Jimit Trivedi: I was fed up of offers for playing a buffoon or a typical Gujarati character who eats a lot and cracks a foolish joke – Exclusive – Times of India

From doing Gujarati theatre and films, portraying roles in Hindi TV shows titled ‘Khichdi’, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’, ‘Hum Dono Hain Alag Alag’, ‘Madhubala’, and ‘Channchann’ to name a few, foraying into Bollywood with Akshay Kumar’s ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’, playing a pivotal role in Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor’s ‘102 Not Out’, to making his OTT debut with the Dimple Kapadia starrer ‘Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo‘, Jimit Trivedi has come a long way in the world of entertainment.
In an exclusive conversation with ETimes, the actor opens up about the challenges he faced to break the image stereotype and the lessons he learned from the veterans of Bollywood like Big B, Paresh Rawal, Dimple Kapadia, and the late Rishi Kapoor. Excerpts from the interview:
You are better remembered as Chandu Chaturvedi from ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’, which was a comedy character. Was it difficult to break the stereotype?
The tough thing was getting these kinds of serious roles, and I am very thankful to Homi sir and the casting director that they thought about at least approaching me with this kind of a role. Because generally, I used to get approached for either buffoonery characters or a typical Gujarati character who eats a lot and cracks a foolish joke, of which I was also very fed up. So, I decided that I’d wait for the right role because I have done serious roles in Gujarati theatre plays, which is obviously not known by many people. And I also played a negative character on television, which was again not seen by many.
I have always been very choosy about my work, and I set a standard even when I did theatre shows. I always made it a point that whatever roles I played had to be good enough for people to remember me. So when the ‘Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo’ team approached me to play Inspector Proshun Jain, I was very happy that at least the crack had developed. One thing was very clear in my mind: even if I don’t get this role, I’m going to enjoy this audition and the screening process. I was excited to work with Homi (Adajania) sir, as I had never worked with him before. Also, every character has been written with so much clarity that it is very easy to understand. Right from day one, I was very clear about my character and its background, and I knew what I had to deliver and perform. Additionally, Homi sir gives his actors freedom to explore the characters they play, and I was very clear and focused on how I wanted to take this character further in a different manner. I had to maintain a thin line for my character and not make it look like a comedy one. The writing was very clear, which helped each character remain focused on their own role, and I am very happy with this character because at least it has broken the image that was built around me. Now audiences know that Jimit Trivedi can also do serious roles (chuckles), and he is a versatile actor. He can play any kind of role.
From theatres, TV, films, and now OTT, how will you sum up your journey?
It is interesting as I can live so many lives in one life. When I started my career, one thing was very clear in my mind: whenever I do anything, it should impact human life in a positive way. So, that thing has always been on my mind. Because of that, whatever I do, whichever character I perform, I do research and give justification to the role. So that people can understand that character in detail. People should have positive characters in their lives.
How nervous were you to play Inspector Proshun Jain?
I was very excited and not at all nervous to play a cop who is very serious and intelligent, someone who speaks and reacts very little but yet communicates a lot through his gestures and expressions. I was fortunate enough because one of my friends works in the anti-narcotics department, and I had met him just before I went for the shoot. So, on day one of shooting, I was actually amazed that the writers and the direction team had researched so well that my character was exactly how these professionals are and look.
You have worked with Bollywood veterans like Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, and Dimple Kapadia. What is that one thing that sets them apart?
There is one common thing in all of them: discipline. They take their work very seriously. So, they don’t consider themselves stars whenever they are working, and they never make you feel that way. At this stage, they are done and dusted. Moreover, success is a zero-gravity state, and to hold on to something with every project, every day, and make sure that things are normal, the fact that they are also actors and that they also have to perform is something that I have learned from these guys. Off screen, they are so disciplined and punctual; they know their lines. And to date, they are students; they want to learn. That is the best part. So, even when I was working with Bachchan sir and Rishi sir, the one thing that I learned is that one has to be a student and not the teacher while at work because that is something that keeps one in the race of growth. One has to be punctual, keep digging things up, rectify them, and become a better actor. I am actually fortunate that whenever I have worked, be it in Gujarati films, plays, or Hindi, I have always worked with legends. And I have learned so much from them. And this is one thing that is common to every actor and every legend. Be disciplined, be on time, know your lines, come on set, and be focused and no-nonsense.