For a long time, Bollywood films were more about good versus evil. Villains played an important part in ensuring that the hero's goodness shines through. While a majority of contemporary subjects don't have much scope for the hero's nemesis, one name that comes to mind when you think of 'Bad Man' is Gulshan Grover. The veteran actor, who was known for his various get-ups, became synonymous with the term after his character Kesariya Vilayati repeated those words in Ram Lakhan (1989). He's also one of our first actors to make a successful transition into Hollywood as he bagged pivotal parts in films like Beeper, Blind Ambition, Desperate Endeavours and Prisoners Of The Sun. Of late, he has also acted in Iranian, Malaysian and Canadian films. As he gears up for the release of UnIndian, an Indo-Aussie venture, we catch up with the actor. Excerpts...

UnIndian is former fast bowler Brett Lee's Bollywood debut. What is your role in this romance between an Indian single mother and an Aussie teacher?
Brett is the first non-Indian actor to not only do Bollywood-style singing and dancing, but also perform many entertaining and romantic scenes like our heroes. All I can say is that everything changes when my character arrives on screen. It's difficult to judge if I'm the good guy or bad guy. I give a new dimension to the story.

Previously, cricketers like Sandeep Patil too ventured into movies but didn't succeed. What's your take on an Aussie cricketer acting in a Hindi film?
Earlier, sportsmen made their onscreen debuts when they were riding high on their popularity. Once, I was supposed to shoot with Mahendra Singh Dhoni after UnIndian's schedule in Sydney and he told me that Brett is an entertainer in the dressing room and on field as well. Brett was open to understanding how the director wanted him to play the role. He was ready to learn and didn't have an 'I-know-it-all' attitude. When you watch the film, you'll love him as an actor.

Even though you've stopped portraying villainous roles, you're still synonymous with the moniker Bad Man.
Today, the so-called iconic baddies of Indian cinema have disappeared. Now, stories have become more realistic. When a subject has an interesting villain, filmmakers ideate on how to make it newsworthy and cast someone unusual for that role.

Every time you played a negative role, you sported a distinct look. Where did that inspiration come from?
It came from the acting school where Anil Kapoor and Mazhar Khan were my batchmates. Everyday, we would play different characters. If you were same as the day before, the entire class laughed at you. I watched a lot of movies and noticed that despite diverse roles, actors looked the same in each of their films. Initially, I put in a lot of effort in the external aspect of the character. It was only after achieving stardom that I could sit with the director and add my own nuances to the roles. Most of the inspiration came from observing real life, and Pran saab has been my biggest inspiration.

Why did you switch to playing positive characters?
I think my exposure to the West helped me a lot. Also, movies like I Am Kalam showed that I was ready to adapt and I wasn't resting on my past laurels. When I was nominated for the National Award, the chairperson of the jury, J P Dutta told me, 'It was very difficult to not give you the award.' Even when I did a film like Gangster, where I play the loving Godfather of the hero and yet kill him, I wasn't playing a one-dimensional role. After spending time in the West, people thought I don't live here anymore and am not interested in working in India. I had to restart because they felt 'Yeh toh Hollywood chala gaya'. I had my talent and brand to begin my new innings with a different style of acting. I was ready to show them the new me.

You're one of the first mainstream actors to venture into Hollywood, despite facing cynicism on your home turf. Today, actors like Irrfan, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone are bagging prominent parts in Hollywood films.What are your views on this?
Earlier, it wasn't accepted. People ridiculed me by saying, “There are so many better actors in Hollywood. How can Gulshan Grover get work there?“ Moreover, the attitude in the West was that if you want to work there, you have to live there and always be available for auditions as they doubted our professionalism. I continuously worked on improving the image of our artistes and said that if actors like Hugh Grant could work in Hollywood while living in England, why should it be different for us. I'd carry a suitcase of VHS cassettes to show them our films, even though they were reluctant to watch our movies with songs and without subtitles. Today, when I see Irrfan, Priyanka and Deepika working in the West, I feel proud that we have made a place for ourselves in the global arena.

Having done so many films in India and internationally, what motivates you today?
I still have so much to learn. As an actor, I'm continuously hungry to achieve more.