In May 2024, Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff initiated legal action to safeguard his personality and publicity rights. The actor filed a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court against several entities accused of using his name, photos, voice, and the iconic term ‘Bhidu’ without his consent. However, Shroff made an exception for comedian Krushna Abhishek, permitting only him to impersonate him.
Jackie Shroff discussed his decision to allow Krushna this unique privilege, explaining to the Times of India, “Krushna is a colleague, a talented actor, and someone I am fond of. He excels in his shows, and people enjoy his portrayals of different artists. That’s why I see no harm in him impersonating me. I don’t want people selling things like inners using my name.”
Krushna Abhishek, who is well-known for his impersonations of Shroff on The Great Indian Kapil Show, expressed his deep gratitude for this special permission. He shared, “Being the only person allowed to imitate Jaggu Dada is an incredible honor. I’m truly thankful to him for this privilege. As an artist, it’s immensely fulfilling to know that he appreciates my portrayal and has allowed only me to impersonate him.”
Krushna first mimicked Jackie Shroff on Comedy Circus, though it didn’t gain much attention at the time. However, in 2018, when Kapil Sharma invited Krushna to impersonate Jaggu Dada during an episode featuring Tiger Shroff as a guest, the performance was a massive hit. Due to overwhelming demand, Krushna’s portrayal quickly became a regular feature on Kapil’s show.
Meanwhile, Krushna’s wife, Kashmera Shah, voiced her support for Jackie Shroff’s legal action. She emphasized that imitation is a form of flattery, sharing on Instagram, “To all the disappointed fans that have been messaging us, please understand that IMITATION IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF FLATTERY. Krushna loves #jaggudada @apnabhidu @krushna30.”
Currently, Krushna is featured in the cooking-comedy show Laughter Chefs Unlimited Entertainment, alongside his wife Kashmera Shah. The show is judged by Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi and hosted by Bharti Singh.
