Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 7, 2019)

Jackie Shroff's four-decade-long career has been peppered with several regional films. Now, the senior actor finds himself taking on Prabhas in the multi-lingual and reportedly Indian cinema's biggest film, Saaho. Happy to play the baddie in the actioner, Shroff says he often finds himself leaning towards grey roles. "I came with the intention of becoming a villain in films as I wouldn't be required to dance or sing songs. In my first project, Swami Dada [1982], I was a sidekick to Shakti Kapoor. I look for strong roles that make an impact — it could be a character role or a negative one. People still remember me for Mission Kashmir [where he played the villain]," he argues.

Sharing screen space with the man of the moment, Prabhas, has been a cherished experience for Shroff. "He is known as 'Darling' [in the industry], and that is what he is in real life, too. He respects everyone — from the senior-most crew member to a spot boy. That is the biggest reason behind his popularity. In fact, I feel he has become humbler after Baahubali."