How are you doing? Good man,
How are you?
Yeah, really good.
And so I'm going to start talking about the movie.
You bring so many great laughs to this film.
You enjoy comedy as an actor and as an actor.
When you. When you've made so many movies that you do.
Do you prefer it when someone tells you that you made them laugh?
Or do you prefer it when someone tells you that
that they made that you made them cry?
So I think both are you know, for an actor, I think if I can make them cry
or, you know, make them
feel for the character, feel for the film,
and if I can take the story forward
as a character, which me I be.
And if it's comedy and if I can,
which is even more difficult, and if I can make them laugh,
I think it's it's it's it's you like, for example,
a dramatic scene, an emotional scene or a anger can be done by a lot of people.
But comedy is a very, very
is a really it's
something which everybody can do it, you know.
And I mean, it's a film so full of life and it's so vibrant and energetic,
which is much like yourself.
Are you someone who's quite young at heart, would you say?
Thank you so much.
Yes. Yes, I feel I did.
It doesn't you are that's the way you are.
And I'm not faking it because you can fake it for such a long time.
That's the kind of person I am. I am.
And I'm very positive.
I like energy around.
I like positivity around.
I like people smiling around
I want to be I want people to be happy because I'm a happy person.
So I think that's what makes all the difference.
And I make an effort to see to it that the atmosphere is positive.
So I'm speaking to you.
I wonder, you know, with this interview to be positive, energetic,
happy.
I want you when you when you wrap this interview, to see
you know, if you have a smile on your face and oh, I love it.
You know, I'm doing this interview.
And then when I when I see that smile on your face, it'll make me smile, you know?
And you work closely here, obviously, with the wonderful Varun Dhawan
I mean, as an actor
who has sort of so much experience as you do, do you ever feel a responsibility
to impart your wisdom on the next generation of talent?
I mean, that's
I mean, not that he needs it, but did you take on that role sometimes?
No, no, no, no.
You should. Because what happens is
when you're an actor on, on, on screen and you have a director
who especially that becomes the advantage when he walks in with a big,
you know, big production company of what a producer is basically
not just a producer's putting in money, but also owns the film even creatively.
And then you have a director like Raj Mehta with you someone who ,
is very passionate about what he's doing he's already given a very successful film.
And you start there as a system and become a director.
And now you want this is a second film and he wants to become even better Hmm.
So what happens is I know that he's going to be the other actor, whoever he is.
It might be a younger actor or a younger, you know, or someone else.
So he's been taken care of by their respective people
who are supposed to take care.
I have to focus on my character, my role.
I do my best, and that's what I do.
So in this one, you know, they were the professionals were taking care
of the other actors in the film, and I was taking care of myself.
And they were taking care of me.
You don't
like the only way I could, you know, like I was always available.
And there are times when I would push them to
collaborate for me.
Come on, let's let's talk. Let's do some readings.
Let's do let's rehearse it.
Let's go a day earlier and, you know,
and you know and
photograph the scene.
Let's leave it for the last moment and see.
This is what happens when you do that last one.
You not be able to do as well if you do it in a well in advance.
So these are the of things pieces of
little advice I would give it.
I mean, of course, this film marks the long awaited return
to the screen of Neetu Kapoor.
I mean, how is it collaborating with her on this project to someone?
I assume you must know it's the first time I'm working with.
So I was you know, I was very excited when Karan Johar said that Neetu was going to be,
you know, being
revealed opposite you in the film, being your wife.
I was thrilled.
This is the first time I'm working with her and you
because she's been part of the in many, many years.
She and my wife have been friends for many years.
She is
married to my best friend's brother, which is Rishi Kapoor.
And his sister, Rima was a very, very dear child friend.
So we were we knew each other personally, but professionally.
We never work together.
So I had this opportunity working with her professionally for the first time.
I've seen a lot of films, have loved films like Khel Khel Mein
and so many of the other films that she did.
And I was looking forward and shehas a certain air - a Casual
Girl next door, a bubbly
wave about her and a smile.
And, you know, she has a good presence on screen.
And and she's young, really.
So, you know, and she is senior to me,
where the screen age is concerned, but otherwise she's younger than me.
So it was great.
And I think we when she on the set, we did a photo shoot.
We look very good together.
And I'm happy that I did the film.
And and and more than anything else,
I feel it was our responsibility to make a comfortable
because that is the first moment you signed immediately after Rishi's demise.
And so our concern was that we have to see whether we make her feel comfortable
and feel at home
and feel like a member of the family and see to it that she gives the best.
And that's what we try to do.
And I hope she were successful in doing that.
So, I mean, how exciting a time is this internationally,
would you say, for Bollywood?
I mean, in terms of streaming sites like Netflix, bringing like your wonderful
Thar, you made the wonderful Western to audiences around the world.
