Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; January 17, 2020)

Though a star in the Punjabi movie and music industries, Jassie Gill had to start from scratch in Bollywood. However, he chose not to settle for insignificant roles and wait for something worthwhile. The actor, who will be seen as Kangana Ranaut’s husband in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s Panga, spoke to BT about his journey so far and what lies ahead. Excerpts:

Kangana Ranaut, Neena Gupta, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Richa Chadha and real-life kabaddi players… on most days, the set of Panga must have been brimming with women...
(Laughs!) It’s true, there were a lot of women on this set, even in the technical teams. I’m a shy person and I take time to open up with people, but the team didn’t make me feel uncomfortable, awkward or like an outsider. It was smooth and I have Ashwiny ma’am to thank for that. She was clear about what she wanted me to do in every scene. As for working around so many women, I’ve grown up amidst strong women. I have three sisters — a doctor, an engineer and an accounts specialist. My father never questioned their choice of profession or education, just as he didn’t question mine. So, I have never differentiated between people, especially on the basis of gender. Even in the film, we have scenes where my character (Prashant) is doing household chores to support his wife Jaya’s (Kangana) dreams. I play a man who doesn’t bring his ego into his marriage, and we’ve shown it in a relatable manner.

Ours is known to be a patriarchal society, especially when it comes to the manwoman dynamics within the families. However, times are changing gradually and it’s reflecting in our films, too...
Yes, there is a change. The social set-up was different when I was a kid. Those days, men were bread-earners and the women worked all day to manage the house and kids, without a break, holidays, or outings. My mother spent her youth like that; she and the other women in the house would barely get an hour’s rest in the day. No one thought that these women, too, could have aspirations. Whenever I would hear my mother sing while doing her chores, I used to wonder itnaa accha gaati hain. I think I’ve inherited that talent from her. At one time, most people thought, ab shaadi ho gayi hai ladki ki toh woh ghar sambhalegi. That thought process is changing. I witnessed it when it came to my sisters. It also helps if the husband understands his wife’s aspirations. Panga is the story of thousands of women like my mother, who thought shaadi aur bacche hone ke baad woh sapne nahi dekh sakti. While playing a supportive husband to Kangana’s character, I channelised the husband I am to my wife because I’ve always pushed her to chase her dreams.

Panga delves into the compromises a woman makes to return to her passion, in this case, kabaddi — a sport she has previously played. Both men and women face similar situations in their lives. Has anything like that ever happened to you?
Oh, mere saath toh shuru se yahi ho raha hai. I borrowed money from my father to start my career as a singer. Woh paise kharaab ho gaye aur banda bhi nikal gaya haath se. At that time, I thought this is still a risk worth taking, but not with my father’s hard-earned money. Around that time, I got a chance to visit Australia, where I worked at a car-wash station and earned some money, which I invested in my career. Aur aaj bhi wahi paise ghuma raha hoon. You have to find ways to go back to what you love doing, you have to make that effort on your own.

Kangana is one of the best talents we have, and like Ashwiny told BT in one of her interviews, she strives for perfection in every scene. So, were you nervous to work with someone as talented and prolific as her?
Mujhe bada dara ke bheja tha set pe lekin jaisa suna tha waisa kuch hua nahin. My first shot with Kangana is where she’s working in the kitchen and my son and I are playing a video game. We did it with ease. When I go on a set, I am usually very nervous, but once I’m in the get-up, I’m at ease. I don’t let a name or someone’s stature affect me, and it was the same here. As an actor, you have to observe people. Kangana is a sincere artiste, who inspires you to do better. She is quiet, prepared for her take, and knows if she has given a good shot or not. She studies the details of a scene finely, which is an art.

Panga is your second film as a Bollywood actor (after Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi, 2018), and there is another film that will soon be announced. After spending about two years in B-Town, have you started feeling like an industry insider?
I didn’t have much to do in Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi, and so, I am not sure how much of my talent I could display in it. I have a lot of expectations from Panga because it’s given me a role that I have never played before. I got a chance to display my range as an actor. Initially, people don’t take singers too seriously when they become actors. With Panga, I hope people start taking me seriously as an actor. The greatest challenge when you enter a new industry is to prove your worth, earn your place and tell people, ‘Ji, main bhi hoon.’ I’m from the Punjabi film and music industry where I have a name. In Bollywood, I started from scratch. That is the biggest challenge for an artiste. People expect you to compromise and settle for smaller roles. I didn’t, and luckily for me, that approach helped me find good work. It’s not easy to find your feet in a new industry.

