Actor Gulshan Grover has been in the film business for four decades, and he loves his job. He only wants to focus on it, rather than trying to change things, either in the industry or society. “The Hindi film industry is an entertainment business. Our basic introduction is that we are entertainers. The confusion starts happening when we become society changers or revolutionaries,” says the veteran.

He adds, “That change (from being entertainers to activists) has happened in the recent years. Some people do that well, as they have the capacity and opinion on things.”

But the 62-year-old, who was last seen in the film Sooryavanshi (2021) and the second season of the web show Your Honor Season 2, says he likes being just an entertainer. “While I have worked in a film like I Am Kalam (2011), which was on education, I am not an activist. I cannot go and stop all children from working. I can’t provide funds for every child to get educated. It’s the job of some [other] people,” the actor says.

The actor is certain that he only wants the ‘entertainer’ tag for himself, since in his own words, he doesn’t have the aptitude, capacity or talent to be anything else.

Grover quips, “I can’t even change things in my own house or building, how can I change things (anywhere else)? Each person has different qualities, and unfortunately, I don’t possess that (the capacity to bring about a change in society). I have an aptitude for acting, and I am happy to be just that and nothing else.”

Gulshan Grover started on his path in international cinema at a time when the benefits of Internet available to artistes today didn’t exist. From having to inform filmmakers in the West himself about who he was to now having multiple Hollywood projects under his belt, the actor has had quite the journey.

Grover is happy that the “mud path” he created is being taken by other Indian actors. He shares that when he started off in the West, even approaching people was a tough task.

“I started in an era when there was no Internet or other way to find out who you are. I’d [have to] tell the studio or filmmaker in Hollywood about my films in India... I’m glad I made a mud path, and that it is being cemented and followed by my wonderful colleagues. They are making us proud, whether it’s Priyanka Chopra Jonas, late Irrfan or the others,” says the 65-year-old, who has done films such as Beeper (2002), Blind Ambition (2008), and Prisoners Of The Sun (2013) in the West.

Recently, Jonas was chosen to announce the Academy Award nominations, along with her husband, singer Nick Jonas. However, her credibility to be given this task was questioned by a social media user. Grover feels this was not right. “I congratulated her when she announced it. A certain journalist saying what are her credentials is incorrect. She has done over 60 films, produced films in different Indian languages, and now in the West. She is not only a star we love but also a filmmaker. Priyanka was absolutely qualified,” reasons Grover, who was recently seen in the film Mumbai Saga.

He also feels that an Indian star’s presence benefits the international projects they become part of. He says, “It gets the attention of millions of people from this part of the world. The kind of fan following we have here for Indian celebs — whether it’s cricket or Bollywood — no other country has it. I used to say, when they (international filmmakers) would be casting me in films, ‘You are going to have an experience you’ve never had’.”

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.

Gulshan Grover recalls being surprised by a call from director Priyadarshan and producer Firoz Nadiadwala in the late '90s whom he had never worked with before. They wanted to remake a 1989 Malayalam film named after the villain, Ramji Rao Speaking, with him playing the bad man. Gulshan was busy with multiple films at the time but they lured him with the promise that the role of the kidnapper whom they had renamed Kabira was one he had never played before. “His voice exuded menace every time he calls,“ points out the actor.

Gulshan squeezed out some dates but they kept getting bumped off because Priyadarshan was too happy canning sequences with Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal in Chennai. After several delays, Gulshan whose interest had diminished considerably, was ready to drop out of the comic caper which had been titled Hera Pheri.

Desperate to hold on to him, the makers promised to wrap up his portions in 10 days. But there was a date clash, with Mahesh Bhatt's Zakhm. Not wanting to lose out on the chance of working with his mentor, Gulshan approached Bhatt with the request that he speak to Firoz and get him out of Hera Pheri. “To my surprise, after listening to the role, Bhattsaab advised me to do Firoz's film even though he'd miss not working with me,“ says Gulshan. Zakhm went to Saurabh Shukla and Gulshan went to a mill opposite Film City to shoot the climax with Akshay, Suniel, Paresh, Om Puri and his sexy assistant Kashmira Shah. “Once we started shooting, Priyadarshan was completely focussed on me. He would be waiting for me in my make-up van even before I arrived,“ smiles Gulshan, who in consultation with the director, designed his look. “Priyadarshan didn't want beards and scars. He wanted me to look handsome and dapper. I went to Firoz's office and pulled out an imported camouflage jacket from the wardrobe, the kind I'd seen Sylvester Stallone wear, which I teamed with a tee and jeans.“ Priyadarshan's art director had designed a bungalow in Film City for Kabira and his team to move into to pick up the ransom. Since the owners had gone off on a holiday, all the furniture, the lights and fans were under plastic covers. “Priyadarshan wanted a sunbeam falling on my face when I rang during the day and a flash of neon light when I called at night. He was meticulous about the lights even if it meant delaying the shoot,“ remembers Gulshan.

The film was set in the chawl and Firoz felt he needed a lavishly mounted song to bring people to the theatres. He had some Caucasian women, an Afro body builder and some pythons flown down. He also roped in Namrata Shirodkar for Tun tunak tun. “It must have cost him all our remuneration put together. Some believed that it was Akshay's idea to upstage the others. It was Firoz's brainwave and resulted in a fallout with Priyadarshan, who was not a part of the sequel,“ says Gulshan. He himself engineered a patch-up between Akshay and Subhash Ghai who was peeved after being told by the actor's manager that he was too busy to give him dates for two years. “I set up a lunch meeting between them and Subhashji had signed Akshay for Aitraaz,“ he says.

Fifteen years later, Gulshan will return as Kabira in Hera Pheri 3 being directed by Neeraj Vora. “We're working on the look. Just as there's no rest for the wicked there's no age for the wicked. So I'll only get better looking,“ he chuckles.