Actor-comedian Jaaved Jaaferi avers he has nothing to do with the film Shershaah, contrary to what the internet claims. He does have a host of upcoming projects, but the Vishnuvardhan film is not among them. Last seen in the remake of Coolie No 1 starring Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan, Jaaferi talks about Bhoot Police, Sooryavanshi, Jaadugar and his other upcoming projects and why active politics is not his cup of tea. Excerpts:
Your last release, Coolie No 1, is set for a TV premiere. How was the experience of playing Jai Kishan aka Jackson aka Shaadiram Gharjode?
I thoroughly enjoyed it. When you have stellar artistes like Varun Dhawan, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav and Johnny Lever, it has to be fun. Sarah (Ali Khan) studied with my kids in school, so, there was a different connection with her. Tell us about your characters in your upcoming projects: In SooryavanshiI am playing an ATS chief and it’s a sober role. In Bhoot Police I play a police officer but it is a very funny and entertaining character. In Jaadugarh, which is a Netflix film to be out by the end of this year, you will see me playing the role of a football coach in a remote village in Madhya Pradesh. Also, there is a couple of web series, including one for Disney+ Hotstar, another one for Amazon Prime Video and Escape Life which will be airing in August or September. Besides, the ongoing show Animals Gone Wild on National Geographic is also interesting.
Which is your preferred segment; you still do clean comedy...
Yes, because I like to reach out to the family audiences and to the youngsters with clean and entertaining comedy and not something that involves filthy language. Though my comedy or acting doesn’t entail political colour, I am quite vocal. At times I remain silent because there is so much filth and hatred on social media but at other times, I do express my opinion.
What are your thoughts on the current comedy scene?
I like the current stand-up comics like Kunal Kamra, Varun Grover and Atul Khatri among others. However, the era of classic comedians is gone. Only Johnny Lever is there. In films we mostly see actors doing it.
Given a chance will you contest elections again?
I realised that I am not cut out for politics. I am a keen observer of politics because it’s an integral part of our day-to-day life. I think you have to be thick-skinned, which I am not. I am an artiste and I am an emotional man and things do affect me. Another set of lockdowns hit Mumbai.
How do you keep yourself fit indoors?
Fitness is a rich man’s luxury. There are plenty of things to devote time to during the pandemic. I believe in keeping myself active with a brisk walk and regular sessions at the gym.
World television premiere of Coolie No. 1 on April 25 on Zee Cinema