Personal details
- Birth Date: 1957-02-01
- Height: 6′ (1.83 m)
- Birth Location: Udgir, State of Bombay, India
- Children: (2 children) Krishna Shroff
- Parents: Rita Shroff
- Professions: Actor, Producer, Soundtrack
Jaikishen, known to the world as Jackie Shroff, popped into this world on February 1, 1957, in a Gujarati-speaking Shroff family. His dad’s Kakubhai, brother’s Hemant, and they all lived together in Bandra, Bombay, in this swanky bungalow called ‘Le Pepeyon’ (yeah, that’s the name, not making it up). Fast forward, the 1980s roll in, and Jackie just explodes onto the scene—total superstar vibes. When TV started taking over in the 80s, he was already a household name. There’s this wild bit: BR Chopra wanted him as Arjun in the legendary Mahabharata series, but Jackie was like, “Nah, give me Karna or nothing.” The Chopras couldn’t make it work—apparently, Jackie’s schedule was just too packed for a role that needed him in almost every episode. Jackie’s a vegetarian, by the way, and he first showed up in Bollywood with a teeny villain role in Heera Panna (1973) with Dev Anand. Then again in Swami Dada (1982), another Dev Anand flick. But then Subhash Ghai spotted him and cast him in Hero (1983)—boom, overnight stardom. Andar Baahar (1984) with Anil Kapoor just sealed the deal. Suddenly, everyone’s talking about Jackie. Since then? Man’s been in about 150 films, playing pretty much every kind of character you can dream up—good guy, bad guy, comic, even a ghost in Bhoot Unkle (2006). He married his longtime sweetheart, Ayesha, and together they run Jackie Shroff Entertainment Limited. They’ve got two kids—Tiger (Jai) and Krishna. That’s the legend, still kicking around the industry, still doing his thing.
Okay, so here’s a fun slice of Bollywood trivia for you—did you know the surname “Shroff” wasn’t always the family name? The real surname was actually “Saraf” until a generational switch-up pulled by his father. Yeah, it’s wild how something as basic as your last name can just… change, and suddenly you’re a Shroff, not a Saraf. This kind of thing isn’t totally unheard of in India, especially in film circles, where names carry a certain weight—sometimes for luck, sometimes just to stand out or fit in. You’ll find a handful of stars who tweaked their names for the screen, but this one’s a little different since it happened before the fame. Anyway, every time you see “Shroff” on a movie poster or in the credits, remember there’s a bit of history and a quiet twist running underneath. Not just glitz and glamour—sometimes, there’s a family story sitting right in the name.
February 1, 1957
6′ (1.83 m)
Konidela Ram Charan
Udgir, State of Bombay, India
Yes, Krishna Shroff
Rita Shroff and Surekha
68 years old