# Jackie Shroff is ‘like a child’, says The Great Grand Superhero director 2026-08-21T13:32:51+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Director Manish Saini has said Jackie Shroff was the perfect fit for the film The Great Grand Superhero because of his childlike curiosity and natural rapport with young actors. The film, which explores themes of ageing and self-worth through the story of a retired superhero grandfather, had a theatrical release earlier this year and will have its world digital premiere on KidZ on ZEE5 on August 21, 2026. In an interview with Filmfare, Saini explained that the idea came from wondering what a superhero's life might look like after youth. The arrival of a child in the story, who believes in the grandfather, became central to the narrative. Saini said the film also addresses the human need for recognition and appreciation, especially as people grow older. Saini said directing Shroff was effortless and that Shroff was actively involved throughout the shoot, often staying on set even when not required. The director said he avoided workshops and rehearsals to preserve spontaneity, but Shroff quickly became comfortable with the child actors. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Jackie Shroff, now 68, has in recent years taken on character roles that play with his established star persona, from a gangster in The Yogi to a lovable patriarch in Radhe Shyam. The Great Grand Superhero fits this pattern by centering a superhero story not on action but on the emotional arc of a man past his prime. The digital premiere on a kid-focused platform suggests the film is targeting family audiences on streaming, a growing segment for Indian cinema. The August 21 release date will be watched for how it performs against other OTT premieres that month. ## Coverage - bollywoodhungama.com The piece is a straight promotional interview with the director, no critical or evaluative framing. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Jackie Shroff, Manish Saini, The Great Grand Superhero, Zee5 Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/jackie-shroff-is-like-a-child-says-the-great-grand-superhero-director/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/jackie-shroff-is-like-a-child-says-the-great-grand-superhero-director/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/