmir and the life of the armed forces — all of that seemed so real.”
Jimmy confesses that he’d like to do a full-fledged senseless comedy someday, “The only comedy film I’ve done so far is Tom, Dick and Harry. Comedy is something that doesn’t drain you out,” he reasons.
Jimmy did extremely well in My Name Is Khan. The controversy that sparked off when the movie was released still lingers on among SRK fans and Jimmy says, “Those, who made allegations, should have first watched the film and not acted on hearsay,” he sums up.
