A villain actor to c

neha@khaleejtimes.com

Gulshan Grover’s name

is synonymous with villainy. The actor has been playing the ‘Bad Man’ since the inception of the concept. He entered Bollywood in the ’70s and has been lauded for his portrayal of the antagonist in movies like Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, Yes Boss, Khanjar and many more. Becoming a villain wasn’t a twist of fate for the actor. “It was absolutely an intentional decision based on many things. The first one being, I was and always will be passionate about acting. And I want to be able to act my entire life,” explained Grover.

“If you play a hero, your shelf life is based on your good looks, your vanity and your age. After some time, you just sit at home and look back at your achievements. I want to act even when I’m aged, even if people don’t find me attractive or don’t find me worthy of a poster – which as a hero you must (do).”

“Secondly, it was also an intelligent marketing decision. With a very average personality and built, I was just like any regular person you see on the streets. Now, I’m glamorous, I’ve become a star (laughs). So, with these elements, plus the desire and the passion to want to be able to act, irrespective of my age, of how I physically look, how active I am, even if I’m walking with a stick I can play a villain very well,” Gulshan told us when he dropped by the Khaleej Times office on Saturday to speak to us about his upcoming projects and ‘emotionally blackmailing’ his son Sanjay Grover to move back to India from California and join the Indian film industry.

With all this villainy behind him, he sure knows a thing or two about the inner workings of a deviant mind. Grover has penned his journey from the early days in the industry. His autobiography Bad Man will soon be seeing a worldwide release.

I was and always will be passionate about acting. And I want to be able to act my entire life.” Gulshan Grover

Working with Sanjay

Gulshan is working with his son on Hope Solo, which is being produced by Sanjay.

Hope Solo is a biopic on Afshan Ashiq, a female footballer from Kashmir who grabbed headlines as an alleged stone pelter.

When asked about his son, Gulshan was all praise.

“My son Sanjay is a great achiever in his own right. Soon after his post graduation from UCLA in Los Angeles, he started working in Hollywood’s MGM Studios. He worked there for almost 13 years. I’m very proud of him. He is the first Bollywood kid to work in a Hollywood studio as a top executive. And now, with emotional blackmail, and acting and crying on the phone everyday, I have convinced him to try and live in India, because it’s just us father and son. He agreed on certain conditions, he will produce various films, one of them is Hope Solo. He is also in the process of producing a very large film, which is set in the UAE, more details to come in the next press conference when he is there by my side.”

Transformation of the villain

Playing the bad guy isn’t something every actor gravitates towards. It’s a methodically thought out process, something not all artists can pull off. Through the years, we’ve seen the arc this character has gone through from a typical rowdy to the everyday man. And Gulshan is quick to second that.