Sunil Grover on 'Tandav': Got to live the life of a powerful man, even if in fiction

When director Ali Abbas Zafar sent script of upcoming political drama Tandav to Sunil Grover, actor asked him "Are you sure about this?" Grover, funny man behind popular characters like Gutthi, Rinku Bhabhi and Dr. Mashoor Gulati on television, was skeptical about joining cast of Amazon Prime Video series where he plays right-hand man to Saif Ali Khan''s scheming politician.

But Zafar, who collaborated with actor in 2019's "Bharat" opposite Salman Khan, knew Grover was perfect fit to play Gurpal Chauhan. "I h worked with Ali in Bharat and he said he wants me to work in Tandav. He sent me script, I re it. I called him back and said ''Are you sure about this because I have a very strong background as a funny guy?'' He said ''I want only you to do this role''," Grover told PTI in an interview over Zoom.

Born in Sirsa, Haryana, actor holds a master's degree in atre from Panjab University and was discovered during his college days by late satirist and comedian Jaspal Bhatti. Prior to his success on TV, Grover played bit roles in films like "Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha", " Legend of Bhagat Singh", and it was small screen that gave him his second innings in cinema with "Gabbar Is Back", "Pataakha" and "Bharat".

"re is this constant question of ''who am I?'' in my life. People say ''Oh I met Sunil Grover''. or one would ask ''Who Sunil Grover?'' ''Oh same man who plays Gutthi, Gulati, etc...

"I only kw how to play different characters. I want to keep doing this and keep experimenting for as long as possible."

His character in"Tandav", 43-year-old actor said, is close to kingmaker, Khan''s Samar Pratap Singh, and that gave him a chance to stay real.

"I love playing different characters, funny or t. Even when I have played funny roles, y are different characters in my body of work. I often me those parts funny or caricaturish, here I have kept character realistic and approached it accordingly."

As Gurpal is someone who is right next to "kingmaker", his character also holds some authority in this fictional world of politics, Grover said.

"This is a true character, wrong or right, I can''t say. I tasted what power feels like through this character. I got to live life of a powerful man, even if fiction. moves one makes to claim power, and all mental and physical energy that it takes.

"It is difficult to return to a place without power after tasting it. Power is a drug. If you never h power, n it''s a different thing. But if power is snatched away from you, dealing with it on a psychological level is very tough."

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actor said "Tandav" is an "insightful and intricate work" by writer Gaurav Solanki.

" show is about humans who live a political life. It''s t just about politics, it''s more about people. series is open to interpretation," he ded.

Grover praised Zafar, who also serves as creator on show, for his multi-tasking skills and quipped direction is "more difficult than building Sea Link bridge".

"I share a good relationship with Ali. He is very cool, calm and quiet. But many people don''t kw he is very funny. We share heartland humour between us. We kept laughing on sets. He is also very sarcastic man, intelligent man. Laughing and making people laugh is work of intelligent people."

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nine-part political drama also stars Dimple Kapia, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Kumud Mishra, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Sarah Jane Dias, Di Morea, Anup Soni, Kritika Kamra, Sandhya Mridul and Amyra Dastur.

"Tandav" will start streaming from January 15.