Jameel Khan says people didn’t recognise him until Gullak, compares TVF show to ‘beautiful biryani’

Jameel Khan says Gullak is one of the best things to have happened to his career after decades of being an actor. He says the show has given him the much-deserved validation.

Comparing Gullak to a well-cooked biryani, Jameel said, “Gullak is a show that caters to everyone, every class, particularly the middle class. They are giving it a lot of love. People are relating to not only the story but also the characters of the show and the USP of the show is its writing. It is so beautiful that the viewers are transported into its world. The anecdotes that are shown in every episode reminds viewers of the small things that happen in daily life. So what the makers wanted to achieve through the show, they have achieved it. The actors’ contribution takes it a notch higher. The show has been a collaborative effort from its Day 1. Writers, directors, actors, set designers, costumer designers, all of us have always been on the same page, and have had the same vision when it comes to Gullak. Hence it is like a beautiful biryani that people are enjoying repeatedly.”

In Gangs of Wasseypur, Jamal Khan played the role of Asgar Khan, (nephew of Piyush Mishra’s Nasir Ahmed). He’s also been an integral part of films like Cheeni Kum, Tiger Zinda Hai, among others. His latest film is Srikanth. When asked if he’s ever felt overshadowed by his other co-stars who gained more popularity than him, he said, “I am always grateful at every moment in life. Every breath that I take, I am grateful for it to the almighty. I have never been ungrateful and it has made me a better person, a better actor.”

Jamal said that Gullak gave him the recognition and applause that his past projects could not. The actor said, “I don’t look back at the pitfalls. I don’t envy anyone’s work or their success. I only enjoy any colleague’s work. Whoever is doing well, I feel happy about it. I leave things to destiny. If it is destined to come my way, then it will. Nobody can take it away from me. If it is not meant for me, no matter how much I try, it’ll never come my way. So, I am a very happy, content person in that sense. I am elated with the response that Gullak and my character have received from audiences. Bonus to that are the awards that Santosh Mishra and Jameel Khan have got.”

“I’d say it is a validation or appreciation of the body of work that I have had, be it theatre or films. It’s an acceptance and appreciation of that too, which comes through in the form of Gullak. It’s now with Gullak that they’ve been seeing me for the last so many years. When people go back and watch my work, they say, ‘Arre, yeh toh wahi hai! Kitna acchha acchha kaam karte aaye hai.’ That also makes me feel good because I have done a variety of roles in my career and people have not known it is me. They say, ‘Yeh bhi aap teh, ismein bhi aap the?’ Recently, I played APJ Abdul Kalam (in Srikanth). The director called me and said that people from the industry have asked him who the actor is and how he had to tell them that it was me. It’s a huge compliment. So, gratitude all the way,” he added.

Jameel Khan has worked with Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram Leela. When asked about his experience working with Bhansali, who is said to be a tough taskmaster, Jameel said, “Sanjay Leela Bhansali loves his actors. It is fantastic working with him. He loves his actors to the core and he will go to any length to keep them happy and get the right performance and that’s what you want from the director. He is a stickler for details and his sense of the frame and his artistry he shows in the frame is incomparable.”

“I don’t think there is any other director currently who can make a frame look better than he does. He is a multifaceted personality, be it music, set design, costumes or dance. He has a finger in every pie and he knows his stuff, exactly what he wants. Which is why I also think that people working with him are at their best. I don’t think he is difficult to work with. I haven’t experienced it at all. People make up a lot of stories. I don’t know whether they are true or not, but whatever little I have witnessed and have been around him, he is a gem of a person. Yaar, if you are making a mistake, screwing up things, you are bound to be shouted upon. Take it like an elder brother shouting at you to get better,” he concluded.