MUMBAI: Veteran actor Jagdeep’s ability to instantly connect with people from every strata of society through his comedy is what Jaaved Jaaferi loves the most about his father.
Jagdeep, who passed away at the age of 81 earlier this month, did not have a formal education, but he was fond of poetry and history.
Remembering his father’s early struggle, Jaaved said that Jagdeep entered the world of cinema to earn a living at a young age but gave it his “full attention and focus”.
Jagdeep, whose real name was Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jaffrey, transitioned to comedy in Hindi cinema after working as a child actor and lead hero.
Jaaved recalled an incident when a film critic called Jagdeep’s comedy “loud and garish”. It upset Jaaved but his father dismissed the criticism.
“He told me ‘my audience is that 80 per cent of India which lives through poverty. These people are simple and just want to laugh. They don’t want complex things. I work for that simple man’. He was a people person and his objective was to bring laughter to his audience,” Jaaved said in the interview.
Calling his father’s outlook towards life “spiritual”, Jaaved said Jagdeep never spoke ill about anyone.
The actor said his father loved the cinema of Bimal Roy and Guru Dutt as their films were entertaining while retaining their depth, something that started to erode in the ’70s with actors taking up 10 to 15 films simultaneously. (AGENCIES)
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