Jackky Bhagnani on Mitron: I've decided not to star in films produced by my home banner

This week, Jackky Bhagnani is all set to give another shot at stardom. When I meet the actor at his father’s owned seven-storeyed Pooja House, which offers an unhindered view of the Arabian sea, he seems relaxed. He is at peace only because his upcoming film _Mitron_ has not been produced by his father, Vashu Bhagnani, and that he was able to give 100 percent to his performance. Jackky is convinced that through Mitron, audiences will witness his growth as an actor. [caption id=“attachment_4961601” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”]  Jackky Bhagnani in a still from Mitron. YouTube[/caption] “I have only acted in this film. During the shooting of the film, I was never tensed or bothered about the fact whether the cheques have been dispatched or not. I was also insulated from the constant cribbing of unit members which often relates to slashing of budgets for various departments. I have now made a decision that films that will feature me as an actor will not be produced by our home banner while those that need to be produced will feature me only as a producer. That’s the only way one can achieve 100 per cent," he says. The plot of Jackky’s Mitron has been adapted from a Telugu film (Pelli Choopulu) which itself was based on a true story. “The plot is about a bunch of guys who started India’s first food truck company – Spitfire BBQ. It’s based on a true story and deals with the internal issues of three friends and their individual clashes with their parents. The original film was rooted in Andhra Pradesh while for Mitron, the milieu is Ahmedabad,” informs Jackky. The promos do reveal an uninhibited facet of Jackky and send a message to producers proclaiming, ‘I do have it in me’. Ask him what forced him to sign the film and in a jiffy, the actor mentions Nitin Kakkar, the director. He reveals that it was enough for him that Kakkar wanted to work with him. Mitron also has a four-minute monologue of the actor in Gujarati, not his mother tongue. Jackky says that it took him three weeks to capture the nuances of the language. He was a bit tensed about its delivery but when the time came, the monologue was okayed in the first take. “When a person is angry, he spews out his anger in his mother tongue. Nitin had given me the option to do it either in Gujarati or Hindi, and I preferred Gujarati. The Gujarati culture that has been shown in the film is not like what we often witness in TV serials and films. Every community has loud characters. Being a South Indian does not necessarily mean that the person will be a mathematician. Evolved film makers like Nitin Kakkar often try to break the stereotypes. People who stay in metros have a certain image of Gujarati culture and to them, it only means khandvi or garba, which is not the case. It does not mean that Gujarat begins and ends with it," he says. For someone who made his debut nine years ago with  Kal Kissne Dekha, the struggle to find a foothold in the industry is still on for Jackky. The actor believes that while for others, the pass percentage is 50, for him it has always been 75. “It might sound a bit amusing but I actually have been struggling for the past six years. When I deliver a super hit film with F.A.L.T.U., I have to struggle. When I deliver critically acclaimed films like Youngistan and Rangrezz, then also I have to struggle to get my next film. My struggle has always been about getting that next film. My struggle has never been if I will be able to manage food for myself. I come from a fortunate family and thus, the bar has been set at a higher level for me and that’s why my pass percentage has always been 75. The audience often thinks that the unfortunate ones are not in a position to choose and must have landed their film after much struggle. The fact is I too am in no position to choose but I can’t explain this to everyone individually and now have come to terms with it. When I was offered Mitron, I realised it immediately that this could just be the film which might help me secure my passing marks.” Quiz the Lee Strasberg Institute trained actor if the dizzying success of his father in the film industry became a stumbling block for him, and he compares it with the chicken and egg scenario. “I don’t think so. If he had not been there, I too would not be here today. If I were to think that my dad once used to sell sari by visiting shops and later on created his own empire, then by that logic, by now I should be the owner of a fleet of aeroplanes. But this is not the case and it’s entirely dependent upon your mindset. I was bitter for a brief period but later realised that why am I being bitter? Why should I be ashamed of my dad who has now reached a level after so much of hard work? I have my own journey.” Jackky. like a few other actors from the industry, has been accused of being a product of nepotism. He tackles the ‘N’ question by mentioning that in his case, his father has been both his mentor and godfather. In the end, one plays to the gallery and cannot resist asking the actor about his close friends from the industry since the film is about friendship. “Madhu Mantena, Varun Dhawan and Rohit Dhawan,” informs Jackky.