Mahesh Bhatt says, ‘Gulshan Grover, never over!” – Gulshan Grover

In an exclusive conversation with Sumita Chakraborty, ‘bad man’ Gulshan Grover talks about films, his son and how ‘bad man’ has become a brand now.

He’s the man who paved the transitional golden path through global cinema and Bollywood. He’s worked in multiple films from different countries and of course in Bollywood, he’s made an indelible niche for himself. Yes, we are talking about the ‘bad man’ himself, actor par excellence Gulshan Grover... the man who never gives up. In a candid conversation, the amazing Gulshan Grover talks about his fab role in Sooryavanshi, his journey as an actor, his pride, his son Sanjay and more.

You’ve done some magical work in the Hindi film industry and abroad – in fact, you were the pioneer who paved the way to Global cinema for other actors who inspired by you also went international, how has the journey been?

I’m very happy that the mud pot that I created between Bollywood and Hollywood is being cemented and followed by some very wonderful super talented colleagues of mine whether it is Priyanka Chopra and many others. I’m not the first actor to act in Hollywood but I’m the first actor to start a transition from Hollywood to Bollywood – that you go there and come back. That wasn’t there earlier. I’m very happy to have created that transition. For me, it has been a fantastic journey and I have worked in multiple films in multiple countries in Hollywood to France, Germany, Malaysia to even Poland. I’m enjoying this. India is now my base and I’m enjoying the wonderful success here.

Tell us about Sooryavanshi, I believe you have a great role in it... how was it working with Rohit Shetty, Akshay, Ranveer, Katrina and all?

First of all, I’m extremely excited that the film is being liked by the public and fans. Sooryavanshi has set the way and opened the doors to watch more films in theatres in a healthy environment. I went to the theatre to see the film and the response was so overwhelming that the security told me ‘Sir please leave – you wont be able to sit and watch the film’ because the response to my character and to the film has been extraordinary. My experience with working with Rohit Shetty has been fantastic. When I got a call from Rohit asking me if I would be interested in playing the opposition against all the heroes, I was very excited. All the actors and the director treated me with a lot of respect – he has a large battery of young assistants who are extremely efficient and helpful. What I like about Rohit is that he allows his actors to express themselves freely and helms it so well that it fits in with his expression of the picture.

“I’m very happy that the mud pot that I created between Bollywood and Hollywood is being cemented and followed by some very wonderful super talented colleagues of mine whether it is Priyanka Chopra and many others.”

My biggest excitement was working with my dear friend Akshay Kumar after such a long time. Akshay and I have worked in multiple films including the Khiladi series where I have been the bad guy and he was the hero. But after that, there was a gap. But when he met me, he was so happy to see me as part of the same film. It was touching. We shot so many pictures with each other. I remember he told his makeup man to click pictures of us and after that, he kissed me on the forehead. It was really wonderful. I’ve also worked with Katrina after a long time. It was very enjoyable. But the icing on the cake was being back with a brother.

“My biggest excitement was working with my dear friend Akshay Kumar after such a long time.”

You are one actor who has worked with the senior actors as well as the new gen, do you find any difference in your association with both?

The younger gen is far more ready, talented, more there and delivers very fast. The senior gen learnt a lot on the job. They learnt while

“What I like about Rohit Shetty is that he allows his actors to express themselves freely and helms it so well that it fits in with his expression of the picture.”

they were acting while the younger gen comes ready. The younger gen has been exposed to a lot and so make less mistakes. We learnt on the job as our seniors did. But at that time, there was a lot of patience. Directors these days don’t have the time to teach so there’s less patience and that’s why they need everybody ready. I learnt from my seniors by asking them questions, I learnt from the younger gen by observing them.

The pandemic has been bad for a lot of actors, how did you cope with the pandemic?

The pandemic has been terrible for everybody. It’s been the worst time for human beings – all mighty countries, large medical systems fell apart. It scared everybody. But it brought back the faith in home remedies, Ayurveda, age old remedies. It made us realise how meaningless material things were – that fancy watch you never wore, the branded clothes you hadn’t touched. It amplified love for each other and it brought out the niceness out of people. Everybody became more caring. It also brought this feeling that if you’re healthy, you are wealthy. But it was scary. Here we were discovering things in space yet we haven’t sorted out this world. So people now found more meaning within their house. For me, what was really wonderful that my son Sanjay Grover, who lives in the LA, came home during the pandemic. So it became a fantastic time for father and son to bond. It was a fantastic time for father and son to iron out differences of opinion. For me, it was a learning experience as my son’s thought of cinema is very younger, very fresh and recent. My being Mr Cinema is because of being years in the world of cinema. But he would watch a film or a webseries and discuss with me. He would give me assignments (haha) – ‘father watch this film and we will discuss it in the evening.’ For me the pandemic was a learning experience – for me to understand him more and for him, to understand me more.