Many believe that in the film industry, networking and hobnobbing with the right people is important. Now that you are seriously pursuing a career in Bollywood, are you also planning to shift base?
Main toh hafte mein kai baar do teen chakkar bhi lagata hoon Mumbai ke, but I love the atmosphere in Punjab. It’s not that I don’t like Mumbai, but I feel at ease on my home turf. Having said that, I don’t know what the future holds and if I will really shift base. As for networking, I meet many people, but I don’t ever go to parties, seeking work. Attending bashes can’t get you work. Bettering your craft and making an effort to prove your worth with every role, can help your career.

Singer-actor Jassie Gill, who plays Kangana Ranaut’s husband in her upcoming sports drama, is married with a one-year-old daughter
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 13, 2020)

Jassie Gill is on his way to fulfilling another dream. He is outside a recording studio, waiting to sing a Shankar Mahadevan composition for his upcoming release, Panga. The lyrics are by Javed Akhtar and the actor-singer is excited to add it to his repertoire of peppy, fun numbers that shot him to stardom in Punjab. “It is completely in my zone,” he exults.

Jassie used to watch reality TV shows and imagine what it would be like to be a famous singer. In college, he opted for music because it meant less studying and practising what he already loved. “I started winning at youth festivals and realised I was good at it. Then, I visited my sister in Australia on a tourist visa and after four days, knew I couldn’t spend three months sightseeing. So, I repeatedly pestered my jiju (brother-in-law) until he got me a job at a car wash. With that money I cut an album upon my return. I believe it’s the same money circulating since, multiplying many times over,” he smiles.

To increase the reach of his music, he started making videos to convey the meaning of the lyrics. And through them he learnt to face the camera and emote. “I have have worked with Gurdas Maan ji, Jimmy (Sheirgill) ji and now Kangana (Ranaut) ji and learnt from everyone to make up for my lack of experience,” Jassie says earnestly.

He plays Prashant, a supportive husband to Kangana’s Jaya, in the Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s directorial. At 31, Jassie is himself married, having met his wife in the first year of college, and has a one-year-old daughter he dotes on. “My mother had told me I’d be working in Bollywood one day and after the birth of my daughter, I signed my first Hindi film (Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi),” he shares.

His wife and daughter are settled in Canada and he keeps visiting them or they come over from time to time. “Even if they were here, I wouldn’t be able to stay with them all the time because of my work commitments, so, it’s better this way. My daughter recognises me on TV now and likes music, so I’m relieved,” he laughs. But why are there no pictures of him with his wife on his internet feed though there are videos of him dancing with his toddler? “I’ve learnt my lesson the hard way and now keep my personal life private. I can’t go out whenever I want anymore. I don’t want my wife’s life to be as restricted as mine, so you won’t see her accompanying me to events and shows,” he reasons.

Did he channel his real-life husband-self for the film? “You can say so. I am quite hands-on, in that I can cook and look after the house,” Jassie admits, adding that it comes from growing up around strong women. “My father was a farmer and my mother a housewife, but they educated my three elder sisters despite everyone advising them to marry them off. My eldest sister is a doctor, the second has done her MBA and the third is an engineer. My strength comes from seeing them.”

The actor believes Panga could be a turning point for him in the industry. There’s another film, Sonam Gupta Bewafa Hai, in the pipeline, but Jassie doesn’t want to abandon his first love. “I’m collaborating on many music videos and will keep doing Punjabi films whenever my schedule allows. The industry has its limitations in terms of budget, but we have amazing content and soon, Punjabi films will be as famous as Punjabi music,” he promises.

Deepali Singh (DNA; December 1, 2018)

Jassie Gill sounds out of breath when we speak to him over the phone. He is working out at a gym as nights are spent shooting for his next film, Panga, in Bhopal. The Punjabi actor-singer made his Bollywood debut opposite Sonakshi Sinha in Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi earlier this year and believes he couldn’t have asked for anything more, even if the film didn’t do that well. The actor, who turned 30 recently, wishes to see his work improve in the future. He says, “Every birthday, I look back at what I’ve achieved in the previous year and try and better myself. People know me as a Punjabi actor and singer, I hope they can accept me as a Bollywood actor now.” He is paired opposite Kangana Ranaut in the Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari directorial, which is about kabaddi. The pop singer believes that viewers will get to see a different side to him in the movie. “When women see him, I believe they will want a husband like him,” Jassie says. So, is he expecting a lot of proposals from girls post the film? “Let’s see!” he laughs. Over to him...

Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi (HPBJ) received a mixed response from the audience and critics alike. Were you disappointed? 
That was my first Bollywood experience and I didn’t sign it thinking it would be a blockbuster. I just wanted to work honestly and hoped that people would see the effort that I had put in. I think I managed to do that because I got a lot of appreciation. There are many factors that contribute to a film’s success. It’s not one man’s job.

