Playing a supporting role in a movie doesn’t align with the idea of the grand debut that star kids usually get. But Jeeva, son of yesteryear villain Ranjeet, wouldn’t have it any other way. He made his acting debut with Vicky Kaushal-led Govinda Naam Mera, which sees him play the character of Six-Pack Sandy. Jeeva admits that like every protective father, Ranjeet too wanted to give his son a big launch. 

“My father always wanted to carve that path [for me], but we didn’t see eye-to-eye on it. The best gift that my parents have given me is the opportunity to fail. I cannot disregard the privileges that I have today. I don’t have to worry about food, rent, or the shirt on my back. So, the least I could do is figure out the rest on my own,” says the actor.

Breaking into Bollywood is easier said than done. It was after years of auditions and rejections that he bagged Shashank Khaitan’s crime comedy. “This film didn’t happen overnight. I have been [struggling] for nine years, and my father was definitely not happy about it.”

But the car racing enthusiast-actor relied on his merit over daddy’s connections. “I told my family about Govinda Naam Mera five months after signing the project,” he smiles.

While he has grown up on a steady diet of movies, especially those featuring his father, it was only in the past decade that he gravitated towards acting. “The films that got me intrigued were Vaastav [1999], Maqbool [2004], and Omkara [2006]. What made me dive deep into this industry was Kai Po Che [2013].”