Bollywood’s Grover plays bad guy, again, in Malaysian-produced film
HE is so synonymous with villainous roles that he is referred to as “Bad Man” by his fans.
Award-winning Indian actor Gulshan Grover is thankful for being cast a baddie in most of the 400 movies he has starred in.
For the 61-year-old artiste, actors who play antagonistic roles have a longer shelf life compared with those who play the hero.
“The lifespan of an actor who plays the leading man is shorter, since how long can one maintain and look the part as the leading man?
“Once the good looks are gone there goes the chance of landing the role.
“So, yes, in retrospect, I think I’ve made a good career choice,” said Grover, who was in Malaysia recently to attend the trailer launch of the film I’m Not A Terrorist at TGV 1 Utama in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Produced by Malaysian company White Merpati Entertainment, the film was mostly shot in Kashmir, India.
I’m Not A Terrorist is based on a true story of Kashmir-born Ummar, who was sent by his mother to study in Malaysia after his father died. His father’s death was linked to terrorism.
However, the real terrorist is none other than local gangster Abu Zar (Grover), who has been terrorising people in Kashmir to gain control.
He said among the challenges playing the villain was on making the character as interesting and memorable to viewers as much as the hero itself.
“When you’re the villain, your screen time is shorter. It’s up to you to make it work for you and the film. It can be difficult to play a baddie, like when I play Abu Zar.
“People in Kashmir are generally good, and playing this bad character from there gives them a bad reputation,” said Grover, who always felt uneasy when his character had to be mean to children.
In one scene in the film, he had to grab Malaysian actress Chacha Maembong’s neck.
“I apologised to her later. I always apologise to actors whenever we are involved in a violent scene.”
Grover said it was his responsibility to look convincing in his portrayal, but at the same time, to be respectful of his co-stars.
Besides Grover, I’m Not A Terrorist also sees Bollywood stars Farida Jalal and Rahul Dev. Malaysian artistes include Afiq Muiz, Betty Benafe, Khir Mohd Noor and Datuk Jalaluddin Hassan.
Present at the trailer launch was Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.
The film will open here and in India on Oct 5. By Tahir Alhamzah