People thought I was a North Indian because of my love for Hindi movies, says actor Jagadish

Chennai, Aug 28

The veteran Malayalam actor, with a stellar career spanning over 400 films, has carved a niche for himself with his unmatched versatility and impeccable comic timing across Malayalam and Hindi cinema.

The celebrated actor will next be seen in the upcoming Malayalam series 4.5 Gang, which is to be streamed on Sony LIV from August 29.

Reflecting on his journey, actor Jagadish shared his unique connection with Hindi cinema, revealing that his lifelong passion for Bollywood was so strong that it once caused a common misconception about his origins.

"I have always been an ardent fan of Hindi cinema. I grew up watching Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand’s films over and over, and listening to Vividh Bharti’s golden songs. My love for Hindi movies was so strong that people often asked me if I was from North India!" actor Jagadish shared.

Sharing the moment when his childhood dream came true with Hungama, Jagadish says, "Years later, that dream came true when Priyadarshan cast me in Hungama, which became a superhit and gave me recognition in Bollywood. I went on to play Irrfan Khan’s father in Billu and the fun-loving Pappu Cyclewala in Kushti."

Even after acting in over 400 films, he admits that his enthusiasm for Hindi cinema remains undiminished. "The truth is I am still that wide-eyed fan of Hindi films and songs." he says.

Meanwhile, the veteran actor's upcoming Malayalam web series 4.5 Gang has been directed by acclaimed director Krishand and produced by Mankind Cinemas. The series will feature a powerhouse ensemble cast alongside Jagdish like veteran actor Indrans, Vijayaraghavan, Hakkim Shah, Darshana Rajendran, Sanju Sivaram and a vibrant mix of rising stars, including Sachin, Santhi Balachandran, Niranj Maniyan Pillai, Sreenath Babu, Shambu Menon, Prashant Alex, Rahul Rajagopal and Vishnu Agasthya.

The series also boasts of an excellent technical crew. It has cinematography by Vishnu Prabhakar and music by Sooraj Santhosh and Varkey. The story, screenplay and dialogues of the series have all been penned by the director himself. Sasi Kumar has served as the editor of this series, which features stunts choreographed by Shravan Satya. Costumes have been designed by Divya Joby and Kavitha Santhosh while VFX for the series has been handled by Coconut Bunch.

— IANS