Shabana Azmi kept a distance from Jugal Hansraj during 'Masoom' shoot in order to make it more authentic onscreen: 'She wanted the awkwardness to be visible onscreen'

Before Jugal Hansraj did movies like 'Papa Kehte Hai' and 'Mohabbatein', he was seen as a child artist in 'Masoom'. The film starred Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi and still is remembered as one of the classics in Hindi cinema. It also had Urmila Matondkar as child artist and was directed by Shekhar Kapur. All the songs of the movie are timeless and loved till date, especially, 'Tujhse Naaraaz Nahi Zindagi'. The film dealt with an emotional and complex family dynamics. In a recent interview, Jugal revealed how Shabana Azmi is such a method actor and shared anecdotes about how she was with him on the sets. He said in an interview with Pinkvilla, "We used to stay very distant from each other," Jugal recalled. “She is more of a method actor, and she was very close to the actors who played her on-screen daughters, as she was playing their mother in the film." According to Jugal, this behaviour wasn’t personal but stemmed from Shabana Azmi’s immersive approach to her craft. “She kept a little distance from me. Later, I learned that it was part of her process," he explained.He further noted that the senior actor consciously avoided bonding with him too closely to preserve the emotional tension required for the story. “She didn’t want us to become too close, as she wanted that awkwardness to be visible on screen," he added.Reflecting on the impact of this decision, Jugal believes it significantly enhanced the film’s authenticity. “That did show, as people could sense there was a discomfort between our characters," he said, applauding Shabana Azmi’s performance. “She did that beautifully."The restrained dynamic between the stepmother and the child lent a deeper sense of realism to the narrative, amplifying the emotional conflict at the heart of the film.During the same interview, Jugal also spoke candidly about the challenges he faced after transitioning from child roles to adult leads. Following his adult debut in ‘Aa Gale Lag Jaa’ in 1994, consistent work did not come easily.“This has been constant in my career," he admitted, pointing out that several projects he signed never saw the light of day. “When I was young, I was heartbroken due to it. But nobody was doing it on purpose."Despite the setbacks, Jugal credited his inner circle for helping him navigate the difficult phases. “I had a very strong support system," he shared. Emphasising the importance of perspective, he concluded, “Too much success and too many failures, both should be taken with a pinch of salt. That’s part of life." On work front, Jugal was last seen in Khushi Kapoor, Ibrahim Ali Khan starrer 'Nadaaniyan'.