Set for his debut roar

Bollywood

The cub is on the prowl. Heropanti is set to prove that Tiger Shroff aka Jaihemant Shroff is a talented chip off the Jackie Shroff block and yet as different from his iconic dad as — to draw just one parallel — Rishi Kapoor from Raj Kapoor.

Cool and composed, Tiger oozes with impeccably-bred and humble affability. He never really planned on becoming an actor, but now that he is in the game, he would like to be the best, and not disappoint his dad’s fans, in a profession where children have rarely outshone their parents. “My main aim is not to let him down,” he says simply about his father.

“I wanted to be in sports professionally. I loved football and my father in his interviews would often mention me as a future footballer. However, I soon realised that there was no scope in India for sports as a career, unless you were a cricketer,” he says.

Twist of fate

“I was used to friends telling me that I had the looks and physique to become an actor,” grins Tiger. “They would say, ‘Tu hero ban jaa!’, and finally I decided to explore that option.” Action and dancing skills were a must for this, and Tiger has undergone arduous training in these vital departments. “I would go to Badlapur to learn all kinds of dance from Paresh Shirodkar, who is known as India’s Michael Jackson. From Ballroom to Hip-Hop and more, he has taught me so much. Even Hrithik Roshan and Prabhudheva have worked with him.”

A martial arts lover as well, Tiger recently floored a live audience on the popular show Comedy Nights With Kapil with his exhibition of an incredible stunt, and he has also now done the longest Parkour sequence in Hindi cinema in his debut film, for which alone he trained for three months. “Heropanti was physically, mentally and emotionally draining,” he smiles warmly. “The script was amazing but challenging in these aspects.”

And what about the most important part — acting? Did he see no need for training or workshops? “I did several informal classes and workshops with my director, Sabbir Khan,” he nods. “I think that the first rule in the rulebook of acting is to be besharam (which can be interpreted as shameless, unselfconscious or free and effortless).”And what is his plan about dealing with the inevitable comparisons that do not spare any children of big stars in this industry? “My father is the big shadow in my life and his shoes are really too big for me to fit in. But he’s my strength, my inspiration. I am ready for comparisons. There were also rumours that I was going to do the Hero remake, which I would have never touched if I had been offered the film.”

And there is complete self-assurance in Tiger’s demeanor as he adds with a confident smile, “Heropanti will show how completely different we father and son are.” He adds that even the titles Hero (his father’s debut blockbuster) and Heropanti are a “coincidence,” though the re-creation of the Hero cult number “Lambi judaai” as “Whistle baja” was designed. “I love the way the classic melody of that song’s flute riff has been converted into a danceable number,” he says.

Daddy dearest

Like most children, Tiger (who got his name because of his tendency to bite people even as a four-year-old) hero-worships his dad. “Even now, my father commands a lot of attention by his presence. People adore him for what he is. He’s macho, yet emotional. And the best part is that he is unaffected and unspoiled by his success, and is so humble, carefree and bindaas, while I get tense about small things.”

Tiger finds his dad very similar to his sister Krishna, while he himself is more like his mother, ex-actress and producer Ayesha Shroff. “My mother is my emotional anchor and we think alike,” he explains. “And I have the best parents in the world, who always gave me unconditional love, independence and support.”

Is it true that Jackie’s mentor Subhash Ghai, and later Aamir Khan, were to launch him? Laughs Tiger, “You know how Subhash-ji is, and also his equation with my father. On the day I was born, Subhash-ji gifted my father a ‘signing amount for your son!’ He would have loved to launch me, but nothing concrete came up. And Aamir Khan generously invited me to join him in his gym workouts when he was preparing himself for Dhoom:3. Dad and he go back a long way to the Rangeela days, and they have always kept in touch.”

What are Tiger’s goals now? “I have not set any goals that I have to reach someplace. I am fresh and new and I have to be accepted first. Then I will see.” He adds humbly, “There are stars that are born with the X-factor that defines stardom before they come in, like a Shah Rukh Khan. People like me will need to be nurtured into stardom.”