Do you know the actor was launched by Gulzar in his 1996 ensemble film Maachis?
Jimmy Sheirgill, born Jasjit Singh Gill, kicked off his Bollywood career in 1996 thriller Maachis, but it was not until the romantic drama Mohabbatein (2000) that the actor got his breakthrough. He then followed it up with several other films including Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003), Hum Tum (2004), A Wednesday! (2008), Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster, Tanu Weds Manu (both 2011), and several others.
He also works in the Punjabi film industry, and made his debut with Yaaran Naal Baharan in 2005 before starring in films like Dharti (2011), Aa Gaye Munde U.K. De (2014), Shareek (2015) and others.
Now as the actor turns 54 on December 3, here’s looking back at his six best performances that left the audience spellbound:
Jimmy’s performance as cancer patient Zaheer Ali in Rajkumar Hirani’s 2003 film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S is worth a watch. The film, which boasts of Sanjay Dutt-Arshad Warsi’s bro-bonding, witnessed a mellowed down feel with Jimmy’s character, and proved the actor’s mettle.
In the film, R. Madhavan plays Manu, an NRI doctor who comes to India to find a bride, and falls in love with Tanu (Kangana Ranaut). However, she loves Raja Awasthi (Jimmy Sheirgill), a local strongman. Jimmy perfectly played a controlling boyfriend in the 2011 comedy drama, and it was a significant shift from his otherwise sensitive roles.
In Mudassar Aziz’s 2016 romcom Happy Bhag Jayegi, Jimmy was seen as a groom who is ditched at the altar. He plays Daman Singh Bagga, a local contractor in Amritsar, after his to-be-bride Happy (Diana Penty) flees with her boyfriend Guddu (Ali Fazal). Jimmy’s dry humour in the film would leave you in splits.
Tigmanshu Dhulia’s 2011 crime drama Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster, an adaptation of Guru Dutt’s classic Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, featured Jimmy as Saheb, the prince of a crumbling estate. The actor plays a tragic hero with all his charm, as he holds the last reins of aristocracy and authority.
Jimmy played a small yet impactful role in Neeraj Pandey’s 2006 directorial debut A Wednesday. Despite the presence of two veteran actors Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher, Jimmy managed to hold his fort as the hot-tempered policeman Arif Khan in this edge-of-the-seat thriller.
Jimmy played a special role of cop Ranveer Singh in the 2013 thriller Special 26, which revolves around a group of scamsters posing as CBI officers to conduct raids across the country. Jimmy vows to nab the heist gang after he is duped by them but the final twist in the film makes us feel awe of Jimmy’s character.
