I was in debt and my image was hit: Jackie Shroff

“I remember in those days when my production house had failed miserably with Boom, we were running in debt. Being the kind of a man I am, I could not refuse any one. Working for so many not very well known banners, my image was hit. But I got to work in Aurangzeb for Yash Raj Films only because of Aaranya Kaandam. When I met Aditya Chopra for the first time he told me, ‘It was my director who forced me to watch Aaranya Kaandam’ and then he cast me.

“Also, doing a meaningful and meaty role in Brothers at this juncture of my life feels great.” Jackie says that he related to his character in the film. “I experienced my real brother’s death at an early age,” he says, “Here Akshay Kumar and Siddharth Malhotra play my sons, and I am being sandwiched between their love.”

About his son Tiger’s choices in projects he says, “In those days we would sign films left, right and centre until the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association put a ban on it. But Tiger has just done two films. He is very focused and professional. He has refused two Hollywood films and many other films as he did not like the scripts and the storylines and also declined to work with Jackie Chan because of date issues.”

Tiger’s reputation as being an all-round nice guy is also something Jackie is proud of, and says it’s what he taught him “I am happy that he respects all, right from the drivers. I can have tea with the President of America on one hand while on other hand I can as easily share a cuppa with spot boys as well.”

And about daughter Krishna taking up acting as well? Jackie says she is still too young to decide. “She is now handling Tiger’s business professionally. Of course, I want her to be an actor but she refuses to budge. Only time will tell what profession she finally chooses.”