Jagapathi Babu, who made his Bollywood debut with Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, talks about his career and working with Salman Khan.
Veteran actor Jagapathi Babu made his Hindi film debut with Salman Khan’s Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. The actor, who has played both heroes and villains in over a hundred films in Telugu and Tamil, finally made his Bollywood debut after three decades as an actor. Recently, he spoke to DNA about his ‘Hindi debut’, working with Salman Khan, and his career graph so far.
Jagapathi Babu does not mind calling Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan his Hindi debut even after having worked in 170 films before. “Debuts are very interesting because after 34 years of experience, you get to do something new, particularly when it’s working in Bollywood with Salman bhai. It is the one of the biggest levels, I would say. Next would be Hollywood, I would say,” he says with a laugh.
He mentions Salman Khan, his co-star and shares the working with him taught him a few things too.”I saw how cool and friendly he can be all the time. That is something I am learning from him,” he shares. But he also adds that even though, working in a Hindi film was new to him, there were no nerves. He explains, “Luckily, I am not nervous especially when the director and the lead actor, the star does not make me nervous. That has never happened. It’s always a challenge and good to have that because I’d hate to see myself doing the same things for 34 years. I want to see different things.”
The urge to try new things had brought him a few offers from Bollywood earlier as well, he reveals. But things did not work out. “There were one or two offers that did not work out for whatever reasons. Nothing from my side but it happened from the other side. But, in a way, I am glad it didn’t because this would be the right entry for me, in a Salman Khan-starrer releasing on Eid. I am glad it happened in this manner,” says the actor.
Jagapathi Babu is not the first actor from the south industries to cross over to Bollywood in the recent times. The exchange between the industries is becoming more frequent now and the actor welcomes this change. “It’s a good thing that is happening,” he says, adding, “There is no limit anymore in terms of language, state, or country anymore. Cinema is one world and I think this exchange is very good. Earlier, there were people who tried to go from Telugu to Bollywood but a lot of people didn’t make it. But now, things are moving because acceptance is much more.”
Jagapathi Babu started as a hero and played supporting positive roles as well early on in his career. After delivering several hits and facing setbacks, he changed his career’s trajectory about a decade back. “This name called Jagapathi Babu has been finished 3-4 times in his career. Everybody said ‘he is over’. But I always bounced back,” he reminisces.
Talking about how he decided to take up more negative roles, he says, “In 2009, I took a conscious call. I realised my market as a hero is over and I’m not just a hero and I’m an actor. So, let me act. And that has done me so good. Legend (2014) was my first film as villain and that worked big time. Today, bad is good so everything is working for me.” Since then, he has gone on to work in hits like Sye Raa Narsimha Reddy, Rangasthalam, Radhe Shyam, and of course, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. Directed by Farhad Samji, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan also stars Pooja Hegde, Venkatesh Daggubati, Jassie Gill, Raghav Juyal, Siddharth Nigam, Shehnaaz Gill, Palak Tiwari, and Vinali Bhatnagar. It is currently playing in theatres.
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