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No role is worth making enemies for, Jackie Shroff tells Rajeev Masand, insisting meanwhile, that he's happy with the ones he's got lined ...

No role is worth making enemies for, Jackie Shroff tells Rajeev Masand, insisting meanwhile, that he8217;s happy with the ones he8217;s got lined up8230;

Sadly for him, little do people now associate him with such commendable work. Of late, he is mostly identified as the guy in those Mithun films. quot;I just like to work with people who I bond with,quot; the actor says, defending himself. quot;Mithunda is my pal, yaar. How can I say no to him?quot; he asks. However, he makes it a point to mention that he has almost given up on those films now, as he has his hands full with other commitments. quot;I8217;m currently overseeing my second production, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hai which is progressing smoothly,quot; he explains. Remind him of the fact that his debut production, Grahan is still to be released, and the actor turns pensive8230; but only for a moment. quot;I can understand that people are not particularly excited about wanting to see a solo Jackie Shroff movie, but Grahan is a film they should see for Manisha Koirala8217;s sake. She8217;s simply brilliant in the movie,quot; he says generously.

Shroff admits that he8217;s lazy, and accepts that perhaps that is what slackened his pace in the Bollywood race. quot;I can8217;t be cut-throat competitive. Nothing matters to me so much that I would have to trample over people8217;s toes for it,quot; he explains. quot;No role is worth making enemies for,quot; he adds. Nevertheless, the actor says, he has a fair share of good parts lined up. Among these, he says, is one in Shantanu Sheorey8217;s Jadh, where he plays a hard-as-nails jail warden. He8217;s also excited about his negative role in Vidhu Vinod Chopra8217;s Mission: Kashmir and a strong supporting part in Subhash Ghai8217;s Yaadein. quot;Who says my roles aren8217;t good enough? I8217;m not complaining.quot;

Interestingly, the stylish star has broadened the scope of his business by developing a website of his own and by creating a CD-Rom which features exclusive information on himself. Both of these have business aspects which the actor is not particularly keen to discuss. quot;The Internet is undoubtedly the medium of the future. I have just broadened the scope of my company by venturing into this area,quot; he says.

While most industry watchers believe that Shroff is himself responsible for his decline as an actor 8212; his readiness to bail out friends by starring in not-so-hot projects being the main reason for his downfall 8212; Shroff himself says it is this very trait of his, that has helped him immensely. quot;Luckily, I have a lot of friends who will do anything for me. And that, to me, is more important than being the Number One hero in Hindi movies,quot; Shroff says sincerely. quot;I don8217;t ever want to become so popular or so sought after that I don8217;t have time to spend at home, or that I become inaccessible to my friends,quot; he explains.

Amidst laughs, but very seriously Shroff agrees that it8217;s a little late for that to happen to him now. And he8217;s glad about it too.