€In an exclusive chat with The Pioneer, actor Jay Thakkar reflects on his two-decade journey from beloved child artist to dynamic performer with back-to-back releases. With Bhool Chuk Maaf and Kapkapi hitting screens this month, Jay talks about his evolution as an actor, his love for experimenting with genres, emotional memories with the late Sushant Singh, and what it means to finally see his hustle paying off.
Tejal Sinha
From a wide-eyed child star in shows like Gutur Gu and Uttaran to stepping into layered, impactful roles in films like Bhool Chuk Maaf and Kapkapi, Jay Thakkar’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. With two major releases in the same month and under big banners, Jay is savoring the fruits of a two-decade-long hustle marked by patience, rejection, reinvention, and relentless passion. His performances have always carried a spark—be it comedy, drama, or intense character roles—and now, he’s stepping into a new phase that showcases his range like never before. In this heartfelt conversation, Jay opens up about growing through his on-set experiences, rediscovering old bonds, the thrill of being part of experimental cinema, and the bittersweet memories of those who shaped his early days in the industry.
With nearly two decades of experience behind him, Jay reflects on his journey, his new roles, and the people who shaped his artistic spirit.
For Jay, seeing himself in a project backed by Maddock Films — one of the most prominent production houses today — feels nothing short of surreal. Speaking about his role in Bhool Chuk Maaf, he says, “It’s a result of two decades of hard work, patience, struggles, rejections… and now, I also have Kapkapi releasing in the same month.”
Looking back at his journey from being a child actor to a prominent face in today’s content-rich landscape, Jay reflects, “I think I’ve learnt a lot. An actor can only grow when they’re hungry, curious, and eager.” Even if he were to land a Hollywood film, he says his desire to learn would remain the same. “Over the years, I’ve realized the key is to keep learning. That’s what has helped me grow as an actor.”
Interestingly, Jay’s acting résumé includes international work as well. He reveals, “I did a Russian film in my childhood called Rodina. I’m in the entire film, which was released in Russia and is also on YouTube — trailer, posters, everything.”
His desire to explore a range of genres has led him to take on a variety of roles over the years. “I’ve done everything — from daily soaps to playing a psycho terrorist, romance, comedy. Like my role as Rakhban in Hatim — that makeup alone used to take two hours!” For Jay, that role was all about stepping out of his comfort zone. While many actors learn technique in classrooms, Jay says he learned on live sets, guided by directors — a process he feels privileged to have experienced.
In Bhool Chuk Maaf, Jay plays Sushil — the boyfriend of Rajkumar Rao’s character’s sister. Describing the character, he says, “Sushil is someone who makes predictable jokes in serious situations. He thinks of himself as a hero. He even wears a bracelet like Salman Khan. But at heart, he’s a total cutie.”
The film’s loop-based narrative allows Jay’s character to appear throughout, with the same situation repeating in different ways. “It’s going to surprise audiences,” he promises. While the film maintains a strong comic tone, Sushil also gets his romantic moments. “My character has layers and the chance to perform multiple emotional notes. That really intrigued me.”
Jay also shares that the film has a personal touch for him, as it brought together familiar faces. His UP65 co-star plays his love interest in Bhool Chuk Maaf as well. “Both projects were shot in Benaras — it was an amazing reunion,” he adds.
Jay was first briefed on the story by casting director Shivam Gupta’s assistant. He gave a self-test from home without knowing the full context of the story. “I was only told about my character,” he recalls. Having previously played a character with a Banarasi dialect in UP65, Jay believes director Karan Anshuman may have seen that performance.
He reveals, “I was given a scene that also featured Sanjay Mishra sir. I didn’t know it was Rajkumar bhaiya I was helping in the story.” After his audition, Jay was called to the Maddock office to meet the director. His excitement doubled when he found out that his UP65 co-star would again share screen space with him. “It’s a film with a loop structure, something Bollywood hasn’t explored much. That freshness really excited me.”
This wasn’t Jay’s first time working with Rajkumar Rao. They had previously shared the screen in a short film, where Rajkumar played his father. Jay fondly remembers an instance on the Bhool Chuk Maaf set where Rajkumar surprised him with a sweet gesture. “He came up to my mom, remembered how she used to accompany me to shoots during my childhood, touched her feet, and praised my work ethic. That meant so much.”
Jay also recalls a humorous moment during a scene where his character was eating while Rajkumar’s character had to interrupt him. But Rajkumar kept silent to test Jay’s improvisation skills. “I was like ‘Kachori hogaya, jalebi pass kar na… lassi dena.’ He was shocked and gave me this expression like, ‘Yeh kya hai, thooste jaa raha hai, madad nahi kar raha!’”
While Bhool Chuk Maaf explores rom-com in a refreshing loop format, Kapkapi is a horror-comedy that was shot earlier in Delhi, back in December two years ago. It stars Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade and is inspired by the South Indian hit Romancham.
Jay confesses he didn’t watch the original film before his audition — unintentionally to his advantage. “The casting person was glad I hadn’t. They wanted something fresh and original from me,” he explains. To ensure authenticity, Jay added a unique Gujarati flavour to his character. “I’ve given my own ‘takyakalap’ which is ‘Bhai-la.’ People will get it when they watch.”
He recalls a funny improvised moment in the teaser — a bathroom scene with Shreyas Talpade. “Shreyas enters and says, ‘Arey band toh kar leta.’ As I got up, he goes, ‘Abey abhi nahi, mere jaane ke baad!’ None of that was in the script. It was all just both of us having fun on set.”
A character that has got its own memories is playing Sushant Singh Rajput’s brother in Pavitra Rishta. Amidst the laughter and new projects, Jay grows emotional when speaking about the late Sushant Singh Rajput. “I really miss him even now,” he shares. They had spent time together during their Balaji days, often sharing a room during night shoots. “My mom used to send theplas with me, and they would disappear. She’d ask where they went, and Sushant bhaiya would say, ‘I had them.’ So eventually, my mom started packing a separate box for him too.”
Their bond was more than just food and jokes. Sushant would sneak coffee for Jay — something his mother had forbidden — in exchange for theplas. “He used to pull my leg about my Bournvita ad. He and Ankita didi pampered me a lot but never treated me like a kid.”
Jay describes Sushant as a calm and grounded person, never angry even during hectic schedules. “He was always chill, no matter how busy the day was.”
Whether it’s looped rom-coms, horror-comedies, or nostalgic friendships, Jay Thakkar brings authenticity to every performance. Through years of navigating film sets, language switches, character types, and genres, he has grown into an actor who values realness above all. “Bringing reality into acting — that’s what makes an actor grow,” he emphasizes.
From traveling in public buses from Thane to now working with some of the biggest names in the industry, Jay’s journey is a testament to his resilience and reinvention — and the best, it seems, is yet to come.
