Sunil Grover, who first made huge waves with his character of Gutthi in Kapil Sharma‘s show, has since played many iconic characters that display his immense range as an actor. Very few people know how the comedian-actor actually started his career. Did he struggle in Mumbai like many other aspiring actors, or did he audition for a show? The answer is none of the above. Scroll down to see how Sunil Grover started his entertainment career.
Sunil Grover landed his debut role while still studying in college. That’s right. The actor who has been seen in many hilarious avatars, be it Gutthi, Dr Mashoor Gulati, Rinku Devi, among many others, was first spotted by late satirist Jaspal Bhatti who tickled many a funny bone with his Doordarshan shows Flop Show and Full Tension.
Grover shared the relatively lesser-known story with The Times of India in a 2014 interview. It was the time when the gifted actor was still studying in college in Chandigarh and Bhatti came for an audition.
While the actor didn’t think his audition go as per his expectations, he was still selected.
“I was still studying in Chandigarh when Jaspalji came for auditions to our college. I auditioned randomly, and didn’t think I do well. But Jaspalji selected me,” said Grover who reunited with Kapil Sharma on Netflix show The Great Indian Kapil Show recently.
The actor added that since he didn’t have a mobile during those days, a person from Jaspal Bhatti’s team came to inform him personally. Once Grover became part of his family, he played multiple roles in Bhatti’s Flop Show and Full Tension. Clips of the show where he is seen as a servant and fake police officer are still available. One of them has left the comedian’s fans in awe.
Take a look:
Grover told TOI that he also did many stage shows with the comedian and his wife Savita Bhatti.
“He was a visionary who could spot talent in people even when they did not believe in themselves,” recalled Grover.
However, after completing his Masters, he moved to Mumbai, and then came a point where after spending all his savings, he realised he didn’t have an incomr source. In an interview with Humans of Bombay, he said, “After completing my master’s degree in theatre, I moved to Mumbai to act. But for the first year, all I did was party. I lived in a luxury neighbourhood with my savings and some money from home. I would only earn about Rs 500 per month. But I believed I would be successful soon.”
“Eventually, I learnt that there were many people like myself who were ‘superstars’ in their town and ‘strugglers’ here. I soon found myself without an income and faced a harsh reality. I was demotivated.”
However, he soon landed a job in radio and that helped improve his financial status. Many would recall the actor entertained one and all with his character Sud aka Sudarshan in Hansi Ke Phuware, a Radio Mirchi show.
About Jaspal Bhatti
Jaspal Bhatti made his mark with his 1990s Doordarshan shows Flop Show and Full Tension, wherein he starred in lead role along with his wife Savita Bhatti. The duo highlighted societal issues with a tinge of wit and humour. The narratives left one thinking about the state of affairs and issues related to the common man. Many film lovers would remember Bhatti’s role in Aishwarya Rai’s Aa Ab Laut Chalein. The satirist died in a car accident on 25 October 2012, aged 57.
Sunil Grover’s iconic roles
During 2000s, Sunil Grover made his full-fledged debut with Chala Lallan Hero Banne. However, he shot to fame with Comedy Nights with Kapil and The Kapil Sharma Show. He was also seen in movies like Ghajini, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Bharat and Jawan.
Sunil also acted in India’s first silent comedy show, SAB TV’s Gutur Gu in the first 26 episodes.
