Many big screen actors, including the likes of Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan, have successfully transitioned to being TV show hosts and have gained even more popularity with the audiences. Joining the list of actors who are TV show hosts now, is Jimmy Shergill, who has been seen in films like Maachis (1996) to more recently Veere Di Wedding (2017). Jimmy will be making his TV debut with Castrol’s Garage Guru — The Super Mechanic Show on Zee Anmol. Having always been a motor enthusiast, the actor did not think twice when he heard about a show discussing vehicles; but what connected with him more was going beyond the technical aspects and diving deeper into the lives of mechanics who run the show.” With the film script, I have my scene visualised, but it is different with hosting a show as it makes you think twice about whether or not you are being empathetic and real, and that is what makes it exciting for me.” The actor will be seen talking to mechanics while also learning not only what goes behind fine-tuning a vehicle, but also about their lives beyond the garage.
The mechanics were selected through the Super Mechanic platform, which was launched in April 2018 by Castrol, to help them upgrade their skills while learning the latest trends in the automotive sector. Taking it a step further with the show, the mechanics get the chance to give the audience a sneak peek into their lives behind-the-scenes — for instance, the sacrifices they have made to achieve their goals and what they’ve lost to reach where they are today. The show helps create an emotional connection which even Jimmy felt while talking to one of the mechanics. “The impact of his story was so much that not only did the mechanic break down in front of me, but it also made me feel a strong urge to console him and understand his pain,” says the Mumbai-based 47-year-old actor. While the show has a huge emotional aspect, viewers will also get to learn about new tools, which never existed before. Viewers will get to see how these tools can be used to fix an issue with the vehicle which earlier took an hour, but will now take only 15 minutes.
Jimmy does admit that he does know basic car and bike maintenance. “But if my car stalls somewhere, I would definitely need a mechanic,” says the actor with a laugh. While he did learn a few hacks on the show while talking to the mechanics, he said a special segment called Jimmy ka Jack will give enthusiasts and amateurs tips on how to handle their vehicles better in times of a crisis.
Castrol Garage Guru – The Super Mechanic premieres on September 30, at 10.30 pm
and will continue to air on Sundays at 10.30 pm on Zee Anmol.