Jimmy is apprehensive of kissing!

doweshowbellyad=0; Jimmy Sheirgill (TOI Photo)The actor talks about his reel and real life
Isn’t planning your wife’s murder with strangers for company on a train kind of strange?
That is only one small point in the film. Strangers has more to do with two unknown persons meeting on a train. I am the one spending more words here. A conversation ensues between the two of them where they get talking about their respective lives.In the course of it, the duo realise that they are similar in their grief and both try to find a solution to their life’s miseries. With a narrative that encompasses a sense of humour, there are grey shades to the characters too.
What shade does your character have in Dus Kahaniyaan?
Different, of course. Titled High On the Highway, and directed by Hansal Mehta, this one is about a boy and a girl, both film school students, getting high at night and visiting the highway watching trucks. They share their philosophy of life while on a spree there. Then comes the farewell night when they decide to take a trip to the highway for one last time. Once they reach there, what happens next is what this 10-minute film is all about.
Coming to Strangers, how much time would you take to get pally with a stranger while on a journey?
In real life, I am quite a reserved person. This is probably the first time that I turn into a chatterbox for the film. To tell you the truth, it all depends on the situation.
Rumour mills are abuzz with the news of you denying Nandana Sen an onscreen kiss...
Denying would not be the right word in this case. It has more to do with being comfortable giving the shot onscreen. I simply told director Anand Rai that I did not want to be responsible for slowing down the important sequence because of my not being comfortable shooting the intimate scene.
Do you feel directors are finally cashing in on your commercial value or are you still ‘Mr Goody Two-Shoes’ to them?
My role in Strangers is probably my best performance so far. But one will enjoy Dus Kahaniyaan even more the second time than the first. That’s because the audience will need to figure out things the first time. But the second time, they will be able to analyse the incidents in the movie.
So, what is keeping you from joining the big league?
All this time I have been doing stuff for people, not caring about the money or outcome. There are times when you feel that probably this guy will make it big as a director. But when that happens, you aren’t repeated in their next. Only Raju Hirani and Rahul Dholakia have done the same with me.
Does that mean you have to prove yourself?
As a box office success yes, but as an actor, I think I have a lot to prove to myself.
And how would getting BO success help?
You get to do different roles of your choice. The fact is I would love to do comedy but not many people offer me the same.
Aren’t there any comic offers in your kitty?
I have seven to eight releases lined up. There’s Wednesday by Neeraj Pandey which is an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Then there’s an out-an-out comedy by Isha Trivedi titled Bachelor Party and a romantic comedy by Ramandip Juneja called Hanste Hanste. These apart there’s Anjan Dutt’s BBD besides Mumbai 11 where my story is directed by Rahul Dholakia.
Finally, what’s your story on the ‘hot’ charts?
I don’t consider myself to be hot.