Action, romance, and now, Jeet says he is not averse to parallel cinema either
Jeet has been living out of a suitcase for a while. He is shooting for a film in Hydera bad, flying to places for the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL), and attending promotional events for his latest film, 100% Love.
Meanwhile, he has completed 10 years in the industry and is happy with the way it has accepted him.
“It's the audiences' love that has kept me going and I'm glad that they have been with me since Saathi (2002),“ smiles Jeet.
His last few projects have been action films -Wanted, Josh, Fighter and Shatru -but now, Jeet is back to playing quintessential lover boy in Ravi Kinagi's 100% Love, co-produced by the actor's company, Grassroot Entertainments, and Shree Venkatesh Films.Is he tense, as a producer? “This time, the story is entirely different from the films I've done so far. In 100% Love, I play somebody close to my age. For the past few years, I've only done action films, so it was necessary for me to change the genre,“ says Jeet.Given the track record of Jeet and Koel's films (Bandhan, Manik, Subho Drishti, Saat Paake Bnadha and Dui Prithibi), their onscreen chemistry has always been talked about.But Jeet believes, in 100% Love, the story is the USP.“Koel has done a brilliant job,“ says the actor.Also, Jeet has a new critic in his family, wife Mohna.Though Mohna likes the promotional songs of 100% Love, she did make a few observations about Jeet's dancing skills. “She is enjoying the songs, but says I'm stiff in the song sequences.However, she appreciated my dance in Yeh Sala Dil Hai,“ he laughs. “I'm an actor who can dance, not a dancer who can act.“
Having done the maximum number of films with Kinagi, the actor feels the director brings out the best in him. “We understand each other really well and he has become part of my family now,“ he says.Ask him if 100% Love has competition from the recent release Khokababu and the actor has a ready reply. “A film runs on its merit and comes with its own fate. Shatru and Paglu released on the same day, too, and both did well,“ he says.In the past few years, Jeet has consciously shied away from acting in art house, or so-called parallel, cinema.
But now, the Saathi actor is open to such films. “If I get a chance to act in a parallel film now, I will give it a try,“ he says.
Our talk veers to his new role as captain of the Bengal Tigers in CCL. “I love sport and cricket teaches you unity and sportsmanship,“ he says. What strategies does he have for the rival teams? “We will take each game as it comes. Practise is on,“ says Jeet.