At the moment, it really feels like
it's never been more accessible then than it is now.
Absolutely. Thar , was a hugely successful
experience for me, releasing the film on Netflix.
And, you know, in a pick up the button, so many people all over the world,
as you said, that you saw the film and the Western or something very different.
So that's a great
time to be for an actor or technician
for anybody who creates content.
It's a great time
because even if not for the theater, then of course you have the other platforms.
Very good.
We can you can tell stories and of course theater is something
which I've always been, you know,
that's that's a, you know,
that experiences, you know, it's absolutely
it's you know, you cannot have that kind of same experience
consuming content, you know, which
you get in a closed
environment or in a closed four walls.
You have this beautiful little sound system
and there are people from different walks of life, different
start to reach for different religion communities.
They all come together and watch and enjoy, often laugh
together, cry together and get excited together.
It's one of the greatest feelings that you can get, which your many years
and hundreds of years are back in cinemas that they would watch it in theater.
You know,
where the
thousands of thousands of films where people would go and watch it.
And and now, of course, that experience
is something which is priceless, which is fantastic.
And that's what to do.
You once again will give the people who want to,
after two and a half years of sadness,
of unhappiness, COVID deaths,
people losing the near and dear ones and you know, and suddenly
things are getting back to normal people are happy, people are visible,
you know, visiting restaurants, having family get togethers, parties,
events, and people are going back to the theaters.
We enjoy and we want to see a happy film.
They want to see a physical.
They want to see a film.
You know, that's one of the reasons I feel Top Gun Maverick and the Top Gun
and which had been hugely success
in all of the world, because there's hope, there's excitement, there's love.
This romance, this friendship, there's nostalgia, everything is
that is great music, you know, and it's, you know, I'm not comparing Jugjugg Jeeyo
to Top Gun ,
I'm talking about entertainers, you know, and that's what it'll do.
endure
It's an entertaining it's a family entertainment, you know,
it's got great music, great dances, globes, colors.
And it's a very, very film which, you know, got enjoyed, has always been made.
And people loved it.
These kind of films by all over the world people loved this you game become
which was what I call colorful now and of course Raj Mehta
that was right for
this film called Good News which again was a good family dinner.
But what Raj Metha does is that he makes
it it's a very contemporary film it's sort of like,
for example, storytelling stories are a reflection of the society.
So if you don't go with a very serious matter,
which is divorce, you know, like, you know, it's all about divorce.
Relationships, people, you know, husband and wife,
you know, not getting along.
And there are times when, you know, in a relationship,
there's boredom that is and there is a certain kind of stagnancy.
And how do you ignite the relationship?
What do you do to, you know, to feel good about yourself,
good feel about it, get yourself feel happy.
So there are times when people lose.
Sometimes people make mistakes, you know, when they become you've been
they're doing it for themselves, but actually being selfish.
And that's what my character is.
And then, of course, there are certain people, characters in the film
which like Cuckoo's Character, which is my son's who wants
things to be wants to see their parents happy.
Once the you know what, he is idolized
and looked up who doesn't want to part a family to part ways. But
that's what life is, you know, ups and downs.
I mean I'm
you know, and
and it's all about weddings
and birthday parties and events and joys and sorrows.
And so, you know, it's it's it's that's what life is.
And, you know, and this is more about joy.
This is more about fun.
It's entertainment.
That's what it's all about.
So my final question, I mean, you mentioned obviously,
but this is entertainment.
Your career is often
been littered with with real projects that are pure entertainment.
You seem to have a real
you love to give entertainment to the masses and which obviously
has made you into this kind of huge superstar.
But I saw this emotional clip from superstar singer where you're
recounting your humbles of upbringing, your mother making clothes for you
as someone who is now so well regarded and well known in your industry,
how do you stay grounded and how important is it for
you to always remind yourself of where you first came from?
I think it's
it's the kind of person you are, the way you've been brought up by you.
It's by appearance.
Then, of course, the ups and downs
you've been to, you've seen poverty, you've seen success.
You've seen failure.
Then your partner wife is
who you've been spending 28 years of marriage.
And then the other fortune and you have decided and
and hopefully live
your life together.
She keeps you grounded you know and all the experiences
you learn from the mistakes and don't repeat those mistakes.
And sometimes you learn from other people's mistakes
and what others have done, which you can see objectively
from outside, you want to do the same mistakes, what the others are about.
So you have to be sensible you have to be a good listener.
You have to
read, you have to understand what is happening around the world.
And, you know, that's what I've done
and that's what is getting along really well.
I know. So thank you so much for your time today.
It's been a real pleasure speaking to you.
You said I'd leave a smile on my face and you're right.
Thanks. Brilliant. Thank you so much.