Jugal Hansraj recalls crying after his films failed, being called ‘jinxed’

Actor-author Jugal Hansraj has opened up on how he faced criticism and was attacked personally, when his films didn’t work. In a new interview, Jugal said that dealing with the failure of his films was ‘incredibly difficult’. He also opened up on being called ‘jinxed’ and how people mocked him, when his projects didn’t take off. The actor shared that it made him cry, but he ‘grew immune to such disappointments’. (Also Read | Jugal Hansraj shares pics, videos with wife from their vacation across Italy as he celebrates 50th birthday with her)

Jugal Hansraj talked about the failure of his projects.

Jugal started his career as a child actor in Shekhar Kapur’s Masoom (1983). As a child actor, he was also part of films such as Karma (1986) and Sultanat (1986). Jugal made his acting debut as an adult with Aa Gale Lag Jaa in 1994. He also featured in Papa Kehte Hai (1996), Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Salaam Namaste (2005), Aaja Nachle (2007) and Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh (2016).

In an interview with Times of India, Jugal said, “I won’t deny that it hasn’t been tough. Dealing with the failure of my movies was incredibly difficult. Not only did I face criticism from media reviewers, but they also attacked me personally. I’ve been called various names and labeled as a jinx. Moreover, the numerous films that never even started production led people to mock me. They would make comments like, ‘Oh, it’s about time Jugal attends mahurats of his own films’, when I attended events for other movies. Initially, when my projects were shelved, it would bring me to tears when I was 18 or 19. However, over time, I grew immune to such disappointments.”

He added, “When I received calls saying that the film I had signed and was supposed to start soon was no longer happening, I would simply say, ‘Thank you’ and hang up. I became numb to it. Nevertheless, it remains challenging when you work hard and face unkind comments about your work. Sometimes people take it personally, which is unnecessary. It’s just a movie, and one can either like it or not without resorting to personal attacks. The industry is tough, and people can be harsh and cruel, but that’s the reality one must accept when entering this field. It was challenging because even the people you consider friendly or nice to you can change based on the success or failure of your movies.”

Jugal was last seen in Shiv Shastri Balboa, a comedy-drama film directed by Ajayan Venugopalan. The film also stars Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta. He was also part of the Netflix series Mismatched.

Fans will see him in the anthology, NRI WIVES. Directed by Gunjan Kuthiala, the movie also features Bhagyashree, Raima Sen, Samir Soni, Kiku Sharda, Aditi Govitrikar, Hiten Tejwani, Gaurav Gera and many more.