You got Panga even before your Hindi debut...
I was in Canada when my team got a message from casting director Mukesh Chhabra’s office asking me if I could send an audition for a role opposite Kangana. Maine aise hi phone pe baithe baithe banake bhej diya. The shoot for HPBJ was still left, but I got a message that they had selected me for Panga. The announcement was made just two days before HPBJ released. It was a huge moment for me as it meant the industry had shown its trust in me.

How’s the experience of shooting with Kangana?
It’s really good. We have been shooting for the past 10-12 days in Bhopal. People will get to see a different side to me in this movie. It’s a film based on kabaddi and I think every family will relate to it because it will make you appreciate the sacrifices your parents make for you. I have shot a lot of scenes with Kangana. We work out in the gym together and she has heard and liked my music as well. It’s fun shooting with her.

Is there any insecurity on your part, since Kangana is a big star?
Not at all. I have been working in the Punjabi film and music industries for the past six years now and I have never thought about competition. I just do my work and feel happy when people appreciate it. Like I said earlier, a film belongs to all those people who are associated with it. And tomorrow if it’s a hit, then all of us will be happy.

Your single with Neha Kakkar, Nikle Currant, has received more than 149 million views on YouTube. Were you expecting this kind of response?
I have known Neha for the past four-and-a-half years and we had been planning to release a single for a long time. Finally, we managed to put together this song, but had to face a lot of hurdles before it released. The shoot got delayed because of the weather. Jo cheez jab honi hoti hai, tabhi hoti hai. The track released recently and the last time I checked, it was the fourth most-viewed video worldwide and is on Billboard’s world music charts, so I’m really happy.

As told to Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 5, 2018)

In 2009-2010, when in college, I had gone with my mom to visit my sister in Australia on a tourist visa. I was there for three months and instead of just sitting at home twiddling my thumbs, I decided to take up a job and enlisted my brother-in-law’s help. At the time, I was also planning my debut music album which I would start work on once I got back to India.

I ended up getting a job as a car washer. I got paid $60 per day and went to work even on Sunday. In those 90-odd days, I missed work just once when heavy rains made it impossible to commute. I slogged from 8 am to 6 pm, reporting to a supervisor at the garage. Since I was bent double all day, I suffered acute backache and body pain. But at that age all that mattered was that I was earning my own money. In the little time I had to myself, I was dreaming of the future and how the money would help me build my career.

I saved every dollar and returned to India with Rs 3.50 lakh. Today, singers launch themselves with singles but back then, you had to come out with an album with at least eight songs with videos to promote the songs. I wanted to use this money to pay for video shoots for my album. Unfortunately, I was cheated out of some of the money and even the work didn’t get done. I was disheartened and refused to turn to my family for financial help. To my good luck, I had started getting offers to perform at live shows and the money I got from them helped me make up for the shortfall and the album finally got done.

Batchmate came out in 2011 and was an instant hit. The following year, I released “Vigrey Sharabi”, and the sequel to Batchmate which was a bigger hit. One of the songs in it, “Lancer”, bagged me my debut Punjabi film. In the video, I played a poor guy in love with a rich girl who comes to college in a Lancer. I was approached for a film titled Mr & Mrs 420 in which I played a similar character. I had no idea how films worked. My director, Ksshitij Chaudhary, helped me learn the ropes. Once I took eight hours to shoot a small scene because I kept forgetting my lines. But slowly, I gained confidence and thankfully there was no repeat of that incident. I still get nightmares wondering what had gone wrong that day.

Batchmate was followed by the hit song “Classmate” which featured in the film Daddy Cool Munde Fool and another single, “Pyar Mera” in 2013. The musical journey continues. Meanwhile, on screen, Mr & Mrs 420 lead to Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar, Munde Ton Bachke Rahin and a few more films including the Mr and Mrs 420 sequel.

This year I made my Bollywood debut with Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi alongside Sonakshi Sinha, Diana Penty and Jimmy Sheirgill. Even before the film released, I had signed my second Hindi film, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s Panga with Kangana Ranaut. Usually people wait for the first film to release before offering you another, so getting another big film was a huge deal for me.

Jassie Gill on those who opened gates of B’wood for him and playing Khushi to Sonakshi Sinha’s Happy in his acting debut
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRORR; August 20, 2018) 

Jassie Gill, who makes his Hindi acting debut opposite Sonakshi Sinha in Mudassar Aziz’s Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi, landed the part because of his single “Nakhre”. According to the Punjabi actor-singer, that’s where the director first spotted him and noted that he was looking for someone with a similar personality. “They took a screen test and told me I was cast opposite Sonakshi. I was surprised but grabbed the opportunity,” Jassie recalls.

