I must have rejected 60-70 web series in one year before signing Vishal Bhardwaj’s project: Gulshan Grover

Having “waited for years” to collaborate with filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, actor Gulshan Grover’s dream came true when the former came to him with a part in his debut web project Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley, an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel The Sittaford Mystery.

Calling Bhardwaj his favourite director, Grover says, “I must have rejected more than 60-70 web series in the past one year and when this opportunity to work with Vishal Bhardwaj — for a story like this, with a cast this good and a role this interesting — came to me, I immediately said yes. There were no second thoughts.”

And his faith in the Fursat and Pataakha (2018) director was richly repaid. “There are filmmakers whom I love, whose style of work I appreciate, and he was always on top of that list. He is very compassionate and gels very well with his cast,” the actor gushes, adding that what also drew him to Bhardwaj’s style of work was his “attention to detail”.

But what in particular does he like about Bhardwaj’s work? Grover says, “It’s his attention to every detail of every scene. I like how he is extremely passionate about the work. I have been a great fan of Bhardwaj’s film and his the characters, which have rough edges and a grey shade to them. His style of getting the best out of any actor is commendable. So, after seeing every character of his films, my reactions would be ‘Ye role mein karskta hun.’ I always had the desire to work with him and when I got the call from him, I was more than happy.,” shares Grover, who has already started shooting for the show.

The Mumbai Saga actor assures that this kind of project has never ever been made for the Indian web. “People are in for a massive treat – in terms of the level of acting, the action sequences, writing and also the level of visuals. Such a fantastic project is definitely going to enhance the taste buds of the viewers.”

After four decades in the industry, Grover feels that only 25% of his potential has been realised. “I have so much more to offer. I only want to do work that is unusual and different from what I have done in the past,” he shares, asserting nonetheless that this is in no way his attempt to break out of his ‘Bad Man’ image. “I’m not ashamed of it — I love it. But now, I want to present another side to me to the audience,” he ends.