Mind Speak

Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover still remembers walking down the dusty lane from his house in a lesser-known suburb of Delhi to catch a bus to school. “I studied in a simple government school,” he says,in town to to launch Sanjeev Chadha’s (Chairman of ICL Group of Colleges) Mission Dil Se for education. He topped,along with his friends Dinesh Jain and Pradee. “I went on to do my MCom from Sriram College of Commerce. Our name is still there on the school’s merit list,” he says,proud of his humble beginnings and great innings. “It’s only later in life one realises the value of education,how it shapes one’s career and life. I strongly believe in right to education for everyone,” he says. “Unless there is no desire to learn,nothing will change,” says the arch villain of Bollywood.

Grover feels that as a celebrity,it was time for him to give back to society. “I am more than happy to be part of any cause without political affiliation,” he says. His upcoming movies will see him play the role of a Sikh sardar in not one but two films. “There’s a Punjabi film Chhevan Dariya (Sixth River) in which I play an ageing Sikh professor from Panjab University living in the outskirts of Chandigarh. He has a grandson who tries to coax him to live with him abroad but my character refuses to give up his land. In Kajrare,I play the role of the head of Scotland Yard (British Police) who guides the hero throughout the film and ultimately sacrifices for him. Finally,Knock Out with Sanjay Dutt releases around Diwali,” he adds.

Grover does not believe that Hollywood typecasts Indian actors or discriminates against them,an allegation recently made by actor Dev Patel. “In all my years of work there,I have never once come across any of it. It’s talent that they are looking for and it’s a pretty democratic call. Yes,there are necessary typecasts and clichés for the sake of familiarity. Will we ever take an English speaking foreigner as our hero or heroine?” he signs off.