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Spotlight EXCLUSIVE: Mohabbatein fame Jugal Hansraj REVEALS 40 films didn't take off: Initially it affected me
Mohabbatein fame Jugal Hansraj speaks to Pinkvilla exclusively for our new section Spotlight wherein we discuss his journey, the hits and misses, the low points in life and plans of coming back. Read.
Today in the spotlight is Jugal Hansraj, the actor who first forayed into Bollywood as a child artist in Masoom and later went on to be a part of many films including Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Mohabbatein among others. He later even forayed into directing films, writing and in 2017 even turned an author. Today, he hops between Mumbai and New York and is happily settled with his family. Currently, in New York, Jugal spoke to Pinkvilla exclusively and said that he believes despite all the odds, he is happy. Where has he disappeared, we ask? He answered, "Nowhere, I am busy with a few things.'
Reminiscing how it all started for him, Jugal mentioned that he was not from the film industry and his family never intended him to join the industry. "I was discovered by the then famous photographer late Gautam Rajadhyaksha. A week before my second birthday was when I first posed in front of the camera for a print commercial," he recalled. Describing his journey as "adventurous", Jugal, who started off as a child artist in Masoom, signed his first film as a lead with Manmohan Desai which was a teenage love story. He said, "Unfortunately, It did not go on floors but that was the first film I signed and that's how my journey started."
Just like his first film which didn't take off, Jugal's streak with this dominated his career. He revealed, "There have been a few ups and downs. Unfortunately, there were a lot of films which were committed to me as an actor & director that didn't start. When I sat down to count, it was almost 40 projects, which were committed to me, or I had signed and even tried out costumes for. I had been shown my office space for a few films that I was supposed to direct. But apart from that I did a few films as lead, did a few TV projects too and directed a couple of films, so it has been an interesting journey. I met a lot of interesting people, most were nice to me."
Despite the hiccups, Jugal maintained that he has "no regrets to speak off." Did he feel he was not noticed by the audience? Denying it, he explained, "I think they have really appreciated me. The media perhaps might have not noticed me as much, but that maybe because I did not pander around them too much. But otherwise, the feedback to my work has always been positive."
Jugal then turned to the direction. His first directorial was an animation movie titled Roadside Romeo which won three National Awards. His second directorial was Pyaar Impossible which starred Priyanka Chopra and Uday Chopra. But projects not taking off followed him here as well. "After Pyaar Impossible, I almost was to direct a film for Excel Entertainment but again for some reason regarding rights that film was shelved. Again with Ashutosh Gowariker, a similar thing happened. As an actor and director as well, there have been a lot of projects like this," he sighed laughing.
He won a National Award for Roadside Romeo. Jugal elaborated, "It was extremely special. I was in awe of it. You see a lot of Bollywood awards being held, 5-10 every year, which you know how they go about! But, this one there is prestige and gravitas attached to it. I was in a complete state of numbness when I got to know that my first film has received three awards."
Jugal, however, exclaimed that he loved directing both his movies and had a wonderful experience. Again circumstances turned Jugal from a director to an author. "Turning an author was not in the plan, but the book, Cross Connection: The Big Circus Adventure, originally was written as a screenplay as my second animation film which I had written. The idea was approved and the story was approved by both YRF and Disney, but for some business reason that project didn't take up. So, I had the script and dialogues all ready in my pen drive. In early 2015, while I was going through my stuff, I found it and realised it won't be made into a film, but I wanted the story out, so I decided to write it as a novel and had a lot of fun doing it."
With all the low times, did it ever affect him? Jugal added, "From the first film I signed with Manmohan Desai which didn't start, after a year and a half I got signed by Pahlaj Nihalani which also didn't start and then my third film was Aa Gale Lag Ja started. I took up films with very big directors who were big producers at that time, several films which they had made already. Names like Raj Sippy, Mahesh Bhatt, Yash Johar ji, who were nice and I was very excited to work with them. But for reasons not in control, the films did not go on floors. Initially, I was very young around 19, my first film was signed and when it did not take off, it did affect me quite a lot. I would go in a shell and not talk to anyone. I was very sad and depressed, but as I got old, I shrugged it off. There were more important things in life. Now, it doesn't affect. I move on pretty quickly."
When asked does he plan to get back to acting, he laughed, "I have not really gone away. I don't spend too much time in Mumbai now. I am away a lot actually. But, I am working on stuff right now, on a series for one of the digital platforms, with a producer from Bombay who is also a great friend. It is still in the development stage. Like I said there were almost 40 projects which I was supposed to do but never happened. So it is not like I went somewhere, it is just that things didn't work out. But I still have a few things planned."
"In fact, I have finished writing my second novel too and now I am going to try and get that published as well," he concluded.
Jugal has worked in many projects and is best remembered for Masoom and Mohabbatein.
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