The face of comedy on TV, Sunil Grover on his successful innings in showbiz as he returns with Gangs Of Filmistan
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; September 1, 2020)

If humour is the best antidote to the current grim times, Sunil Grover may just have what it takes to spread some good cheer. The actor-comedian, who was last seen in Kanpur Wale Khuranas, has dedicated the past four months to preparing for his latest offering, Gangs Of Filmistan.

After playing Guthi and Dr Mashoor Gulati, he will be seen as a don, Bhindi Bhai, in the daily show that will focus on spoofs on Bollywood.

"The objective of Gangs Of Filmistan is to make people laugh, which is the need of the hour. I won't reprise any character from the past. This show has a new format of comedy, where people will perform for me. I will play a funny and vulnerable don," says Grover, who will be watching as others entertain him.

Joining him in the endeavour are Shilpa Shinde, Siddharth Sagar, Sanket Bhosale and Upasana Singh, among others. The actor says that the sketch comedy, which went on air yesterday, came his way rather unexpectedly. "I was originally supposed to do another show. It had all been lined up for a year, but things changed in the past four months. Having said that, you will see more of me in the latter part of the year."

A favourite with Bollywood folk, it isn't unusual to see celebrity guests gracing Grover's comedy show. "If any star volunteers to come on the show, we will welcome him/her with open arms, but that is not the format of the show," he says. While several television actors have reportedly slashed their fee to adapt to the tough situation, the actor has taken it a step ahead. "The team has been kind enough to not renegotiate my remuneration much. The show will provide an earning opportunity to several people. I will be donating my earnings from it to those affected by the pandemic."

Over the past decade, Grover and previous collaborator Kapil Sharma have become the face of comedy on television. Ask him if it was difficult to find his footing in the industry, and he asserts that the performance pressure is similar to that in any other field. "As you grow, challenges keep increasing. It may be easy to score 95 per cent in exams, but covering the distance from 95 per cent to 98 per cent is much tougher. It's the same way in this industry too." He admits both success and failure become magnified owing to the public nature of the profession. "When your work is acknowledged, you feel it is smooth sailing. But there will always be a time when you are not accepted. That doesn't mean that the industry is unforgiving. People often forget the positive side of this industry. Everyone goes through ups and downs; it's how you bounce back that matters."