It was July 2012, and Jackie Shroff found himself trending on social media for unsavoury reasons. A video shot in 1998 had surfaced on the internet mysteriously, showing unflattering behind-the-scenes footage of the actor. Jackie, it seems, was shooting for a Pulse Polio ad and was struggling with the dialogues. Unable to mouth some of the tongue-twisting lines in shudh Hindi and Marathi, he punctuated his sentences with hilarious expletives mostly (and inexplicably) directed at his aunt. Every time he goofed up, he breaks into: “Maushichi g@*D!” along with other assorted gaalis. And just like that, Jackie Shroff changed our lives, adding a new swear word to our repertoire. To say that the video was funny is an understatement. It’s side-splittingly hilarious and showed a goofy side to the actor who’s used to playing dignified characters. February 1 is the OG Bhidu’s 62nd birthday. And on this joyous occasion, we couldn’t help but share this gem of a video because it’s a gift that keeps on giving. Jackie Shroff's Airport Look Will Make You Scream 'Maushichi'.

The video starts with the ad where a Jackie tells parents to take their children to the nearest medical centre and administer two vital drops of the oral polio vaccine on December 6, 1998, and January 17, 1999. Looking at his straight-faced earnestness, nobody could guess what went on behind the scenes. Jackie Shroff Clearing the Traffic on Lucknow Roads Is Making the Internet Go Crazy (Watch Video).

Here’s the video:

It turns out, Jackie had a hard time remembering the lines. The veteran actor struggled with the enunciation, breaking into expletive after expletive. One can say that there were more swear words than actual lines in the video.

In the end, Jackie was forced to explain himself after the video caught on like wildfire, causing him major embarrassment. He told TOI: “I certainly don't mind masti mazaak and have a great sense of humour. But this video going online in its unedited version is something which is in very bad taste. Even as we speak, I am off to Rajasthan for work, and I would appreciate if people get on with their own lives instead of making fun of senior actors and noble causes."

While some netizens gave him grief about how he conducted himself behind the camera, many like yours truly were truly thankful for his unrestrained performance. I have no qualms about admitting that I watched it an unhealthy number of times and may have lost some friends in the process.

Heck, we don’t know about polio awareness, but Jackie sure did spread a lot of laughter. And for that, we are forever grateful. Here’s wishing the Bhidu a lot of happiness and love on his 62nd birthday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 01, 2019 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).