Jackie Shroff shoots for Lal Salaam on Golf Club Road. Picture by Aranya Sen

Four years after Rituparno Ghosh’s Antarmahal, Jackie Shroff was back in town to shoot his second Bengali film, Lal Salaam, directed by Ujwal Chatterjee and co-starring Satabdi Roy. A t2 chat...

What do you play in Lal Salaam?

I play a no-nonsense police officer who doesn’t allow anything to come in the line of his duty. But something unforeseen happens and he turns against the very system he had been supporting all this while.

What made you take up Lal Salaam?

First, my role. I haven’t played a police officer in a long time. Second, ever since Antarmahal I have been keen on doing another Bangla film and I felt that Lal Salaam provided the perfect set-up and role, and it came to me at the right time.... From Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen to Rituparno Ghosh, Bengal has contributed immensely to the art of making cinema. I want to be a part of it.

You have also done a Marathi film. Are you leaning towards regional cinema now?

After spending close to three decades in films and doing almost every role imaginable, I now want to do all kinds of cinema. I believe that in cinema, language doesn’t matter. It’s the emotions that count. My just-released Marathi film Rita has me playing a boss who has an extramarital affair with his secretary. I am happy that be it in Bollywood or in regional cinema, I am still being offered roles of consequence.

Which Bengali director would you like to work with?

Rituparno. Lekin abhi toh woh khud acting kar raha hai! Let’s hope he gets back (to direction) soon.

Are you satisfied with the roles you get, vis-à-vis contemporaries like Anil Kapoor?

I am very, very satisfied. My desires have always been less in life. As I said, I am getting to play different kinds of roles and I am very happy about it. I have played a Sardar in Kisaan and now the audience is going to see me as Sai Baba and then as a colourful bar-owner in Italy in Teen Patti. I am lucky that I am getting roles that allow me to experiment with my look and speech pattern.

Among the Bollywood newcomers, who do you think has potential?

Prateik (Babbar), Smita Patil’s son. I saw him for two minutes in Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na and I really liked him. That boy has a certain spark and intensity!

There is a buzz that your son, Tiger, is all set to enter films in 2010…

Well, I hope he does it soon. I have been telling him for a long time to start acting. But you know how kids are today. He wants to play football and basketball, but acting is farthest from his mind. I just let him be. Let him take his own time.