EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Jimmy Sheirgill on playing an aspiring CM in Netflix’s Choona | Not Just Bollywood

Actor Jimmy Sheirgill talks to Firstpost’s Lachmi Deb Roy on his soon to be released series, Choona, his preparation for the role and why he was initially hesitant on taking up the role. Talking about his journey in the entertainment industry, he says with the OTT coming and no box-office pressure, it’s a great time for actors, directors and script writers. He plays the role of an aspiring CM in Netflix heist series with an astrological twist.

Choona, starring Jimmy Sheirgill  will premiere on September 29. The series is written and directed by Pushpendra Nath Misra, known for Taj Mahal 1989 and Ghoomketu. It was earlier slated for release on August 3.

 Edited excerpts from the interview:

 What was your preparation for the role of Shukla in Choona?

When I read the script, I felt it was another very powerful UP character that I was being offered, so I almost said no to it. But there was something in the script which made me agree to take up the role. And I once I agreed the fight was to try and make it as different from anything else that I had done before and that is where the beard, hair and everything else and way her conducts himself and the way he dresses up was there in the script. Picking up the mannerisms of the character and going into the skin of it was not a task. The character of Shukla is very unpredictable. Just when you think that he is going to go a certain way, he moves to the other direction. So, we sat and we had a lot of reading with the director, who is also the writer of the show on how Shukla would talk, react and she had it very clear in his head how she wanted it.

After all those preparations, I just had to follow the director and go with the flow. There were certain scenes which had very lengthy monologues so to do it at one go required good preparation. I am glad that I did it because it’s one of my favourite characters.

With the OTT boom and cinema changing with no layers, no boxing, what do you have to say about this change?

OTT has been a saving grace for all of us including the actors, directors, writers and technicians. There is so much work now. And especially for those who are on daily wages for them it is a great help. Secondly, for the creative people, it’s a great space wherein I believe slowly we are realising that we can be on the front foot because here you don’t have to worry about the box-office. And you have the freedom on the digital platform to make something that is different. The audiences also had a great exposure during the pandemic, so there are more directors and writers coming in.

Ageism in the entertainment industry was huge. But not anymore. What do you have to say about the repackaging of the veteran actors?

We are now trying to tell a story in a different way. And that is very refreshing to have actors and actresses who are well past their primes doing lead roles and doing roles that are different which people can relate to. I am also enjoying the OTT space because there is so much to do and so much to explore with the craft.

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