Here’s everything to know about ‘The Diplomat’ actor, Jagjeet Sandhu, who played the role of ‘Tahir’ in John Abraham and Sadia Khateeb’s movie.

Punjabi actor, Jagjeet Sandu has been creating waves for his role as a Pakistani taxi driver named, ‘Tahir’ in The Diplomat. The actor was seen next to John Abraham and Sadia Khateeb in the movie, which has been streamed on Netflix. Amid the India-Pakistan tension, the movie has gained the top spot on the OTT giant platform. Jageet played the real-life role of ‘Tahir’, a Pakistani man to Desh ki beti, Uzma Ahmed. She was reportedly trapped by him, taken to Pakistan, and made to marry at gunpoint. Jagjeet, as ‘Tahir’, was shown to play with the emotions of the Indian girl, Uzma, who trusted him in love.

Jagjeet as ‘Tahir’, played the role with full conviction and took the limelight. In the movie, he meets Uzma in Malaysia, and then she is trapped, taken to Pakistan’s Buner and is forced to marry. Jagjeet’s character is shown to be already married with four kids. She trusts him as she thinks Buner will help her get good treatment for her daughter with Thalassemia. However, there’s more to know about Jagjeet, who started off his career in Punjabi cinema.

The Diplomat’s Jagjeet Sandhu started his career with the Pollywood movies, did theatre since 7

Jagjeet was born on June 8, 1991 and started doing theatre since the time he was 7. It was from Panjab University in Chandigarh where the actor completed his Master’s degree and then became a part of Padma Shree Neelam Mann Singh’s theatre organisation called The Company Theatre. Jagjeet over there did theatre for like 15 years and then bagged his first movie, Rupinder Gandhi, back in 2015. The film was a blockbuster hit, and his role as ‘Bhola’ was remembered by his fans. His filmy career then started, and the actor reportedly then did 16 Pollywood movies. His last movie before The Diplomat was Sufna in 2020.

Even in the movie, Speed, which was Jagjeet’s second movie, and Qissa Panjab, 2015, the actor got recognised internationally. Deepa Mehta, who is an Academy Award Nominee, had selected the actor to play an important role in her movie named, The Anatomy of Violence, 2016, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Jagjeet’s work in Mehsampur, 2018, gave him a place in the film festivals of Sydney, Goa and Mami. His Bollywood debut was with the movie, Leila back in 2019 on Netflix.

When Jagjeet Sandhu used to get Rs. 50 as a child artist

Jagjeet has had a rustic life in a small village back in Fatehgarh Sahib district, Himmatgarh Chhanna, Punjab. He took a responsible job on his little shoulders since he was 7. His acting was noticed by his school officials at when he was 7. The actor was enrolled in a theatre group called, Amloh. His inner fire got fuelled, and he started getting Rs. 50 for the performances he did in the villages. The money he used to receive made his family happy. Even in college, he had won the Best Actor Accolades award in varied youth competitions, and his versatility was appreciated.

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Jagjeet’s work in the cinematic industry has all been about exploring varied characters that showcase different layers of the human mind. He always liked the enjoyment his characters got and likes to spend most of the time exploring new character avenues.

Did you know Jagjeet Sandhu got the role of ‘Tahir’ in The Diplomat due to his eyebrows?

Jagjeet, in an interview with Connect FM Canada, shared that he got the Bollywood movie, Diplomat starring John Abraham, all due to his thick, bushy and arched eyebrows. The words of the actor did have some truth, as when he was asked why he does not groom his eyebrows, Jagjeet said:

“Thank God for my thick and bushy eyebrows! When I auditioned for the role in Diplomat, the director told me that my eyebrows gave a certain depth and seriousness to my character, which made me a perfect fit for the role.”

Jagjeet Sandhu’s co-star, Sadia Khateeb, reveals being punched by him in real

Sadia played the role of real real-life victim named, Uzma Ahmed. During an interview with Bollywood Bubble, the actress shared that she was beaten in real life by the actor, which was filmed and shown in the movie. There is a scene where Sadia a.k.a Uzma, is relentlessly slapped by Jagjeet, alias ‘Tahir’. Speaking about that entire sequence, she shared that it was not planned, but the slap happened in the blink, in the heat of the moment, it happened. In the words of Sadia:

“It was a real slap, it was a real punch. He was really beating me up and that was the idea to bring the honesty at that point for me as an actor, was to make it look as real as possible. So even when we were on set, we were trying to make it less harmful, but it wasn’t happening in real life.”

What do you think of Jagjeet Sandhu and his role in The Diplomat?