Jimmy Sheirgill on 'Your Honor' S2, 25 years of 'Maachis' and the tag of 'underrated actor'

In Your Honor, the actor plays Bishan Khosla, a judge who must compromise his ethics and morality in order to save his son. Excerpts from a conversation with Sheirgill:

The second season of the show is out now. What was the appeal for you when you were first approached for it?

Director E. Niwas came to me with a one-liner of this show, and I could immediately connect with it. He sent me the script, which was 500-600 pages long, which is unusual because we are used to reading 80-100 pages for movies. It was really interesting, and I loved it. I also watched the original Israeli show Kvodo from which it has been adapted, and that’s how I came to be a part of the show.

You play a judge who goes to great lengths to save his son. How was it playing someone who is on the right side of the law but has to get on to the wrong side of it for the sake of his family?

It was a multi-layered character, and something that any actor would have loved to do. The main thing that remained in my mind was the father-son relationship. That became the driving force for me as an actor - to be able to relate to your real life where you have a son and what you would do in a similar situation. Everything else was cinematic. The main driving force of emotion was the father and son relationship for me.

Thrillers are a difficult genre. Do you think Indian makers have started doing thrillers well?

The overall quality of concepts across OTT platforms has gone up – whether they are adapted from some other language, country or they are original stories. There will always be stuff which will be made to cater to X number of people and to play to the galleries, but now you also see a lot of concept-driven content on digital platforms.

You made your acting debut with 'Maachis' 25 years ago. Any memories of making that film?

Memories of Maachis are as fresh as if we shot for it just yesterday! One can’t forget their first experience of a film - right from how it started to the nervousness of shooting and the enjoyment. It was an amazing experience. I can’t believe that it's already been 25 years!

Even though you were noticed right from the start, was there ever a turning point in your career?

No, I don’t think there is anything like a turning point for an actor. If there is one thing I have learnt from Gulzar saab in my first film, it is that one must work and move on. We make our films with honesty and sincerity because we are passionate about acting. Till the time we are doing that film, the team becomes a family and you form a relationship with them. Once that project is complete, you move on to another world which is the next project and then you form relationships there. It does not matter if it is a guest appearance. What is more important is to move on to the next.

One descriptor that has stuck with you through these years is ‘underrated actor’. Do you consider it a compliment?

I think it is the biggest compliment I have received in my life. At least, people are not saying that he is overrated and doesn’t deserve what he has got. I love it and I am very thankful to people who feel this way about (me).  I wish I could go and give them all a hug! (laughs)

You have produced a number of Punjabi films in the past. Are there any in the pipeline?

No, I am not doing production at all. It is a full-time job. The first few projects I want to do now as a producer will require me to be completely hands-on. I don’t want it to be like the last few times when I have been shooting and my productions are happening elsewhere. Yes, I will produce but I want to wait till the time we have something which I can give all my time and attention to.