Punjabi actor Jag Singh wants to use the experience he has gained in Hollywood in Punjabi films
From a trucker to a model for military equipment props, to an actor in Punjab as well as Los Angeles, Jag Singh’s journey is stuff dreams are made of! Born as Jagjit Singh Bajwa, in Gurdaspur district, Jag moved to the United States post his high school. Opting for trucking as a profession to begin with, the man with dreams hankered for more. After completing his Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) certification, with a career as a firefighter or a police officer in mind, he still pursued theatre in America.
Jag’s first break came as a military equipment model. Some independent movies in the Bay Area, more advertisements, Jag landed roles in Punjabi films. Dakuan Da Munda, Rang Punjab, Rocky Mental and Medal to his credit, Jag, in his fifth, shared screen space with Babbu Maan, who is playing the lead antagonist in Sucha Soorma.
“I have done theatre. Narration was one of my first jobs. I did plenty of independent films in San Francisco and Los Angeles,” Jag says. His big break came as in the voice in popular video game Call of Duty (COD) A Modern Warfare. “I have become a significant character, Gustavo Gus Rodriguez, in COD.”
Sucha Soorma has brought much attention Jag’s way. “It was a pleasure working with legendary Babbu Maan in Sucha Soorma. He’s such a jolly person and phenomenal person as well as artiste,” he says. “We had a great time and we truly looked like friends in the film. We have become friends off the camera as well,” he added.
Being an Indian is very challenging in Los Angeles acting circles, even more so for Jag. “My portfolio doesn’t match with the typical Indian characters they’re looking for. All the Northern Indians were really different, the South Indians even more so. So, I get calls to play a Spanish or Italian characters generally.” His first Hollywood project he plays an American CIA operative. The project details are still under wraps. “It’s again a Spanish operative that I get to play.”
Jag is amazed at the very friendly, family environment in Punjab vis-à-vis the professional setup in LA. “Sets in Punjabi industry are like a bunch of friends or family members coming together. We are a new industry and by those standards we’re doing pretty great.” But it’s not here that Jag wants to rest. Growing up watching Hollywood movies, he was a huge fan of James Bond series, Western movies – Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Mel Gibson starrers. Even in India, Jag follows Amir Khan and Amitoj Maan, actors who turned directors. “All these great directors who were actors first are my inspiration. Clint Eastwood was an actor and then he became a director. Mel Gibson was an actor and then became one of greatest directors.”
Jag dreams of Punjabi cinema to be on par with Hollywood. “All that I’m learning in Hollywood; whatever I have seen and experienced, I want to use that and take the Punjabi film industry to the next level.”
