Jasjit Singh Gill aka Jimmy Sheirgill is an actor so good that he owns every frame he’s in, no matter how popular or seasoned his co-star is. From a rebellious militant in his debut film Maachis (1996), directed by Gulzar, to a love-struck high school student in Mohabbatein (2000), where he shared screen space with Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, Jimmy has played various characters and also various shades of similar characters. As he celebrates his 52nd birthday, we pick seven performances by Jimmy Sheirgill that show his flair despite the length of his roles.
Zaheer Ali in Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
Having acted in multi-starrers early on in his career, Jimmy’s breakthrough performance came in 2003 as cancer patient Zaheer Ali in Rajkumar Hirani’s comedy drama Munna Bhai M.B.B.S where a gangster enrols in medical school to impress his parents. In a film that’s packed with laughs, riding on Sanjay Dutt-Arshad Warsi’s bro-bonding, Zaheer brings a mellow touch in the midst of the madness and Jimmy runs away with the scenes featuring him. The scene where Zaheer learns about his condition, followed by a heart-wrenching outburst, showed the young actor’s mettle.
Raja Awasthi in Tanu Weds Manu
Manu (R. Madhavan) is an NRI doctor who comes to India to find a bride for himself. He meets Tanu (Kangana Ranaut) in Kanpur and falls for her but Tanu is not interested in Manu. The man she’s in love with is Raja Awasthi (Jimmy Sheirgill), a local strongman. Jimmy springs a surprise with this portrayal of a loud, controlling and scheming boyfriend who’s desperate to marry the girl of his dreams in the 2011 comedy drama directed by Aanand L. Rai. Tanu Weds Manu marked a departure for Jimmy from the soft, sensitive roles he came to be associated with, showing his range as an actor.
Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video
Mihir in Hum Tum
In this 2004 Bollywood version of When Harry Met Sally, Jimmy has a quiet but strong presence as leading man Karan’s (Saif Ali Khan) best friend who’s by his side at the best and worst of times. While globe-trotting casanova Karan and the bookish Rhea (Rani Mukerji) keep bumping into each other through the years and watch their love-hate friendship evolve, Jimmy’s Mihir – a soft-spoken and reliable guy-next-door — is the perfect contrast to the wacky and directionless Karan in Kunal Kohli’s romantic drama. Jimmy wins hearts with his natural charm despite his limited screen presence in Hum Tum.
Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video
Daman Singh Bagga in Happy Bhag Jayegi
Co-produced by filmmaker Aanand L. Rai, Mudassar Aziz’s 2016 romcom Happy Bhag Jayegi has a Tanu Weds Manu hangover. Jimmy yet again plays a groom who is ditched at the altar. Daman Singh Bagga, a local contractor in Amritsar played by Jimmy, is dumped on the eve of his wedding by his to-be-bride Happy (Diana Penty), who runs away with her boyfriend Guddu (Ali Fazal).
In a twist of fate, Happy ends up in a politician’s residence in Lahore, and a laugh riot ensues when the politician’s son Bilal (Abhay Deol) tries to unite Happy and Guddu. Bagga wants to portray himself as a ruthless politician but ends up coming across as a jester. Jimmy slips into the character of a spurned lover with ease and his dry humour will leave you in splits.
Watch it on: JioCinema
Saheb in Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster
An adaptation of Guru Dutt’s classic Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Tigmanshu Dhulia’s 2011 crime drama Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster had Jimmy playing Saheb, the prince of a crumbling estate, whose relationship with his Biwi (Mahie Gill) is not perfect but they stick together through thick and thin. While Saheb whiles away his nights with his mistress, his lonely, high-strung wife seeks solace in the company of their driver Babloo (Randeep Hooda), who is secretly a gangster working for Saheb’s political rival. Jimmy plays the tragic hero with a poignant charm, holding on to his arrogance and the last vestiges of aristocracy, exuding power and authority.
Watch it on: Netflix
Airf Khan in A Wednesday
Jimmy leaves a mark in his small role in Neeraj Pandey’s 2006 directorial debut A Wednesday riding on the shoulders of veteran actors Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher. In this edge-of-the-seat thriller, Mumbai’s police commissioner Prakash Rathore (Kher) receives an anonymous phone call demanding the release of four terrorists, failing which the caller (Shah) threatens to trigger a series of blasts across the city. Despite the two stalwarts, Jimmy made his presence felt as the hot-tempered policeman Arif Khan for whom duty and discipline are foremost.
Watch it on: Netflix
Ranveer Singh in Special 26
Neeraj Pandey cast Jimmy in yet another small but special role in his 2013 thriller Special 26, in which a group of scamsters pose as CBI officers and conduct raids across the country to rob rich businessmen and politicians of their black money. The gang decides to pull off their biggest heist till date even as the CBI launches a nationwide manhunt for them.
While Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher and Manoj Bajpayee keep us on tenterhooks for 144 minutes, Jimmy blazes in in a guest appearance as cop Ranveer Singh, who vows to nab the heist gang after he is duped by them during a raid. And who was expecting the twist in the end that left us in awe of Jimmy’s character!
Watch it on: JioCinema