In the sequel to Aanand L Rai’s 2016 romcom, which was fronted by Diana Penty, Ali Fazal and Abhay Deol, Jassie plays Khushi to Sona’s titular Happy. “My character is a Punjabi boy who works in China. Happy runs away to the country where I meet her, and a lot of confusion follows,” he informs, insisting that making his debut with a sequel to a hit film puts no pressure on him. “Pressure is more on the director, who has a successful film to live up to. If Mudassar sir is confident about me, I feel blessed and lucky. I gave the role my 100 per cent.”

Talking about the filming experience, Jassie reveals that it involved a bit of “cheat shooting,” as the film’s team couldn’t shoot in China, where parts of the story are set, due to unfavourable weather conditions. “We shot in Malaysia and Thailand instead. We had just 15-20 days to prep so I tried learning some Mandarin thinking it would help with my character,” the actor-singer shares.

Shooting in the two locations threw up a pleasant surprise for him, too. “There are a lot of Punjabis in Malaysia and Thailand who would drop in on the sets. It made me realise the reach of Punjabi music,” he points out. According to Jassie, the credit for that as well as for opening the gates of Bollywood to his kind goes to actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh, who made quite an impression with his own Bollywood debut, Udta Punjab, last year, after delivering a slew of hit performances in Punjabi music and films. “I am proud of Diljit paaji, people are noticing Punjabi artistes now, be it Guru Randhawa or me. Honey Singh paaji deserves credit too,” he says earnestly.

Among the cast members of his Hindi debut, Jassie found common ground with Jimmy Sheirgill for curious reasons. “Jimmy paaji and I have met in the past, but we hadn’t worked together till now. Our surnames are similar, ‘Sheirgill’ and ‘Gill’. He is like an older brother now who helped me at every step. I was nervous about working with Sonakshi and Diana but everyone was so supportive, I didn’t realise when the shoot ended,” the debutant concludes.

Punjabi actor-singer Jassie Gill makes his B’wood debut opposite Sonakshi Sinha in an Aanand L Rai film
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 13, 2017)

Mirror (October 9) had earlier reported that Punjabi actor-singer Jassie Gill will be making his Bollywood debut as the male lead in Aanand L Rai’s Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi directed by Mudassar Aziz. Jassie who is presently shooting in Mumbai reveals that when he got a call from the production house he had no idea he was being approached for the sequel to the 2016 romcom or that his leading lady was Sonakshi Sinha.

“Mudassar Sir had seen a few of my songs like 'Lancer' and 'Nakhre' and wanted a character like that for this film in which I play a Punjabi boy working in China,” informs Jassie, adding that they have wrapped up 40 per cent of the shoot and on January 1 all of them, including Sonakshi, Diana Penty, Ali Fazal and Jimmy Shergill will take off to China for the next schedule.

The debutant recalls that he was a little nervous on the first day of the shoot as he was working with actors he had only seen on the screen till then, but quickly settled down. Quiz him on Sonakshi and Jassie admits he’s a huge fan of the 30-year-old actress. “In college when anyone asked me to name my favourite heroines, it was always Sonakshi and Parineeti (Chopra). I’m delighted I got an opportunity to not just work with Sonakshi but also romance the one I’ve long admired. When we met during the script reading and she called me by my name, main toh bas vahin lattoo ho gaya tha,” he chuckles, shyly confiding that he even got himself a picture for the album with Sona.

Jassie acknowledges that there is a plan for him to sing with Sonakshi in the film but nothing is finalised yet. He also wants to collaborate on a single with the Dabangg girl who had made her singing debut with the single “Aaj Mood Isqholic hai” and has given playback in films like Akira and Noor. “I haven’t spoken to her about it as yet but she has heard my latest song,'Guitar Sikhda', and I got to listen to a song that she is working on. I’ll speak to her about the album when I meet her next on the set,” he promises.

Jassie started out in 2011 with the album Batchmate which got into the hitlist with the song “Chudiyan”. Two years later, Batchmate 2 followed and it was a bigger hit. He turned actor with Ksshitij Chaudhary’s Punjabi comedy Mr & Mrs 420, and then went on to feature in Mundeyan Ton Bachke Rahin (2014), Dildariyaan (2015) and more recently Sargi (2017). He has just launched his new single, “Guitar Sikhda”, penned by Jaani and composed by B Praak. “I liked the simple lyrics and the soothing tune of this song about a guy learning the guitar for his girl. We shot for it in Mussoorie,” says Jassie who has signed two more Bollywood films but refuses to divulge details.