“ Mahesh Bhatt says, ‘You always have something new you always do’. Those words are coming true and at the moment you can say, Gulshan Grover is on a roll.”

“I see everything in my son. The pandemic has taught me that the young man knows cinema better than me and I will be his support.”

Since we are talking about Sanjay, he is one of the top most guys in a big studio in USA, have you ever thought of settling down in America and trying Hollywood full-time?

No no, I’m trying the other way around. I’m mostly emotionally blackmailing him to come back to India ( Ha ha). Sanjay and I are family and I want to be with him. As I get older, it will be difficult to travel every month to meet him. I’m emotionally blackmailing him and showing him my ‘helpless father’ side to him so that he returns home.

You are doing some very interesting roles in a couple of web series too... have you stepped into the digital world with a bang?

Mahesh Bhatt used to tell me, ‘Gulshan Grover, never over!’ every time, he met me. He’d say, ‘You always have something new you always do’. Those words are coming true and at the moment you can say, Gulshan Grover is on a roll – Sooryavanshi has released and is doing stupendously well... I’m getting congratulatory calls from film makers, friends and fans. I’m also doing an interesting web-series called Your Honor 2 – this web-series was appreciated a lot in the first season. I’m there in the second season. The makers Applause entertainment and Sony showed immense faith in me by putting me on the first poster. So the bad man is coming to make the life of your honor more difficult. There is another interesting film called Cash which is by Vishesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt’s son and Mahesh Bhatt’s nephew – this film had everyone young, the only senior person on set was me. Vishesh had requested his father and uncle not to come to the set. I was delighted working with these young minds. That film is also releasing on Hotstar – it’s about ‘notebandi’ - demonetisation. It’s a very quirky film. I’m the bad man in the picture.

“The pandemic has taught me that you can work around things - your decisions pave the way to other better things so one should leave things as they are.”

Talking about ‘bad man’, for multiple years people have played some characters – like angry young man - Mr Bachchan, Bhidu -Jackie Shroff, and me as Bad man – ‘Bad Man’ now has been launched as a brand by an Ayurveda company. It’s a great achievement that a popular character ‘bad man’ has been converted into a brand. It’s a men’s grooming products. I’m hoping soon there will multiple products using ‘bad man’ as a brand and they call it ‘bad will be the new good’. I also have my autobiography - the ‘Bad Man’ is in English published by Penguin. During the pandemic, Penguin and Prabhat Publication produced my biography in Hindi and it was released recently. So it is an exciting time for me.

Since it’s the raging topic about this “insiders versus outsiders”, you are the actor who was from outside the film industry yet you made a niche for yourself... what is your opinion about this?

I will say only one sentence – ‘everybody at one point was an outsider but is an insider now’. We always welcome outsiders to become insiders. Outsiders will be insiders some time and they will take the legacy of cinema forward.

Do you see yourself turning producer or even director as you’ve lived such an interesting life and have gleaned so many experiences, who better than you to showcase them in directing or producing your own film or web series?

My son works in MGM studio. He’s a Hollywood producer. I’m convincing him like they do in old Hindi films – how the budi ma kehte hain bachche mujhe akela mat rehne do. I’m creating that kind of scenes. (Ha Ha) He will be here and he will be producing some films and webseries and I will be Sanjay’s proud father and proud associate, assistant or guide. I see everything in my son. The pandemic has taught me that the young man knows cinema better than me and I will be his support.

Lastly when you look back at your journey, is there anything you want to change?

I don’t think one can change things. Earlier, I used to say that there are many films I shouldn’t have done or I shouldn’t have rejected some films. But the pandemic has taught me that you can work around things - your decisions pave the way to other better things so one should leave things as they are. So many friends, colleagues, family survived, so many didn’t... so things should be left in the hands of God always.