Swag uncaged

JACKIE SHROFF OOZES SWAG LIKE OTHER PEOPLE OOZE SWEAT HE OPENS UP ABOUT HIS STATE OF MINDSTO TANZIM PARDIWALLA

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"It's so nice to hear your chirpy voice bright and early in the morning," says Jackie Shroff through a choppy phone reception from his farmhouse. Morning? It's 1:30 in the afternoon. Anyway, who am I to disagree with the Jaggu Dada? He's quick to invite the Filmfare team to his farmhouse in Chandkhed and I'm quick to accept the invitation. Picturing him with his beloved plants on a sunny farm is to see him in his element. The last time I spoke to Shroff, some two years ago, he described himself as a romantic who also had a villainous vein in him that makes him shine as an antagonist. This is despite his overwhelmingly positive public image. As we speak, he shares his excitement for his OTT release Chidiya Udd, which arrives days after his theatrical release Baby John. The show, set in the underworld, explores the darkest corners of Mumbai's red-light district. Jackie Shroff is as vulnerable and generous as ever as he digs deep into memories of his teenage years when he would watch films, slowly tracing his journey to stardom today.

What was your initial reaction to the story and character in Chidiya Udd?

I liked my director’s name, Ravi Jadhav. He’s done Natarang, Balak Palak and many other beautiful films. Then I saw Amazon and my producers. I felt they were strong people who would take it forward. Regarding the story, I’ve seen such things happen in old Mumbai, central Bombay back then. That area still exists. There were 28 cinema halls in the red-light district. We used to go there to watch films, walking past the lanes to get home. I’ve seen the cages closely as a teenager. Growing up, you start understanding the whole thing. In