BizAsia talks to Gulshan Grover about ‘Badman’ at LIFF 2017
Gulshan Grover is no stranger to the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF) but this year will be special for him. He’s bringing his film ‘Badman’ – the name he’s known as in the industry – to the British capital this year. ‘Badman’ is a comic take on a villain and promise to be an interesting watch.
BizAsiaLive.com caught up with the actor to talk about the film.
You became branded “bad man” of Bollywood over 2 decades ago. How does it feel now that you’ve starred in a film of the same name?
It feels great because this is the first time ever a film is titled in the name of an iconic character, played by a villain and the same actor is playing the hero. This unusually entertaining film is produced by Viacom18 and directed by Soumik Sen who directed ‘Gulab Gang’ with Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla.
What drew you in to the role and film?
The concept of the film, the partition of the producers Viacom18 – Voot, my role and the film being touted as India’s first ‘mockumentary’. This is a film where every actor plays themselves. I play a film star who is Badman, Rishi Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, director Mahesh Bhatt, Sujoy Ghosh, Shoojit Sircar all play themselves… Even real life film critics like Anupama Chopra and Rajeev Masand play themselves. Never ever has there been a film like that in Bollywood.
How would you describe the comedy of ‘Badman’?
Crazy and quirky in the settings of the Indian film industry.
What do you think the appeal of the film will be for festival audiences?
It will appeal because it’s India’s first mockumentary with such an interesting plot. I believe the humour will be loved and appreciated by the audiences at the festival.
You’ve been seen playing a number of good guy roles too. Which do you prefer to play – positive or negative?
Well, an actor wants to play all kinds of roles. Despite my popularity and stardom, success has come from playing the villain but I love playing challenging parts which are completely different.
You’ve walked the LIFF red carpet before, as a special guest, and are back again, this time with your film. How do you expect the experience to be this year?
What a fantastic experience it was to walk the red carpet. I loved being at the festival. I am so happy that I am back with ‘Badman’. I am going to be present at all screenings of the film in Wembley, Birmingham, Stratford and London. I am looking forward to meeting and taking photos with my fans.
The London Indian Film Festival runs from 22nd June to 29th June across 11 venues in London, and the Birmingham Film Festival runs from 23rd June to 2nd July, in Birmingham, across 3 venues. Gulshan Grover will be in both cities, so get ready to catch a selfie with the Badman of Bollywood.
