Bollywood's Bad Man, Gulshan Grover, recently opened up about his journey in Bollywood and how he landed a crucial role in the 1983 hit film Avtaar, starring Rajesh Khanna and Shabana Azmi. In an exclusive conversation with ETimes, Grover shared a fascinating anecdote about how his financial struggles and a chance encounter with Shabana Azmi led him to one of the most important films of his career.
Recalling how he got the film, Gulshan told us, "I got the film under one of the most interesting circumstances. Writer-director Vinay Shukla is a good friend of mine, Anil Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, and many others. I had done Hum Paanch and was looking for work here and there. Occasionally, I'd go to Vinay's house around mealtime because I'd been missing my home food and stretching resources. I reached Vinay's house around mealtime and had a chat with him about some roles. The rule of his house was that you had to remove your shoes outside before entering. When I reached his house, Shabana Ji was already there. She looked at my socks and asked, 'What are you doing with torn socks?' My socks had many holes. I told her, 'That's my condition. I have no work.'"
Gulshan further revealed how Shabana Azmi took an interest in his situation and offered him a helping hand. "She asked me whether I had some decent photographs. I didn't have any, but I lied that I had. She asked me to meet her at her home at 11 am the next day. I excused myself from there and rushed to the legendary photographer Nath Gupta. He was a friend of mine. I told him about the photographs. He said, 'Come at 5:30 am tomorrow. I'll click your photographs.' So, I went there the next morning, got my photographs clicked and developed, and reached Shabana Ji's house at the given time. She gave those photographs, along with some other boys' photos, to Mohan Kumar Ji, who was looking to cast Rajesh Khanna and Shabana Ji's son in the film."
The actor recalled how Avtaar director Mohan Kumar eventually chose him for the role. "There were many good-looking boys because the perception of a hero-heroine’s son was that he'd be good-looking. Mohan Kumar picked up my photo and asked Shabana Ji about my whereabouts. She told him, 'He's a hardworking boy.' And Mohan Ji wanted to meet me. That's how I got Avtaar."
However, Gulshan faced resistance from the production team. "Mohan Kumar's office was against me. They felt that I was a miscast. I looked a certain way. I didn't look like I could pull off a song. There's a song in Avtaar called Zindagi Mauj Udane Ka Naam Hai, choreographed by Kamal Masterji. There were romantic scenes. The girl cast opposite me had already done Balika Vadhu and had become a star. Mohan Kumar maintained that I was the right cast for the role. And he was right because I got so much appreciation for this role."
Gulshan shared how Shabana Azmi played a crucial role in guiding him on set. "Shabana Ji was like a mentor to me on set. I was a little wary of Rajesh Khanna Ji, but surprisingly, he was very nice to me because I was Sanjay Dutt's friend. And Tina Munim had started seeing Rajesh Khanna at that time. Sanjay Dutt, in his typical ways, was very vocal about Rajesh Khanna. I hoped that he didn’t hold this against me. But Rajesh Khanna was extremely warm to me. Shabana Ji helped me throughout the making of the film in every way."
He also recalled a particularly intense scene. "There's a scene where I question my parents about what they have done besides the bare minimum duties of a parent. Shabana Ji slaps me in that scene. She slapped me so hard 15 times. It was one of the most interesting scenes because she was crying and slapping the son for his audacity. That anguish made the scene interesting."
Gulshan also recalled a heartwarming gesture by Mohan Kumar. "Mohan Kumar was just amazing. He got to know from his line producer Thela Thela that I was in a financial crunch. He doubled my remuneration for the film. He also asked me to take my costumes from the film. I was not a regular struggler. I was an educated person in a dignified way. Mohan Kumar insisted on me taking the suits and other clothes with me. He said, 'You're on the rise. You'll go to functions and parties. These will come in handy.' He had tremendous respect for Shabana Ji, and I was her protégée. So, I had an advantage. Mohan Kumar thought differently, and I'll be grateful to him for casting me in Avtaar. He went against the type to cast me."
Avtaar went on to become a massive success and is remembered as one of Rajesh Khanna’s finest performances. As for Gulshan Grover, the film played a pivotal role in establishing him in the industry, leading to a long and illustrious career in Bollywood.