Jackie Shroff says he realised early on in his career that an actor should enjoy stardom but never let success go to one's head.
Jackie, a Bollywood veteran with over 30 years of experience, believes it is important for an actor to be content than chase stardom. "Both my hands are empty. I'm still the same person. Back in the day, when I met the highly popular stars, I realised we are nothing in front of them. I knew I had to be happy and content," Jackie said.
"Enjoy the stardom, the work and let your craft be appreciated by people but don't take stardom to your head. I haven't and may be that's why I am still here," he added. The actor is currently gearing up for his digital debut with Applause Entertainment's Criminal Justice.
The Hotstar Special is the Indian adaptation of the hit BBC series of the same name, which was later adapted into the Emmy Award-winning HBO show The Night Of. The show, directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and Vishal Furia, features Jackie as a prison inmate, a character which he described as "complex and unpredictable".
"The character spoke my language and therefore it was within my grasp. I had also seen Tigmanshu's work and I knew the treatment he would be bringing to the show would be incredible. I dived straight in to the character. There was so much to do for me."
Criminal Justice, also starring Vikrant Massey, Pankaj Tripathi and Mita Vashisht, starts streaming from April 5.