Bindaas about showbiz

Rubinder Gill talks to Jagmeet Samundri, the lad from Mukerian who’s smitten by the small screen

ROAD to stardom and Mumbai can be long, heartbreaking and arduous. Few succeed. But, when laughing and making others laugh becomes the life’s mantra, the journey seems easier. Mukerian-lad Jagmeet Samundri has a habit of doing things with a smile and evoking laughs gives him satisfaction. That is exactly what this bindaas guy is doing on the screen too, playing pranks on people while hosting the show Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai on SAB TV every Thursday at 9.30 pm.

The show, which is all about conning people and finding a bakra to evoke a few laughs, requires tremendous presence of mind, says this anchor.

"We don’t have a tight script for the show. It is just a loose framework around which we work. Sometimes, the situation can also go out of hand and then your wits come into play. After all, you have to rescue the show and yourself. It is all about thinking and acting on spur of the moment. With no retakes or cuts, you should have the ability to handle the situation and keep things within the framework."

Acting interested Jagmeet from a young age. He started with mimicking people and singing when he was in school. He has had a long association with Chandigarh as well. He graduated in commerce with honours from Government College, Sector 11, and then did his Master’s in Mass Communication from Panjab University.

While on the campus he hosted a number of stage shows. During five years of dedicated theatre in the city, he acted in plays Ladaai, Bury the Dead, Maha Bhoj and Death of a Salesman, among others.

This artiste has also dabbled in music videos, tele-films, serials, films, and anchored more than 50 stage shows all over Punjab.

Besides the music video Kharka Darka, he has acted in Hindi film Hawayein, directed by Amitoje Mann, tele-film Anant, directed by Suraj Rao, and quiet a few serials, including Kya Haadsa Kya Haqeeqat, Crime Patrol (Sony TV), Shh.. Koi Hai, Special Squad (Star), Awaaz (Zee) and Aap Beeti (DD).

His other projects include two films that are still under production: Lal Churiyaan in Punjabi and the other in Hindi (yet to be named), where he plays the bad guy.

Does he like playing the baddie? "Well these are roles that I have been offered and I have taken them. There must be something in my looks that I am being offered such roles. Dark and intense type, eh," he adds with a laugh.

Jagmeet has also lent his voice for movies and cartoon characters, besides working as an assistant director to famous action director Veeru Devgan.