Waiting paid off: Hansraj

You meet Jugal Hansraj during the interval of his latest film Mohabbatein. And find him looking like a schoolboy just before a particularly tough exam. His glasses keep getting steamed up with nervousness, even as his eyes search the hall for signs of approval...or disapproval...every time his cute young face comes up on screen.

But that is only the first day, first show of the film.

Three weeks later, you stare at the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed young man before you and wonder from where he has mustered all the excitement in the mean time. That's when you realise that the young man is carrying a whole lot of trade figures in his head. Figures which show that Mohabbatein is doing well. And you know that his excitement figures.

"I've done a film after three years," he says. "So I went into it with all the innocence of the rest of the newcomers - acting workshops, dance sessions, diction classes, rehearsals before a video camera, the works."

And was there always a lurking fear of getting lost among a host of newcomers? "We had a lot of competition, of course, between Uday Chopra, Jimmy Shergill and me. But it was open competition, not underhand," he smiles. "For instance, if Uday danced particularly well in one scene, I would pat him on the back and then add, 'So you did well huh? Now see how I shine in my next scene!' It was great fun, for we knew that finally we were all sailing in the same boat."

Trained by veterans Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. "Oh yes, we learnt long lessons in enthusiasm from both of them," nods Jugal. "Mr. Bachchan has literally seen Aditya Chopra growing up, but on the sets he is almost like an enthusiastic newcomer, all ears and respect for a director less than half his age. As for Shah Rukh, I noticed that he always has six different ways of doing a scene, ready at hand - offered almost like a buffet for the director to take his pick!"

For a boy who reacts so enthusiastically to the slightest success, just how much damage does failure cause? "It's very difficult not to get affected by success and failure," he says. "Nor has it been easy for me to stay without work for three years. But I'm an optimist, which I guess helps me to survive. When my last film Papa Kehte Hain flopped, a lot of critics said a lot of things. But I feel that the film flopped mainly because of the high expectations set by its successful music and promos. On hearing the music, the audiences expected another Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin from Mahesh Bhatt, but this film was in a different genre. So obviouslt id didn't click."

Now, the film industry rarely tolerates failure. So it happened that Jugal, who had four films on hand before Papa Kehte Hain, was left with none afterwards, for all four producers made hasty excuses and withdrew their offers. "After that I got some insignificant roles but my self-esteem hadn't dipped low enough to take up these," he laughs. "I simply decided to wait, which paid off after three years."

Does audience approval also have something to do with his Masoom image? The image of the little boy that they want to keep with them forever, not erase it with that of an adult. "I've accepted the fact that I will always remain 'the cute child' - even when I'm 80 years old!" he shrugs. "And I don't mind it really because people do remember me fondly."

Just like his mentor photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha, who will always remember Jugal as the cute two-year-old who used to toddle along with his parents when they went for a walk in the park. And whom he had borrowed "just for a little while", for a tonic ad.

Well, the tonic ad led to more ads, which led to Masoom, which led to films as a career...which is now poised for another take off?

P. B.

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