I wouldn't call myself a method actor: Jimmy Sheirgill
Jimmy Sheirgill says he is not a method actor but someone who consciously walked away from the sticky mold of a chocolate boy. He said one has to constantly be in a character for method acting, which he doesn't do. His takeaway from over a 20-year-long career is that he slides in and out of roles when he is out of the camera frame.
Sheirgill said: "Method acting is a deeper concept. You have to constantly be that character. You move like him, talk and behave like him till the time you're shooting the film." "I can't be living and breathing my characters all the time. When there's a break...you're out of the character. When the shoot's on, you do your job with sincerity and honesty," he added.
47-year-old Sheirgill, who started off with films such as "Maachis", "Mohabbattein", "Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai", and "Dil Hai Tumhara", says he reconsidered his decision of taking up "less prominent" and "meatier" roles early in his career. "I knew I had to try out something else, that's why I moved to films like 'Haasil', 'Munna Bhai MBBS', A Wednesday!', 'Yahaan', 'Tanu Weds Manu'."
This year opened with a bang for Sheirgill as the terrifying-yet-calm upper caste influential man Bhagwan Das Mishra who tries to sabotage the boxing career of Vineet Kumar Singh's Shravan in "Mukkabaaz". He says though he did some grey characters in "Eklavya" and "Sahib Biwi and Gangster", the reason why the audience lapped up "Mukkabaaz" with both hands is because of its blatant nature.
Sheirgill latest release is "Phamous", a drama set in Madhya Pradesh's Chambal belt. He plays a simpleton Radhe Shyam in the film, which explores themes of love, greed, and leadership. Sheirgill says director Karan Lalit Butani has given an international treatment to the story which is loaded with memorable dialogues. It features Kay Kay Menon, Pankaj Tripathi, Jackie Shroff, Mahie Gill, and Shriya Saran.
On the career front, Jimmy Sheirgill awaits the release of two of his projects - "Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3" to be released in July this year and "Happy Phir Bhaag Jayegi", in August.
