Jim Sarbh on having back-to-back releases, 'It is overwhelming that Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway and Rocket Boys 2 are coming together'

Jim Sarbh never fails to impress the audience with his brilliant acting chops. The actor wowed everyone as Dr Homi J Bhabha in Rocket Boys last year and now, he is once again is back as the iconic nuclear physicist in Rocket Boys 2. The Free Press Journal caught up with him for an exclusive chat. 

When asked if he feels that the Rocket Boys franchise is path breaking in his career, he says, “Oh is it? An actor can keep hearing praises about himself. We shot 80 per cent of the show even before the first season came out. We shot everything simultaneously. The second schedule wasn’t that long but we tried to improve upon a lot of things on the basis of season one. We were open to discuss. I think in that aspect, it went really well.”

He adds, “Our approach was the same since we shot in one go. Our intent was to only tell a great story over two seasons. As an actor, responsibility is less on my shoulders. I can always put my hands up and say I am an actor and I did my job. But the matter of fact is that we tried to make the best show back then.”

Just like Dr Homi J Bhabha, Jim is also a Parsi. When asked if physicality, similarity and lineage help in enacting a certain character, he explains, “It all depends on how good the actor is. I think you play on an easier level if your background is similar to what of the character. I wouldn’t say it is unachievable to someone else but it also depends upon the quality of the writing, direction along with the ability of the actor.”

Jim has carved his niche and is known to be picky. “Yes, I am picky. It is overwhelming that two of my projects; Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway and Rocket Boys 2 are coming together in the same month. One can barely enjoy one release but for me, its two releases,” he gushes.

Shedding some light on taking the unconventional route as an actor, Jim shares, “I never thought like that. This is how it is. Maybe certain projects came my way and I picked them. The characters saw me in those roles, be it in Neerja (2016), Sanju (2018) or Rocket Boys.”

Rocket Boys 2 is now streaming on an OTT platform. Directed by Abhay Pannu, it also stars Ishwak Singh, Regina Cassandra, Saba Azad, Arjun Radhakrishnan and Dibyendu Bhattacharya in pivotal roles.