Way back in 1983, Subhash Ghai’s Hero catapulted Jackie Shroff to stardom. Now, almost three decades later, his son, Tiger, is set to make his acting debut in producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s next. Ask him how he feels and the veteran actor says, “Main kya bolun? (What can I say?) When I made my debut, I didn’t feel anything. I couldn’t understand anything. Similarly, I have no idea how to react to Tiger’s debut. It’s like a dream and when you’re in one, you don’t realise how beautiful it is,” says Jackie.

Busy preparing lunch when we contacted him on Sunday, Jackie immediately passed the phone to his wife Ayesha when we inquired about her sentiments on the matter. “We are proud of Tiger. He has achieved everything on his own. Sajid is a terrific producer and I’m sure he’ll get a brilliant launch. He’s in safe hands,” says the elated mother.

Reports in the recent past suggested that Aamir Khan was set to launch Tiger, but Jackie denies this. “Aamir is just a friend. All those reports stating that he is training Tiger are utter rubbish. People just write what they feel like these days,” says Jackie, who doesn’t discuss work with Tiger at home.

“He has professionals working for him and they take care of everything.” Ayesha adds, “We want the best for our son. But I must say he is a very sensible and disciplined kid. He knows what he wants and how to go about achieving that. He has a solid head on his shoulder.”

Tiger, who has always been a fitness freak, spent the last few years preparing himself for his Bollywood debut. And from the looks of it, he seems ready. “Aisa nahi hai, main bhi uss samay modelling karta tha (It’s not like that, I also used to model when I had just started),” says Jackie, laughing. “When Subhashji signed me for Hero, he treated me like his own kid, and guided me and my career. I’m sure Sajid bhai will be there for Tiger in the same way.”