2007 – This was the time when Aanand L. Rai was a newbie film director and Jimmy Sheirgill was an established actor with a decade of experience behind him. The filmmaker wanted to make an intense dramatic thriller and he needed an actor who was not just good looking but could also surprise the audience. Jimmy Sheirgill agreed to step in and though the film didn’t do well, it gave Aanand a platform.
That film was Strangers.
2017 – 10 years down the line, Jimmy Sheirgill stays on to be quite active in the world of films and is doing more and more interesting films with a different character to enact each time around. He has moved on from being a chocolate boy hero. Meanwhile, Aanand L. Rai is now a director of repute with several successes behind him, be it Tanu Weds Manu, Tanu Weds Manu Returns or Raanjhanaa.

During this decade gone by, Aanand has not just directed but also produced a few films. While he and Jimmy have stayed on to be friends over a period of time, there is also a strong professional bond between the two, something that reflects in the sheer number of films that they have done together.
Barring Raanjhanaa, Jimmy has featured in each of Aanand’s directorial outings, be it Strangers, Tanu Weds Manu or Tanu Weds Manu Returns. This isn’t all as he has also featured in Happy Bhag Jayegi which was produced by Aanand.
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Now with Mukkabaaz, it would be fifth time that the director and actor would be coming together. Playing an Uttar Pradesh Baahubali, Jimmy is the villain of the show in the film which is directed by Anurag Kashyap and backed by Eros. This is in fact also the first time together that Jimmy and Anurag are working together and one can well believe that Aanand would have had a good role to play in bringing this ‘jodi’ togther.
While Mukkabaaz would mark their fifth film together, there is more on the cards. Come Summer 2018 and the duo would be seen in their sixth film together, Happy Bhaag Jaayegi Returns. While the shooting of the film is already on, one waits to see whether Jimmy finally manages to get a bride for himself.
As for Mukkabaaz, the film releases all over on 12th January and one waits to see what the actor has in store for his producer this time around.
Joginder Tuteja tweets @tutejajoginder