Subhash K Jha salutes the evergreen, effervescent, Jaggu Dada.
As Jackie Shroff turns 64 years, 5 facts you may not know about apna bhidu Jaggu Dada.
1.Unlike some of his brassy publicity-hungry colleagues, Jackie is very shy in public.
He hates talking about himself.
And if you insist on doing an interview with him, he will speak in mumbled half-sentences, and ask you to fill in the gaps.
Once his most constant co-star asked him why he doesn't market himself better.
"Because I am not a bar of soap," Jackie mumbled.
2.He loves to sing.
Rather than converse he will sing to himself.
His favourite singers are Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar.
He loves Rafisaab's Main Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhata Chala Gaya from his favorite film Hum Dono.
Jackie sang on screen for his character in Shiva Ka Insaaf.
3.Jackie starred in the first 3D film in Hindi Shiva Ka Insaaf in which he played a super-hero, Zorro mask and all.
Jackie's son Tiger sought inspiration from his father for The Flying Jatt where he played a super-hero.
Farq itna hai.
Jackie's super-hero flew.
Tiger's sank.
4.Jackie's favourite actor is Dev Anand whom he unabashedly idolised and copied in his earlier days.
Jackie also had a crush on Asha Parekh.
When he finally met her he couldn't stop blushing.
5.Though Jackie is a month younger than Anil Kapoor, he played Anil's older brother in Ram Lakhan.
When I once asked Jackie about this, he gave me a classic reply.
"Kya farq padta hai, Dost? Devsaab was older than all of us. Yet he was the youngest hero of Indian cinema."
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
