Meet the actor who gave several hits, still labeled 'jinx', and later directed a National Award-winning film.
Many actors started their journey as child actors and gained fame and while some maintained their success even as lead actors, others had to quit the industry due to some or other reasons. One such actor who started his journey as a child artiste failed to gain the stardom he deserved in his adulthood.
The actor we are talking about gave several hits, however, even after that he was labeled jinx and 30-40 films that he signed couldn't take off. He is none other than Jugal Hansraj. During his childhood he worked with many stars like Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, and more, he finally made his debut as the lead actor in Aa Gale Lag Jaa and became famous overnight. After that, the 1995 film Papa Kehte Hain gave new heights to his career and his career started off on the right track in Bollywood.
With movies like Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), and Salaam Namaste (2005), he became a well-known name in the industry and people thought he would be the next superstar in Bollywood. However, his career took a turn suddenly and he revealed in an interview, that though people thought he had disappeared from the industry, he had actually signed 30-40 films but none of them took off and he was labeled jinx.
Talking about the time, Jugal told Etimes, "I won't deny that it hasn't been tough. Dealing with the failure of my movies was incredibly difficult. Not only did I face criticism from media reviewers, but they also attacked me personally. I've been called various names and labeled as a jinx. Moreover, the numerous films that never even started production led people to mock me. They would make comments like, 'Oh, it's about time Jugal attends mahurats of his own films' when I attended events for other movies. Initially, when my projects were shelved, it would bring me to tears when I was 18 or 19. However, over time, I grew immune to such disappointments."
He added, "When I received calls saying that the film I had signed and was supposed to start soon was no longer happening, I would simply say, 'Thank you' and hang up. I became numb to it. Nevertheless, it remains challenging when you work hard and face unkind comments about your work. Sometimes people take it personally, which is unnecessary. It's just a movie, and one can either like it or not without resorting to personal attacks. The industry is tough, and people can be harsh and cruel, but that's the reality one must accept when entering this field. It was challenging because even the people you consider friendly or nice to you can change based on the success or failure of your movies."
After his movie Aja Nachle, Jugal Hansraj took a break from acting and ventured into directing. He wrote and directed Roadside Romeo, an animated film that despite receiving negative reviews went on to win National Film Award for Best Animated Film. He then also directed Pyaar Impossible which starred Priyanka Chopra.
Finally, in 2016, he made his comeback to the big screens with Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh, however, the film failed to impress the audience and was an average grosser at the box office too. After this, he didn't star in any of the films until 2023, when he starred in Shiv Shastri Balboa and Lust Stories 2.
Well, he is now a writer too. He ventured into writing in 2017 with his book Cross Connection: The Big Adventure and his latest book include The Jewel of Nisawa. Not only this, Jugal Hansraj is also set to be a part of Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff-starrer Bade Miyan Chote Miyan which is set to hit the theatres this Eid.
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 "Jugal Hansraj and Mayoori Kango")
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