Jugal Hansraj was all praise for his Mohabbatein co-star Shah Rukh Khan in a recent interview.
As a child artist, Jugal Hansraj who left everyone tear-eyed with his emotional performance in Shekhar Kapur’s Masoom (1983). Years later, the actor won hearts again with his lover boy act in Yash Chopra’s musical romance Mohabbatein.
In a recent interview with India Today, Jugal reflected on his experience of shooting for this Aditya Chopra directorial.
Recalling it as a ‘long journey’, the actor shared, “When I was signed for the film, I had already done three or four films as a lead actor. But I was told, ‘Now consider yourself a newcomer. Don’t sign any other films and focus entirely on this one as if it’s your first.’ Since it was such a big break with Yash Raj Films, I obviously agreed.”
He called, “We had six months of acting workshops, dance training, and diction practice. It was a great learning experience. The film itself took about 100-130 days to shoot, and I must have been on set for 80-90 of those days My favourite memory was being part of a Yash Chopra film and having him on set every day. That was truly special.”
The Aa Gale Lag Jaa actor also couldn’t stop gushing over Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan with whom he shared screen space in Mohabbatein.
Jugal told the publication, “Working with Shah Rukh Khan was wonderful. There’s nothing I can say about him that hasn’t already been said. He’s one of the most complete team players. What I learned from him is that it’s not just about your own performance; he makes sure the entire scene and everyone in it shines.”
“His philosophy seemed to be that the whole film has to be great, not just his part. He was already a massive star when Mohabbatein was made, yet he was like one of us three boys. He brought so much energy and hard work—it was fantastic to work with him,” he added.
Further when asked if there is a possibility of Mohabbatein re-releasing in cinema halls, Jugal shared, “It was released in October 2000, so this year marks its 25th anniversary. That could be the perfect time for a re-release—it’s quite a landmark.”
Mohabbatein follows the story of six sprightly, vivacious young students who come to a Gurukul to study, but end up falling in love. Their actions enrage the patriarch of the institution until a music teacher steps in as their savior and encourages them to fight for their love. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Jimmy Sheirgill, Uday Chopra, Jugal Hansraj, Shamita Shetty, Kim Sharma and Preeti Jhangiani. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is seen making a guest appearance.
On the work front, Jugal Hansraj was last seen in the Netflix film Nadaaniyan starring Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor.
