Sunil Grover, part of Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, was told by filmmakers 'what if people laugh at your performance'

Sunil Grover is 45 and already famous in more ways than one. Some love his Gutthi and Dr Mashoor Gulati avatars while some prefer to see him in more serious roles, like that of Saif Ali Khan’s aide in the web series, Tandav. With films like Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan and Amitabh Bachchan’s Goodbye in his kitty, Sunil is definitely going to have a wonderful year ahead. The actor-comedian likes both aspects of his career equally and is simply happy and grateful for getting each new offer better than the other. Also read: Alia Bhatt feels despite recent box office failures, Shah Rukh Khan 'needs no advice': He’s magic and magician together

In an interview with Hindustan Times on the eve of his birthday, Sunil opened up about the opportunities he’s getting and why he doesn’t have any regrets about how fans still recall him as Gutthi. Excerpts:

You turned 45 this year. What is your mental age -- still feeling as young as 16 or as mature as 45?

If I see someone at 45, I feel, ‘Oh that’s quite an old man’. If I look at myself, it looks like as if I am 18-20, maybe 30. It keeps fluctuating on daily basis.

Any birthday plans as such?

No plans as yet. I am more for a quiet birthday. What happens is that social media messages take most of your time on your birthday. I will be at home with family and friends.

You had a major health scare in February which made many young people sit up and take note of their own health status. Did the stroke bring a major change in your mindset towards health, fitness and life as such?

I am good by god’s grace. I am fine and am enjoying. I don’t know why it happened, how it happened because everything was fine. I had been taking care of my diet, food, exercise earlier also. I lead the routine life as I used to, nothing much. But now I try not to miss my workouts.

You recently made a comeback as Dr Mashoor Gulati on India’s Laughter Champion. How’s been the response?

I wanted to do it for myself. I enjoyed dressing up as Dr Mashoor Gulati after a long time. It was just for one episode. That’s it, and I felt nice.

Your character Gutthi seems to have made an appearance in Cannes this year. What was your reaction when you saw her photoshopped pictures on the internet?

(laughs) Gutthi has her own passport, she travels anywhere she wants to. She doesn’t inform me.

Do your family or your kids judge you for dressing up as a woman on screen?

It’s been a while now. They are immune to it. Till the time the cheque is coming in Sunil Grover’s name, everyone is happy.

Has it ever happened that the image of your characters like that of Gutthi or Mashoor Gulati has impacted your chances of getting different roles?

Initially, even I thought so. I just did it and it got popular, I didn’t know the impact. Maybe I have been lucky that people have accepted my male characters apart from comedy. I am grateful to the audience, to the almighty for accepting me like that. In Tandav, I was little skeptical about how people will accept me in that role. It was a complete contrast to my comic characters. I have been lucky.

It has happened sometimes that people said, ‘You have a funny image, what if people laugh on your performance’. But I knew from within that once I get an opportunity, I will be able to show and prove otherwise. I was also skeptical in a way that people will accept me or not. I knew I could do it but until the audience accepts you, it cannot happen.

You now have some very impressive projects lined up. Jawan with Shah Rukh Khan and Goodbye with Amitabh Bachchan. Tell us something about them.

I will talk when the time comes. I am in these films and am looking forward to them.

Do you feel you have finally come out of the comic image which stuck with the public? You are omnipresent on TV, OTT as well as the silver screen.

It’s a good thing that my image stuck with the public. I don’t want to come out of my comic image. I want to keep doing comedy if I get good roles, with a good script. I would definitely do it. All I want is I am able to do any role that I get, comedy or not. I love doing comedy. I am happy that as an actor I am getting chances to explore various sides of it. I want to explore more -- I wish that on my birthday. I pray that I keep entertaining the audience with various roles and characters. I am enjoying the new method of storytelling these days. I am enjoying that a lot. I want to do some good projects. The medium doesn’t matter. I wish I to get work with good people and collaborate.