Amitabh Bachchan was limited his success, says Jaaved Jaaferi: ‘Sad place to be’ | Bollywood News

5 min readNew DelhiJul 22, 2026 08:00 PM Jaaved Jaaferi believes Bollywood’s biggest stars can become prisoners of their own success. Citing Amitabh Bachchan as an example, the veteran actor said commercial expectations often stop actors from experimenting with different roles, no matter how accomplished they are. Jaaved also shared his views on today’s generation of actors, typecasting and why he still believes there is much more left for him to achieve as an actor.
Speaking to HT City, the 63-year-old looked back on his four-decade journey in cinema and how both the industry and audiences have evolved over the years.
‘The younger lot is in a hurry’
Comparing actors across generations, Jaaved said every era comes with its own strengths and shortcomings. While he admires the discipline and ambition of younger actors, he believes patience is one quality many of them lack.
“I think the younger lot, they’re in a hurry and they’re not very accommodating and all that. The good part is they are professional, they’re very serious, they’re very focused on what they want. So yes, there are these minuses and pluses.”
He added that every generation has its own way of working, making such differences inevitable.
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‘Commercial success can become a trap’
Jaaved also spoke about one of the biggest challenges actors face after finding commercial success. While he said he has been fortunate enough to play a variety of characters throughout his career, he acknowledged that filmmakers often prefer to cast actors in roles similar to those that have worked before.Story continues below this ad
“I can’t say I’ve been stereotyped. I’ve done everything. I’ve played a villain, I’ve played crazy guys, serious films, this, that and the other. I’ve done everything. What tends to happen is whatever works commercially better, people start approaching you with that in mind, that this works with him. That applies even to the biggest of stars because the moment you become a commodity, they don’t allow you. That’s a sad place to be.”
To explain his point, Jaaved pointed to Amitabh Bachchan’s career, saying even Bollywood’s biggest superstar was once restricted commercial expectations.
“There was a phase when nobody had been bigger than Mr Bachchan. There was a phase when (veteran actor) Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan couldn’t do anything different because it didn’t work. Again, he was limited because the commercial aspects didn’t allow him to move. Now he’s doing the variations which he, as an actor, obviously wanted to do. The commercial aspects didn’t allow him to move.”
‘There’s still a lot left to explore’
Despite working in films for more than four decades, Jaaved said he has consciously avoided overexposing himself taking on varied roles and spacing out his projects.Story continues below this ad
“As an actor, though I have done a lot of work. But you have to space yourself out. The moment you saturate yourself, then it becomes a problem because if you’ve done everything. But the grace of God, I managed it just right. I’ve played a villain, I’ve played crazy guys, done serious films as well. Yet I feel there is a lot more left to explore in me.”
Jaaved on why he never became a 1990s A-l star
Earlier this month, in a conversation with SCREEN, the actor addressed why, despite being recognised for his acting range and dancing skills, he never joined the ranks of Bollywood’s biggest stars in the 1990s.
The actor said an art’s journey is influenced far more than talent alone, pointing to factors such as packaging, PR and industry dynamics.
“I think it depends on how you’re packaged. There’s also PR involved because the industry has its own web. There are times when there’s a negative thing about you out there, so you need a reality check or a positive thing about you being put out. I failed to do that, in some ways. I was also not a part of any group.”Story continues below this ad
He added that one blockbuster can completely transform an actor’s career and cited Salman Khan as an example.
“Nothing speaks like success. Like it happened with Salman Khan. He came in with Biwi Ho Toh Aisi (1988), and people wrote him off. Then Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) happened, and then everybody was running after him. It’s the same Salman Khan! It’s not like he was doing something different than what he was doing in Biwi Ho Toh Aisi. But it’s just the success. And then of course, you grow with that. From that perspective, I never got that big hit.”
Jaaved Jaaferi has been a part of the Hindi film industry for over four decades. The son of veteran comedian Jagdeep, he made his acting debut with Meri Jung (1985) and went on to build a career across comedy, drama and villainous roles.